Black Ranchers Got No Help After Their Cattle Were Stolen, So They Fought to Change the Law
A month after shots were fired at their rural Colorado ranch, Courtney “CW” and Nicole Mallery can finally celebrate some good news with a legislative win. When the couple reported their cattle stolen from their Freedom Acres Ranch, they say they didn’t receive any help from their local law enforcement officials. They went directly to […] The post Black Ranchers Got No Help After Their Cattle Were Stolen, So They Fought to Change the Law appeared first on Capital B News.
Black News 
A month after shots were fired at their rural Colorado ranch, Courtney “CW” and Nicole Mallery can finally celebrate some good news with a legislative win.
When the couple reported their cattle stolen from their Freedom Acres Ranch, they say they didn’t receive any help from their local law enforcement officials.
They went directly to their state lawmakers to push for a bill that would allow the Colorado Department of Agriculture to receive reports of lost or stolen livestock, ensure it is publicly posted, and coordinate efforts with local law enforcement.
“We’ve had our cattle stolen, over and over again. That’s not just loss, that’s your livelihood being taken from you. That’s not just property, that’s our livelihood. It’s how we survive, how we keep going,” the Mallerys told Capital B. “The truth is, we can’t keep going like that. If this continues, we would have to shut our doors and there would be no more Freedom Acres Ranch.”
Now, the bill, which has bipartisan support, is set to become law after the Colorado House and Senate unanimously voted yes. On May 5, House Speaker Julie McCluskie signed the bill. The legislation is now awaiting the signature of Gov. Jared Polis.
In Colorado, the agriculture industry generates about $47 billion annually, according to a 2024 brief from the state’s Legislative Council Staff. In a state where the top agricultural commodity is cattle and calves, there is a need for policy to protect livestock, the Mallerys added. Their efforts to seek solutions will now help farmers across the state.
“This bill removes any bias, makes some accountability, creates some real systems and creates real deterrence against cattle theft and helps protect our livelihoods,” the ranchers wrote in a statement. “When cattle are stolen, it doesn’t just impact one ranch, it affects the entire system and the cost of food for everyday people.”
State Sen. James Coleman, co-sponsor of the bill and as president of the Senate, expressed his gratitude to the Mallerys.
“Many thanks to Freedom Acres Ranch and other community members who came out to testify in support of the bill during the hearing. Let’s do this!” Coleman wrote on social media after the bill passed out of the senate agriculture committee.
This victory has been no small feat.
In the midst of fighting at the Capitol, the Mallerys told Capital B previously that they faced being doxxed and surveilled, as well as vandalism, and discovered their animals dead on their property. Guns were pointed at them. They were even charged with felony stalking, petty theft, and tampering with a meter, but the charges were later dropped by prosecutors.
And for once, they finally feel heard.
“We want people to understand that even in the middle of a storm, when it feels like we are fighting against everything, against systems, against violence, against injustice, against people trying to push us off our land, we are still standing,” the Mallerys said. “We are still making positive change. We are still choosing love. We are still choosing light.”
Read More:
The post Black Ranchers Got No Help After Their Cattle Were Stolen, So They Fought to Change the Law appeared first on Capital B News.
