Pushback against a âmeatless dayâ proclaimed by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis last month was predictably vigorous. It was part of the âwar on rural Colorado,â said a state senator who runs a cattle-feeding operation. Twenty-six of Coloradoâs 64 counties adopted âmeat-inâ proclamations. Governors from the adjoining states of Wyoming and Nebraska even gleefully designated an âeat-meatâ day. Afterward, Polisâs press aides pointed to the hundreds of do-good proclamations the governor issues each year, and the governor quickly declared his beef brisket the rival of any in Colorado. But this proclamation differed from those affirming truck drivers, bat awareness and breakfast burritos. It called for broad change. Using the language of a âMeatOutâ Day proclamation written by an animal rights group, his statement cited the benefits of a plant-based diet in reducing our carbon footprint, preserving ecosystems and preventing animal cruelty. It also noted the growing alternatives to meat, dairy and eggs.