Latest news with #eggprices
Wall Street Journal
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
California's Chickens Go to Court
Are California's cage-free chickens coming home to roost? The Justice Department this month filed a lawsuit challenging the state's cage-free egg mandate, which increases omelette prices in the state and scrambles interstate commerce. California's progressives complain about the state's high cost of living even as they enact policies that are the cause. A classic example is the state's farm animal-welfare regulations, which animal-rights groups deceptively sold to voters as protecting consumer health and safety even though they don't. First came a 2008 voter initiative (Prop. 2) followed by a 2010 law that taken together barred the sale of eggs from hens kept in housing that prevented them from 'fully extending his or her limbs' or 'turning around freely' for the majority of the day. In 2018 voters enacted Prop. 12, which imposed onerous minimum-floor spacing prescriptions for egg-laying hens. Farmers have either had to retrofit their facilities to comply with chickens' right to cage-free living or forgo selling eggs in California. Many have done the latter. Constricted supply and higher production costs for cage-free hens have increased egg prices in the state.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump administration sues California over egg prices
The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against California, alleging that three state laws are contributing to the rising cost of eggs nationwide. 'The State of California has contributed to the historic rise in egg prices by imposing unnecessary red tape on the production of eggs," said the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in central California on July 9. "Through a combination of voter initiatives, legislative enactments, and regulations, California has effectively prevented farmers across the country from using a number of agricultural production methods which were in widespread use — and which helped keep eggs affordable." The lawsuit takes aim at three California laws, Assembly Bill 1437, Proposition 2 and Proposition 12, which create welfare standards for farm animals and regulate egg production. The Trump administration argues that regulating eggs is within the federal government's domain under a 1970 federal law. The administration also contends that the federal law overseeing egg quality and packaging preempts state laws that seek to impose additional requirements on egg production. One California state law, AB 1437, regulates egg quality for human consumption. Prop 2 is a statewide ballot measure California voters passed in 2008 that created welfare mandates for farm animals such as egg-laying hens. The administration argues that the laws work in tandem to depress egg production and to increase prices. A third state law mentioned in the suit, Prop. 12, was passed by voters in 2018, which brought forth specific minimum-space requirements for chickens and other farm animals. Egg prices have been quite volatile this year, with increases of more than 40% due to factors including bird flu outbreaks, which were not mentioned in the Trump administration lawsuit. The average cost for a dozen eggs nationwide was $2.56 per dozen, while in California, egg prices averaged around $3.38 per dozen on July 4, according to the United States Dairy Association (USDA) Markets Overview Report. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for egg prices in May showed up to a 41% increase compared to one year ago. The next release of the CPI, which includes egg prices, is scheduled for July 15. Justice Dept. sues California again: Trump administration files lawsuit against California over transgender athletes The lawsuit is the latest in a feud and war of words with the state of California and Gov. Gavin Newsom. The suit came on the same day the Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit against the California Department of Education, alleging that the state is violating anti-discrimination laws by allowing transgender athletes to compete in school sports. The complaint, filed in federal court, alleges that California's current policies "eviscerate equal athletic opportunities for girls" by forcing them to "compete against boys" in state athletic events. A Newsom spokesperson said the state is following a 2013 law and that no court has accepted the legal theory cited by the Trump administration in the suit. In June, Newsom filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles. President Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 Guard members to quell demonstrations and violent protests against his immigration crackdown, a move Newsom has called unlawful. Newsom accused Trump of 'inciting and provoking violence,' 'creating mass chaos,' and 'militarizing cities,' and called the president's moves "the act of a dictator." The governor said the decision to sue the Trump administration was due to a "serious breach of state sovereignty" and demanded that the president "return control" to California. How's the president faring?: Where does Trump's approval rating stand after tax bill passes? See the polls U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the egg regulation lawsuit against California is the latest Justice Department action seeking to protect American consumers from predatory commercial practices and regulatory burdens. "Americans across the country have suffered the consequences of liberal policies causing massive inflation for everyday items like eggs," Bondi said in a news release announcing the lawsuit. "Under President Trump's leadership, we will use the full extent of federal law to ensure that American families are free from oppressive regulatory burdens and restore American prosperity." Meanwhile, two animal rights groups have taken exception to the lawsuit. California has prohibited the sale of cruelly produced eggs for more than a decade, a law that has been upheld by the courts, including the Supreme Court, said Sara Amundson, president of Humane World Action Fund. "Blaming 2025 egg prices on these established animal welfare standards shows that this case is about pure politics, not constitutional law," Amundson said in a statement. 