Livestock Indemnity Program

Supreme Court Rejects Petition against California Prop 12

Dan Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Equine, Legislative, Livestock, Marketing, Pork, Poultry, Rabbits, Regulation, Sheep-Goats

Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court Monday denied a petition to review California’s Proposition 12. The denial was included in a batch of announcements by the Supreme Court.

Earlier this month, the North American Meat Institute supported its petition, stating the law “provides no benefit to consumers and increases breeding sow mortality.” The Meat Institute file the petition in February, challenging the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 12: The Farm Animal Confinement Initiative. In March, 20 state attorneys general filed a brief with the Supreme Court supporting the petition.

The California law establishes minimum space requirements based on square feet for calves raised for veal, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens and bans the sale of animals confined to areas below minimum square-feet requirements.

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The primary issue raised by NAMI and states is that the law extends to producers located outside of California, imposing “crushing burdens on out-of-state farmers and producers who have no political voice to shape the regulations.”

(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters)