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Nebraska joins lawsuit against California
The state of Nebraska is joining Missouri’s lawsuit challenging California’s egg production standards.
Those standards, which require larger cages for egg laying hens, were established by the passage of Proposition 2 in 2008. In 2010 California’s legislature passed a law requiring that all eggs coming into California from other states meet the same cage size standards.
Missouri’s attorney general filed the complaint last month in U.S. District Court in Fresno, California. The complaint seeks to stop implementation of regulations associated with the size of cages for egg laying hens.
Although Nebraska ranks only 12th nationally in egg production, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman says California’s actions create a precedent that could negatively impact all segments of Nebraska’s agricultural industry.
“This is about protecting Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers from the potential for regulatory burdens that hamper interstate trade,” Heineman says. “It’s not only about protecting our egg producers. This is also about the precedent this sets for our beef, swine and dairy producers.”
Heineman, a frequent critic of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), says it’s another attempt by the animal rights organization to harm agriculture.
“We have continually told HSUS that their anti-ag attacks are not welcome in Nebraska,” Heineman says. “That includes their attempts at creating overreaching, arbitrary, unconstitutional policy. Attorney General (Jon) Bruning and I stand with agriculture and we will fight HSUS who wants to destroy agriculture in our state.”
“Nebraska farmers and ranchers have taken great pride in caring for their livestock for generations,” says attorney general Bruning. “We stand with Nebraska ag producers and will fight HSUS’ unconstitutional attempt to dictate farming practices in our state.”
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Dont get too excited over this. Political manuevering was probably a big part of the decision process for bringing this litigation.
The Missouri AG is going to run for Governor in 2016 and will have to get a large vote from out-state Missouri to win that election. Being a Democrat, he desparetly needs something to make conservative rural voters believe he will keep their interests at the top of the pile. California’s egg law is just the ticket.
Opposing anything HSUS related is a big plus in Nebraska.
You will know that this legislation has good enough legs to carry it to the finish line when Iowa’s Democrat AG signs on.
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Good for them………I have not seen where any other Governor or AG has spoken so strongly against hsus………….some are catching on………….there is hope
Good for Nebraska and Missouri! They understand the anti-animal-ag war being waged by the H$U$ *using* state and federal legislators to further the anti-animal-use agenda.