D.C. Voters Weigh $474,000 Foie Gras Ban as Critics Warn Measure Could Reach Other Bird Products
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 31
D.C. Voters Weigh $474,000 Foie Gras Ban as Critics Warn Measure Could Reach Other Bird Products
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 31
Summary
Initiative 86 goes before D.C. voters on election day, with early voting already underway, to ban foie gras sales and other products made from birds covered by the measure.
Campaign filings show Pro-Animal DC raised $474,190.62 and spent heavily on paid organizers, circulators and housing, with Pro-Animal Future supplying $386,435.77 as part of a broader animal-rights push.
Critics say the text is broader than the campaign admits because it covers liver products from birds fattened "through any method or practice," potentially sweeping in pâtés, spreads and some poultry-liver items.
Restaurants including Butterworth's and José Andrés' D.C. operation oppose the measure, while chef Bart Hutchins says he may challenge it in court if it passes.
A D.C. fiscal analysis estimates $314,000 in implementation costs through 2029 and says enforcement would rely on complaint-driven inspections rather than routine kitchen checks.