The HSLF supports the right of citizens to make laws directly through the initiative and referendum process. We are currently working with citizens and animal protection organizations in several states to gather signatures and put initiatives on ballots this year. Read more about our past victories here.

In 2006, Arizona Michigan voters gave a voice to animals by speaking out on ballot initiatives in landslide votes to protect farm animals and mourning doves.

Arizona: Proposition 204 Passes Overwhelmingly

Arizona voters overwhelmingly passed a historic initiative to improve the lives of farm animals—the Humane Treatment of Farm Animals Act.

The passage of this proposition by 62 percent of the vote, makes Arizona the first state in the nation to prohibit the confinement of calves in veal crates and the second state to prohibit the confinement of breeding pigs in gestation crates. These two factory farming practices are infamous for their inherent cruelty and are both already banned throughout the European Union.

"Arizona voters stood up to factory farming lobby groups and affirmed that farm animals should have basic protections such as being able to turn around and extend their limbs," said Wayne Pacelle, HSLF executive vice president. "The overwhelming passage of Proposition 204 will not only help thousands of animals in Arizona, but will also send a message to factory farming operations across the country that they must end the most abusive practices."

Thanks to the inspiring efforts of tireless Arizona volunteers, 11 out of 15 Arizona counties supported the measure, recognizing that it is cruel and inhumane to confine pigs and calves in crates so small they can't even turn around and extend their limbs. The measure phases out the two confinement practices, with an effective date of Dec. 31, 2012.

Michigan: Proposal 3 Shot Down

In a victory for the people and wildlife of Michigan, all 83 counties in the Wolverine State rejected a proposal to open the first target shooting season on the mourning dove—the state's official bird of peace—which has been a protected species since 1905.

Sixty-nine percent of Michigan voters said "no" to shooting doves, with the campaign receiving more votes than any statewide candidate. The "no" votes exceeded the "yes" votes by more than 1.3 million. The crushing win at the polls culminated a two-year grassroots campaign by The Committee to Keep Doves Protected, a coalition of Michigan humane, conservation, farming and faith-based groups, which represents more than 300,000 Michigan members.

"The question of whether to hunt doves in Michigan, which has been a policy debate for years, has been settled once and for all," said Mike Markarian, president of HSLF. "It was a long, tough campaign, but the faith and determination of Michigan volunteers and advocates carried the day. In the final analysis, though, it is the people of Michigan who really deserve the credit. They saw through the propaganda from the supporters of the dove hunt, and they spoke up on Election Day for wildlife and for the century-long Michigan tradition of caring for doves."

More Work Ahead

Neither animals nor people fared as well in Florida, where powerful special interests pushed through a ballot measure to make it more difficult for citizens to win passage of popular reforms. Amendment 3 was placed on the ballot by legislators at the request of Tallahassee lobbyists, who used the 2002 "pregnant pig" amendment as an example of why the ballot initiative process supposedly needed to be reined in.

Ironically, while Arizona voters overwhelmingly passed a proposition to protect breeding pigs on corporate factory farms, Florida special interests used that same issue to take power away from the state's voters. Amendment 3 will now require that future ballot measures obtain a supermajority—60 percent or more, rather than a simple 50 percent majority—of votes to pass.