US Edition
California Law Blamed for High Pork Prices
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, JUL 23 – Republicans argue Prop 12 raises costs for pork producers nationwide and disrupts interstate commerce, while a poll shows 60% of California voters support modifying the law.
- The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on July 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C., about the effects of California's Proposition 12 on farmers and food prices.
- Proposition 12, passed by California voters in 2018 and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2023, bans pork, veal, and eggs from animals confined in cruel conditions and has since faced multiple legal challenges including a new DOJ lawsuit filed on July 9, 2025.
- Pork industry representatives at the hearing argued that Proposition 12 raises production costs, leads to higher retail pork prices—such as a 20% average increase—and threatens small family farms amid inconsistent state regulations.
- Consumer and animal welfare advocates countered that Prop 12 improves animal welfare and food safety while the pork industry’s claimed shortages have not materialized, and that regulatory overreach risks consolidating the industry further.
- The hearing highlighted a political divide, with calls from pork producers for Congress to regulate interstate commerce and support legislative fixes, while opponents defended state rights and investments in humane farming practices.
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75 Articles
Daily Journal
U.S. House panel discusses California law's impact on prices
(The Center Square) — Tension filled the room at the U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearing Wednesday morning as representatives debated the ramifications of California’s Proposition 12 on farmers and consumers nationwide.
US Republicans Continue Push to Override California Animal Welfare Law
Times of San Diego
StocktoniaEffort to overturn California animal welfare law is Republican overreach, Dems say
Proposition 12, a measure opposed by pork industry advocates and the American Farm Bureau Federation, is burdening other states, Republicans say.
California law blamed for high pork prices
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – A California law that some lawmakers blame for higher pork prices across the country was in the spotlight on Capitol Hill. A California law to prevent pigs from being too closely confined is having costly consequences for the rest of the country opponents of Proposition 12 told lawmakers Wednesday. “Widespread adoption of Prop 12 like measures would almost certainly hasten the closing of doors for small and medium-sized fa…
House Ag Committee To Debate Prop 12
Washington, D.C. — Today, the House Agriculture Committee is meeting for a hearing on the implications of California’s Proposition 12 law, which bans the in-state sale of pork, eggs, and veal from animals “confined in a cruel manner”. The Food Security and Farm Protection Act, introduced in April, seeks to gut Prop 12 and is up for consideration in this year’s Farm Bill. The bill is identical to the controversial Ending Agricultural Trade Suppre…
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