'The Trump-led Justice Department is now choosing to ignore voters in red, blue and purple states alike who have rejected the cruelty of confining hens in cages so small they can't even spread their wings. To call these commonsense animal welfare laws a 'regulatory burden' is not just dishonest, it's an insult to millions of Americans.' Due to voter and consumer demand, more than 45% of the U.S. egg industry is already cage free, added Kitty Block, president and CEO of Humane World for Animals. "Rather than accepting this reality, the Department of Justice is using our tax dollars to fight a battle that's already been settled," Block said in a statement. "This is a Justice Department misadventure that ignores the interests of the egg industry, retailers and consumers — all of whom have embraced the cage-free future. Avian influenza and other factors drove up egg prices, not animal welfare laws." The lawsuit against California also names Newsom, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state officials as defendants. Newsom's press office took a jab at the lawsuit in a July 9 post on the social media site X, claiming President Trump is "back to his favorite hobby: blaming California for literally everything." "Next up: @CAGovernor Gavin Newsom caused the fall of Rome and sent the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs," the post added. (This story has been updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump administration suing California over egg prices
Al Arabiya
11-07-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Trump administration Sues California over Egg Prices and Blames Animal Welfare Laws
The Trump administration is suing the state of California to block animal welfare laws that it says unconstitutionally helped send egg prices soaring. But a group that spearheaded the requirements pushed back blaming bird flu for the hit to consumers' pocketbooks. The lawsuit filed in federal court in California on Wednesday challenges voter initiatives that passed in 2018 and 2008. They require that all eggs sold in California come from cage-free hens. The Trump administration says the law imposes burdensome red tape on the production of eggs and egg products across the country because of the states' outsize role in the national economy. 'It is one thing if California passes laws that affects its own State it is another when those laws affect other States in violation of the US Constitution,' US Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement Thursday. 'Thankfully President Trump is standing up against this overreach.' Egg prices soared last year and earlier this year due in large part to bird flu which has forced producers to destroy nearly 175 million birds since early 2022. But prices have come down sharply recently. While the Trump administration claims credit for that seasonal factors are also important. Avian influenza which is spread by wild birds tends to spike during the spring and fall migrations and drop in summer. 'Pointing fingers won't change the fact that it is the Presidents' economic policies that have been destructive,' the California Department of Justice said in a statement Friday. 'We'll see him in court.' The average national price for a dozen Grade A eggs declined to 5.12 in April and 4.55 in May after reaching a record 6.23 in March according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the May price was still 68.5 percent higher than a year earlier. 'Trump's back to his favorite hobby: blaming California for literally everything,' Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said in a social media post. The federal complaint alleges that California contributed to the rise in egg prices with regulations that forced farmers across the country to adopt more expensive production practices. The lawsuit also asserts that it is the federal government's legal prerogative to regulate egg production. So it seeks to permanently block enforcement of the California regulations that flowed from the two ballot measures. 'Americans across the country have suffered the consequences of liberal policies causing massive inflation for everyday items like eggs,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. 'Under President Trump's leadership we will use the full extent of federal law to ensure that American families are free from oppressive regulatory burdens and restore American prosperity.' While 2018's Proposition 12 also banned the sale of pork and veal in California from animals raised in cages that don't meet minimum size requirements the lawsuit only focuses on the states' egg rules. Humane World for Animals which was named the Humane Society of the United States when it spearheaded the passage of Proposition 12 says avian influenza and other factors drove up egg prices not animal welfare laws. And it says much of the US egg industry went cage-free anyway because of demand from consumers who don't want eggs from hens confined to tiny spaces. 'California has prohibited the sale of cruelly produced eggs for more than a decade – law that has been upheld by courts at every level including the Supreme Court. Blaming 2025 egg prices on these established animal welfare standards shows that this case is about pure politics not constitutional law,' Sara Amundson president of the Humane World Action Fund said in a statement. The American Egg Board which represents the industry said Friday that it will monitor the progress of the lawsuit while continuing to comply with California's laws and that it appreciates Rollins' efforts to support farmers in their fight against bird flu and to stabilize the egg supply. 'Egg farmers have been both responsive and responsible in meeting changing demand for cage-free eggs while supporting all types of egg production and continuing to provide options in the egg case for consumers,' the board said in a statement.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Trump administration sues California over egg prices and blames animal welfare laws
