The clock is ticking towards January 1st, when a new animal welfare law goes into effect in California, but the pork industry is not giving up the fight just yet.
That is despite multiple courts upholding the voter-approved law.
Prop 12 applies strict and costly animal welfare standards to any company doing business in the state, regardless of whether the livestock is raised in California. The law directs the California Ag Department to issue all the rules and regulations.
Those were due two years ago, but still have not been finalized.
The North American Meat Institute applauded some recent modifications, which were made to account for the supply chain. However the group says that many of the rules still intact are flawed.
“Until CDFA publishes final rules, no one can adequately prepare to comply with a law with criminal sanctions and that authorizes civil litigation.”
NAMI’s chief operating officer says that California should give everyone in the supply chain 28 months to prepare for the regulations. Most recently, a group of California restaurants and grocery stores filed suit asking a judge to halt Prop 12.
Every other lawsuit has come from groups outside the state. The hope is that this effort will gain some traction since these businesses live in the state.
Related:
SCOTUS will not hear Prop 12 case
Iowa Pork sues CA over Prop 12