April 7, 2008 4:11 PM

"...Where the buffalo roam and the veal and the pregant sows plaaay!"

The House passed a bill to today to phase out confining crates for veal calves and pregnant pigs that was hailed as landmark by the national Humane Society.

Now that SB 201 has passed both chambers and Gov. Bill Ritter is expected to sign it, the Humane Society of the United States said it will voluntarily withdraw its proposed ballot measure that would have similarly banned confining veal and sows in crates so small they can’t turn around.

The Humane Society also proposed phasing out the confinement of multiple egg-laying hens in small cages, but the group said it would continue talks with Colorado agriculture industry and state officials on that issue.

The legislation marked “a model of cooperation between the Humane Society of the United state and leaders within the animal agriculture sectors,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of national Humane Society.

“Typically, it’s been combat,” added Pacelle, whose group has run animal-welfare ballot measures in Florida and Arizona.

“The near-unanimous passage of this legislation shows that reasonable representatives from humane organizations and the agricultural sector can indeed work together and forge innovative and more humane policy solutions,” he added.

Pacelle said the governor and Agriculture Commissioner John Stulp played crucial roles in negotiations laying the groundwork for the legislation. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Jim Isgar, D-Hesperus, and Rep. Kathleen Curry, D-Gunnison, who both chair Agriculture Committees.

In Colorado, the Humane Society estimates, there are nearly 150,000 breeding pigs confined in so-called “gestation” crates during four-month pregnancies. The bill would phase out such crates within a decade.

While there is currently no veal industry in Colorado, SB 201 phases out veal crates within four years.

Action by Colorado lawmakers comes after Florida, Arizona and Oregon have banned gestation crates and Arizona has also prohibited veal crates. Supporters for a measure similar to the one withdrawn in Colorado have raised nearly 800,000 signatures to put it on California's November election ballot.

Meanwhile, Colorado's Chipotle restaurant chain has refused to buy pork from producers using confining crates and many major supermarket and restaurant chains are following suit.

--Alan Gathright

Posted by Alan Gathright at 4:11 PM | Comments (0)