Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird Releases Statement Regarding SCOTUS Decision on Prop. 12

Today, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird released the following statement:  

“I am disappointed with the Supreme Court's decision to not hear the Iowa Pork Producers’ case to stop California’s mandate against Iowa farmers. I will continue to fight for our producers and farmers in the active challenges still working their way through the courts, just as I did with this case and Massachusetts Question 3. States like California and Massachusetts should not dictate Iowa farming practices. Laws like this hurt Iowa’s rural communities and make it more difficult for Americans to enjoy the world-class pork products they have come to love and expect out of our state.”  

In 2018, California passed Proposition 12, a law that requires out-of-state pork producers to comply with strict farming regulations if they want to sell pork products. Iowa is the number one state in the country for producing and exporting pork. Approximately 147,000 Iowans work to raise and deliver quality pork throughout the state, contributing billions of dollars to the economy each year. Since California is the nation’s top pork-consuming state, it has major influence over the whole market. Proposition 12 sets harsh regulations that will spike pork prices, dictate to other states how they should raise their hogs, and force some pork producers to close up shop if they cannot afford to keep up with the strict new mandate. 

Attorney General Bird previously led 23 states in a brief asking the Supreme Court to hear the case defending pork producers.