CALIFORNIA — The Trump administration is suing the state of California to block animal welfare laws that it says unconstitutionally helped send egg prices soaring. But a group that spearheaded the requirements pushed back, blaming bird flu for the hit to consumers' pocketbooks. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in California on Wednesday, challenges voter initiatives that passed in 2018 and 2008. They require that all eggs sold in California come from cage-free hens. The Trump administration says the law imposes burdensome red tape on the production of eggs and egg products across the country because of the state's outsize role in the national economy. 'It is one thing if California passes laws that affects its own State, it is another when those laws affect other States in violation of the U.S. Constitution,' U.S. Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement Thursday. 'Thankfully, President Trump is standing up against this overreach.' Egg prices soared last year and earlier this year due in large part to bird flu, which has forced producers to destroy nearly 175 million birds since early 2022. But prices have come down sharply recently. While the Trump administration claims credit for that, seasonal factors are also important. Avian influenza, which is spread by wild birds, tends to spike during the spring and fall migrations and drop in summer. 'Pointing fingers won't change the fact that it is the President's economic policies that have been destructive,' the California Department of Justice said in a statement Friday. 'We'll see him in court.' The average national price for a dozen Grade A eggs declined to US$5.12 in April and $4.55 in May after reaching a record $6.23 in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the May price was still 68.5% higher than a year earlier. 'Trump's back to his favorite hobby: blaming California for literally everything,' Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said in a social media post. The federal complaint alleges that California contributed to the rise in egg prices with regulations that forced farmers across the country to adopt more expensive production practices. The lawsuit also asserts that it is the federal government's legal prerogative to regulate egg production. So it seeks to permanently block enforcement of the California regulations that flowed from the two ballot measures. 'Americans across the country have suffered the consequences of liberal policies causing massive inflation for everyday items like eggs,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. 'Under President Trump's leadership, we will use the full extent of federal law to ensure that American families are free from oppressive regulatory burdens and restore American prosperity.' While 2018's Proposition 12 also banned the sale of pork and veal in California from animals raised in cages that don't meet minimum size requirements, the lawsuit only focuses on the state's egg rules. Humane World for Animals, which was named the Humane Society of the United States when it spearheaded the passage of Proposition 12, says avian influenza and other factors drove up egg prices, not animal welfare laws. And it says much of the U.S. egg industry went cage-free anyway because of demand from consumers who don't want eggs from hens confined to tiny spaces. 'California has prohibited the sale of cruelly produced eggs for more than a decade — law that has been upheld by courts at every level, including the Supreme Court. Blaming 2025 egg prices on these established animal welfare standards shows that this case is about pure politics, not constitutional law,' Sara Amundson, president of the Humane World Action Fund, said in a statement. The American Egg Board, which represents the industry, said Friday that it will monitor the progress of the lawsuit while continuing to comply with California's laws, and that it appreciates Rollins' efforts to support farmers in their fight against bird flu and to stabilize the egg supply. 'Egg farmers have been both responsive and responsible in meeting changing demand for cage-free eggs, while supporting all types of egg production, and continuing to provide options in the egg case for consumers,' the board said in a statement. Steve Karnowski, The Associated Press
Washington Post
11-07-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Trump administration sues California over egg prices and blames animal welfare laws
The Trump administration is suing the state of California to block animal welfare laws that it says unconstitutionally helped send egg prices soaring. But a group that spearheaded the requirements pushed back, blaming bird flu for the hit to consumers' pocketbooks. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in California on Wednesday, challenges voter initiatives that passed in 2018 and 2008. They require that all eggs sold in California come from cage-free hens.
