1-minute voter guide: Ordinance 309 would ban slaughterhouses in Denver

Animal rights advocates are asking Denver voters to shut down the lone slaughterhouse in Denver, a lamb processing facility owned by Superior Farms in the Globeville neighborhood.

State of play: Ordinance 309 would outlaw slaughterhouses entirely by banning their construction and use in the city starting in 2026.

• The advocates at Boulder-based Pro Animal Future, which is behind the citizen-led initiative, say it is needed to address animal abuse and pollution.
• Moreover, they consider slaughterhouses inhumane.

The other side: The opposition group, Stop the Ban, is arguing for the economic impact and jobs the employee-owned company provides. Superior Farms employs about 160 people, most of them living in Denver and Spanish-speaking immigrants.

• If it must close, the company would need to move operations elsewhere.

The big picture: Colorado is one of the top five producers of sheep and lambs in the U.S. and studies show animal processing is a major industry for Colorado.

• If Superior Farms leaves Colorado, the broader economic impact would mean the loss of nearly 3,000 jobs and $861 million in economic activity, a Colorado State University report found.