2024 Colorado Proposition 129 was a successful ballot measure that appeared before voters in Colorado during the 2024 general election. The proposition will create a new state license for the position of veterinary professional associate. This will be a new veterinary position in between veterinarians and veterinary technician specialist.

Background Prior to the passage of Proposition 129, Colorado had three main veterinary positions: veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary technician specialists. All of these positions are regulated by the Colorado Board of Veterinary Medicine. Veterinary technicians must have an associate's degree and can assist veterinarians and provide treatment for minor conditions. Veterinary technician specialists must have an associate's degree in addition to at least three years of clinical training and can perform all of the responsibilities of a veterinary technician in addition to performing emergency medical and surgical assistance. Finally, veterinarians must have a doctoral degree and can perform all levels of veterinary care. The new position of veterinary professional associate created by Proposition 129 requires a master's degree and is able to perform many tasks technicians specialists are not allowed to, such as routine surgeries.

Proposition 129 was referred to the ballot via citizen petition. The group All Pets Deserve Care circulated petitions, funded mostly by the Dumb Friends League. The petition began in response to a veterinarian shortage within Colorado. The new position of veterinary professional associate requires a master's degree in veterinary clinical care. This degree was not offered by any universities in Colorado at the time of the measure's passage, though Colorado State University does have plans for its implementation.

Contents The proposition appeared on the ballot as follows:

Campaigns Support Support of Proposition 129 was led by the organization All Pets Deserve Vet Care. Colorado's official voter guide offered the arguments in favor of the ballot measure that creating the new veterinary professional associate position would create new career opportunities for those in the veterinary field and provide greater access to veterinary care, particularly in rural and agricultural communities.

Opposition Opposition to Proposition 129 was led by the organization Keep Our Pets Safe. The state's official voter guide offered the arguments against the measure that the requirements laid out by Proposition 129 are vauge and unclear, there are currently no academic programs offered for veterinary professional associates in Colorado universities, and it would increase risk for animals.

Results Proposition 129 required a simple majority to pass. It did so with roughly 53% voting in favor of the measure.

Results by county County For Against Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % Adams 111,840 52.12% 102,733 47.88% 9,107 4.24% 214,573 Alamosa 3,667 51.73% 3,422 48.27% 245 3.46% 7,089 Arapahoe 163,997 54.29% 138,069 45.71% 25,928 8.58% 302,066 Archuleta 4,416 51.09% 4,227 48.91% 189 2.19% 8,643 Baca573 30.25% 1,321 69.75% -748 -39.49% 1,894 Bent 1,026 49.11% 1,063 50.89% -37 -1.77% 2,089 Boulder 86,532 47.99% 93,795 52.01% -7,263 -4.03% 180,327 Broomfield 23,250 53.45% 20,251 46.55% 2,999 6.89% 43,501 Chaffee 7,162 52.91% 6,375 47.09% 787 5.81% 13,537 Cheyenne369 36.53%641 63.47% -272 -26.93% 1,010 Clear Creek 2,909 51.31% 2,760 48.69% 149 2.63% 5,669 Conejos 1,764 45.44% 2,118 54.56% -354 -9.12% 3,882 Costilla 1,114 58.69%784 41.31% 330 17.39% 1,898 Crowley844 51.15%806 48.85% 38 2.30% 1,650 Custer 1,993 54.13% 1,689 45.87% 304 8.26% 3,682 Delta 9,747 52.42% 8,848 47.58% 899 4.83% 18,595 Denver 190,936 57.02% 143,909 42.98% 47,027 14.04% 334,845 Dolores678 51.72%633 48.28% 45 3.43% 1,311 Douglas 125,972 55.05% 102,880 44.95% 23,092 10.09% 228,852 Eagle 14,105 55.29% 11,408 44.71% 2,697 10.57% 25,513 El Paso 196,508 54.55% 163,728 45.45% 32,780 9.10% 360,236 Elbert 8,635 43.95% 11,013 56.05% -2,378 -12.10% 19,648 Fremont 12,972 53.60% 11,229 46.40% 1,743 7.20% 24,201 Garfield 14,600 51.30% 13,858 48.70% 742 2.61% 28,458 Gilpin 1,887 48.38% 2,013 51.62% -126 -3.23% 3,900 Grand 4,386 47.03% 4,939 52.97% -553 -5.93% 9,325 Gunnison 4,899 48.51% 5,200 51.49% -301 -2.98% 10,099 Hinsdale309 54.88%254 45.12% 55 9.77%563 Huerfano 2,505 59.69% 1,692 40.31% 813 19.37% 4,197 Jackson305 38.90%479 61.10% -174 -22.19%784 Jefferson 178,209 52.44% 161,598 47.56% 16,611 4.89% 339,807 Kiowa296 36.77%509 63.23% -213 -26.46%805 Kit Carson 1,219 34.67% 2,297 65.33% -1,078 -30.66% 3,516 La Plata 15,993 48.74% 16,817 51.26% -824 -2.51% 32,810 Lake 1,920 53.10% 1,696 46.90% 224 6.19% 3,616 Larimer 108,021 51.29% 102,593 48.71% 5,428 2.58% 210,614 Las Animas 3,869 52.64% 3,481 47.36% 388 5.28% 7,350 Lincoln989 39.90% 1,490 60.10% -501 -20.21% 2,479 Logan 4,493 46.55% 5,159 53.45% -666 -6.90% 9,652 Mesa 40,973 47.49% 45,306 52.51% -4,333 -5.02% 86,279 Mineral305 43.26%400 56.74% -95 -13.48%705 Moffat 2,586 41.47% 3,650 58.53% -1,064 -17.06% 6,236 Montezuma 7,677 53.96% 6,549 46.04% 1,128 7.93% 14,226 Montrose 11,455 47.62% 12,601 52.38% -1,146 -4.76% 24,056 Morgan 5,720 44.54% 7,123 55.46% -1,403 -10.92% 12,843 Otero 4,467 52.11% 4,106 47.89% 361 4.21% 8,573 Ouray 2,153 56.17% 1,680 43.83% 473 12.34% 3,833 Park 5,510 47.80% 6,017 52.20% -507 -4.40% 11,527 Phillips797 36.95% 1,360 63.05% -563 -26.10% 2,157 Pitkin 6,846 68.56% 3,139 31.44% 3,707 37.13% 9,985 Prowers 2,159 44.32% 2,712 55.68% -553 -11.35% 4,871 Pueblo 49,163 60.63% 31,927 39.37% 17,236 21.26% 81,090 Rio Blanco 1,348 38.51% 2,152 61.49% -804 -22.97% 3,500 Rio Grande 2,603 43.81% 3,338 56.19% -735 -12.37% 5,941 Routt 7,645 49.56% 7,780 50.44% -135 -0.88% 15,425 Saguache 1,619 52.06% 1,491 47.94% 128 4.12% 3,110 San Juan282 53.31%247 46.69% 35 6.62%529 San Miguel 2,649 62.02% 1,622 37.98% 1,027 24.05% 4,271 Sedgwick619 49.68%627 50.32% -8 -0.64% 1,246 Summit 8,657 53.85% 7,419 46.15% 1,238 7.70% 16,076 Teller 7,885 50.64% 7,685 49.36% 200 1.28% 15,570 Washington 1,057 39.19% 1,640 60.81% -583 -21.62% 2,697 Weld 81,929 48.63% 86,531 51.37% -4,602 -2.73% 168,460 Yuma 1,532 34.30% 2,935 65.70% -1,403 -31.41% 4,467Total 1,572,54552.76%1,407,81447.24%164,7315.53%2,980,359

See also

2024 United States ballot measures

References