His campaign for President was brief, but Tom Vilsack is one of longest serving Secretaries of Agriculture in U.S. history. He held the post for the 8-year Obama Administration, and he’s close to another four with Biden-Harris.
Whether or not there’s another term this time, there are signs that the
Continue Reading Letter from the Editor: Vilsack gone?
Those well-funded animal activists ran a marathon ending Jan. 1 with full implementation of California’s Proposition 12. The first day of 2024 marks the successful end to more than six years of political efforts.
Proposition 12 was a 2018 ballot measure passed overwhelmingly by California voters. Prop 12 put unprecedented
Continue Reading California’s Prop 12 is now the law of the land
Until early next year, California is considering the Proposition 12 products already in the pipeline. After that, the state plans to close its market to pork products from locations that don’t comply with California animal housing standards.
Last May, the U.S. Supreme Court found that California Proposition 12, banning
Continue Reading Another bill aims to block ‘ethical pork’ from taking effect in California
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture Ashley Campbell, the defendants being sued in federal court by Midwest pork producers, have until Nov. 7 to respond to a motion for a partial summary judgment.
The plaintiffs, who are challenging Massachusetts Question 3 (from the 2016 ballot)
Continue Reading Pork producers ask for partial summary judgment ahead of Boston bench trial
When the conservative U.S. Supreme Court said California could put whatever restrictions it wanted on selling meat, it left rural producer states scratching their heads.
The Court’s state’s rights philosophy upheld the animal housing requirements of Proposition 12 but left pork producers and the National Farm Bureau wondering what happened.
Continue Reading A new study says EATS Act could do a lot of damage, including to food safety
Prop 12, passed overwhelmingly by California voters in 2018, is currently on track to become fully effective on Jan. 1, 2024. The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-to-4 ruling last May, upheld Prop 12. In the court’s opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that “the type of pork chops California merchants
Continue Reading New Farm Bill is not likely to stop California’s victorious Prop 12
The May 11 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on California’s Proposition 12 is not taking effect until at least next year. That’s because the Sacramento Superior Court is permitting pork in the supply chain as of July 1 to continue to be sold in California through Dec. 31 this
Continue Reading State court permits the sale of non-compliant pork inventories for the remainder of 2023
California’s market for bacon and other pork products is large enough that a May 11 Supreme Court decision apparently has not ended the fight over Proposition 12. The conservative tilt to that decision was that barring any federal statutory or constitutional restrictions, California is free to put its own dictates
Continue Reading EATS Act could take a bite out of Prop 12
When does 3 follow 12? That’s when the Supreme Court’s decision on California’s Proposition 12 also freed the logjam on Massachusetts Question 3.
The Supreme Court last week handed down a 5-to-4 decision favoring California’s Prop 12. The majority found the voter-approved initiative does not violate the U.S. Constitution, and
Continue Reading Supreme Court’s Proposition 12 ruling puts Massachusetts Question 3 back into play
USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) reports that since 2002, 14 states have enacted laws governing their animal agricultural industries’ pre-slaughter production practices. These restrictions to boost the welfare of farm animals may also be causing or at least contributing to current shortages and price increases.
ERS found the policies have
Continue Reading Challenges to growing animal welfare restrictions found ‘largely unsuccessful’