Sioux Falls voters reject ban on new slaughterhouses

Measure sparked intense campaign that ended up in court, divided business community

A bid to ban new slaughterhouses in Sioux Falls fell short on Election Day, in ballot counting that went well into Wednesday morning.

Sioux Falls voters rejected a measure to halt new slaughterhouse construction by a margin of 52 percent to 48 percent.

While the measure would have changed the city’s zoning rules to apply to all new slaughterhouses, it was aimed specifically to stop a new hog processing plant proposed by Wholestone Farms in northeastern Sioux Falls. Opponents of the measure financed by Smart Growth Sioux Falls collected enough signatures to force the issue to a public vote.

NEWS: South Dakota voters say yes to key Obamacare provision