The National Pork Producers Council has filed an appeal in the Federal 9th. Circuit Court challenging California’s Proposition 12 regulation. They want the measure thrown out. NPPC Vice President of Domestic Affairs and Counsel Michael Formica says Prop 12 forces California’s restrictive animal housing standards on pork and poultry produced in other states. He says it’s set to go into effect in 2022.

He says several groups have joined them in their court challenge and are arguing that Proposition 12 violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Formica says California needs pork that’s produced outside of their state in order to help feed their consumers. He says if left in place Proposition 12 will be costly for pork producers across the country.

Formica says Proposition 12 not only prescribes housing standards, it also defines what the sow is to include gilts. He says that’d force producers to rebreed their whole herd.