The National Pork Producers Council along with the American Farm Bureau are appealing a district court’s decision that dismissed their challenge of California’s Proposition 12 which involved production standards of pork. South Dakota Pork Producers Council President Craig Andersen says whatever the court ends up deciding could set a dangerous precedent of pork production across the country.
The California law requires pork producers to abide by certain regulations in order to sell pork in California. Both NPPC and AFBF argued that California’s Prop 12 violates the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. Andersen says another problem with the law is it isn’t fully implemented yet leaving a lot of uncertainty.
He says Proposition 12 regulates pork producers beyond state borders because California has to import most of its sows.
The National Pork Producers Council says less than 1 percent of pork produced in the United States meets Proposition 12 regulations.
