From the President:
Illinois Farm Bureau is frustrated by the 5-4 Supreme Court decision regarding California’s Proposition 12, which ultimately creates a concerning precedent.
Currently, the opinion is still being reviewed by Farm Bureau legal staff. We will provide insight as it becomes available.
AFBF President Zippy Duvall made the following comment:
“AFBF is disappointed in the closely divided Supreme Court ruling on California’s Proposition 12. At the heart of this argument is whether one state can set the rules for the entire country. The arbitrary standards take away flexibility to ensure hogs are raised in a safe environment. Prop 12 will cause further consolidation in agriculture nationwide and lead to higher pork prices at the grocery store for America’s families. This law will ultimately harm consumers, farmers and animals.”
We continue to analyze the decision.
Last year, AFBF and National Pork Producers Council appealed the 9th Circuit Court decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, challenging the ability of one state to set agricultural production standards for the entire country. The case involves California’s Proposition 12 law that bans the sale of pork from hogs that don’t meet the state’s arbitrary production standards, even if the hogs were raised outside of California.