After a federal judge threw out a six-state lawsuit against California last week, agriculture officials from those states are concerned other products could be banned from import into our state based on production practices. Sabrina Hill has more.
States Upset over Lawsuit Dismissal
A California law bars eggs from states that fail to provide larger cages for hens. A lawsuit, led by the Missouri Attorney General, included Nebraska, Alabama, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Iowa. The Des Moines Register reports Iowa is the largest egg producer in the nation. Iowa State Agriculture Economist Dermot Hayes says, “This opens the doors for states to put barriers against other states. You can say those barriers are driven by environmental or social restrictions, but in reality you just want to protect your own producers.” The law, which will go into effect January 1, requires at least 116 square inches of space per chicken. The industry standard is 67 square inches.