Push in Congress seeks to overturn California farm animal welfare law
A push is underway among some members of Congress that could overturn a measure approved by California voters aimed at improving the treatment of farm animals.
At issue: Proposition 12, which mandated minimum cage sizes for animals raised for meat.
California voters passed the proposition in 2018 by a margin of 2 to 1. It said that pork sold in the state must come from pigs that had at least enough space to turn around.
A recent survey from the nonprofit World Animal Protection found that 80% of consumers felt concerned when they learned about the treatment of factory-farmed pigs.
An estimated two-thirds of factory farms house sows in gestation crates with barely enough space to move back and forth. They aren't able to turn around, surrounded by metal bars where they're artificially inseminated and standing over their own waste.
Under Prop 12, meat from these conditions is banned from being sold in California.
Now, two new federal bills could allow meat from crated animals to be sold here again as long as they're raised elsewhere.
Lawmakers that represent the highest pig-producing states are pushing for the law.
Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) sent CBS News Bay Area a statement, saying, "Midwest farmers and ranchers who produce our nation's food supply should not be hamstrung by coastal activist agendas that dictate production standards from hundreds of miles away."
Some pig farmers, including Brent Hershey in Pennsylvania, already changed his operations to comply with California's rules.
"As that all evolved, I started to see that we can't defend this," said Hershey.
Now he's left wondering where his business stands because he says he's made the change and spent capital to satisfy those markets.
"We would say that that's very disruptive," said Hershey.
At a farm in the Sonoma County community of Windsor, the sows and boars have much more than room to turn around. They have sunshine and mud.
"I figure these animals are giving us so much, we might as well give them as good a life as they can," said farmer Jeffrey Kent.
He's been raising pigs for as long as he can remember. For the approximately 100 pigs on his farm, it's a life of free range.
"It creates a much more natural life and creates a much happier pig which in the end creates a much better product," said Kent, "To be honest, I don't think I really compete with (factory farmers) at all because the customers that I have aren't interested in buying that kind of meat."
Kent says that when you get to spend some time with his pigs, you see that they all have different personalities and are really quite smart. He referred to a new litter of pigs and how their mother treats them.
"She talks to them. You can hear the storing back and forth. It's pretty great to see the community and the mothering instincts that they have," said Kent.
Of course, those babies will eventually end up slaughtered when Kent deems the time is right. During their time growing up at his farm, though, they're guaranteed the simple things in life: fresh air, mud, and a little room to roam.
CBS News Bay Area reached out to the National Pork Producers Council, the American Farm Bureau, and the Iowa Pork Producers Association. They have all opposed Prop. 12 they all support the newly proposed laws, but no one wanted to go on camera to discuss it.
Senator Adam Schiff (D-California) strongly supports Prop 12, saying in a statement, "Any attempt to overturn it will face strong opposition. Congress should continue to respect the decision of California voters — as it would the voters in any state — and I will push back on any efforts to undermine their voices."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
9 minutes ago
- Washington Post
D.C. attorney general alleges violence intervention nonprofit misused funds
The District's attorney general has alleged that a nonprofit group hired by the city misappropriated funds that were supposed to go toward preventing gun violence in the Congress Heights neighborhood. In a lawsuit filed this week by D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb, the city is seeking to recoup more than $250,000 in government funds that went to Women in H.E.E.L.S. (Healing, Elevation, Empowerment, Love, Support) Inc. The group signed an agreement with the attorney general's office in March 2022 to operate one of four new violence-reduction program sites as part of the office's Cure the Streets program, according to the suit.
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Scholar Rock (SRRK) Jumps 16.6% After Successful Weight Loss Drug Trial
We recently published a list of These 10 Stocks Boast Double-Digit Gains Amid Boring Market. Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SRRK) is one of the best-performing stocks on Thursday. Scholar Rock jumped by 16.6 percent on Wednesday to close at $36.32 apiece as investor sentiment was bolstered by the positive results from the second phase of its weight loss drug trial. In a statement, Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SRRK) said the trial, which aims to assess its drug candidate apitegromab's combination with tirzepatide, was generally well tolerated, leading to higher quality weight loss as compared with taking tirzepatide alone. According to Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SRRK), apitegromab therapy in combination with tirzepatide resulted in the preservation of 4.2 pounds of lean mass compared with tirzepatide alone. 'While this is an exciting development for our platform, we remain focused on preparing for the launch of apitegromab, and following its potential approval in SMA, we look forward to studying it in a range of neuromuscular diseases with high unmet need,' said Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SRRK) President and CEO Akshay Vaishnaw, adding that he was looking forward to exploring its potential in various rare, severe debilitating neuromuscular disorders. A scientist holding a flask of liquid in a laboratory, highlighting the research and discoveries of new treatments. 'We remain on track to file an IND application for SRK-439 in the second half of this year to support the first in human study,' he said. While we acknowledge the potential of SRRK as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CBS News
15 minutes ago
- CBS News
Former Michigan President Santa Ono will not return to university faculty, officials say
Former University of Michigan President Santa Ono will not return to a faculty position after he pursued the presidential role at the University of Florida and was rejected. A U of M spokesperson confirmed on Friday that Ono resigned from employment. The university did not provide any further details. Ono confirmed to The Detroit News that he informed the university he was returning, but stopped short of sharing his future plans. Ono was named Michigan's 15th president in 2022. He announced in May 2025 that he was stepping down to go for the same role at the University of Florida. He received initial approval from the university's Board of Trustees, but was rejected by the Florida Board of Governors a week later. Before the Board of Governors' 10-6 vote, several prominent conservatives raised questions about Ono over pro-Palestinian protests, climate change efforts, gender ideology and DEI programs at the University of Michigan and his previous academic positions. One of those conservatives was U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, who said that he had "serious concerns" about Ono potentially becoming president. Scott urged the Board of Governors to question the encampment that occurred on U of M's Diag last year and Ono's response to reports of anitsemitism on campus. Before becoming Michigan's president, he served six years as president and vice-chancellor of the University of British Columbia and as president and provost of the University of Cincinnati. He was set to replace Kent Fuchs, who became the school's interim president last summer after ex-U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse stepped down. Sasse left the U.S. Senate, where he had represented Nebraska, to become the university's president in 2023. According to the University of Florida's website, Fuchs remains the university's interim president.
