Roughly 20 days into the enforcement of California’s Proposition 12, a California judge is putting the stops on the law.
The Superior Court for Sacramento County in California issued its ruling on January 21, citing the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is more than two years late of finalizing rules and regulations.
“Judge Arguelles’ decision recognizes the complexity of the pork supply chain and the burdensome and costly provisions of Prop 12,” says Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the North American Meat Institute (NAMI). “To enforce the law without final regulations leaves the industry unsure of how to comply or what significant changes must be made to provide pork to this critical market.”
Prop 12 was passed by 63 percent of California voters in 2018. It was authored by the Humane Society of the United States to give specific space requirements for meat meant for slaughter or raised for eggs to be sold in California.
Along with NAMI, the National Pork Producers Council, American Farm Bureau Federation and other groups have been actively fighting against Prop 12, citing impacts on farmers in states outside of California.
“AFBF is pleased the Sacramento County Superior Court recognized that the state of California has rushed implementation of Proposition 12 without clear rules on how it will be enforced,” says Zippy Duvall, president of AFBF. “California voters were told the law would improve animal welfare and food safety, but it fails to accomplish either of those goals. Small farms across the country will be forced to make expensive and unnecessary changes to their operations, which will lead to more consolidation and higher food prices for all of America’s families.”
For the next 180 days, the writ of mandate will remain in effect.
The entire ruling can be found here.