It’s been more than two years since California’s Proposition 12 took effect, and pork producers across the country are still grappling with its consequences. The law has done little to improve animal welfare, critics say, but has created significant financial strain, especially for small and mid-sized operations struggling to comply with costly new housing requirements. With the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the law and ruling that it doesn’t violate the Commerce Clause, Congress remains the only path to overturning it at the federal level.
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst has been one of the most vocal opponents of Prop 12 in Washington. We caught up with her to get an update on whether momentum is building in Congress to act, and what it would take to roll back a law that many in agriculture see as a dangerous precedent for future state-led mandates.
Senator Ernst didn’t mince words when calling out California’s influence on agriculture policy, suggesting voters in Los Angeles have no business dictating how farmers in Iowa raise livestock. She emphasizes that real food policy should come from those who understand agriculture, not those swayed by activist agendas. Ernst says the goal is to push back against Prop 12 with federal legislation prioritizing humane, affordable food production for all Americans.
Ernst says the fight over Prop 12 isn’t just about pigs, it’s about precedent. She believes Congress has a responsibility to stand up for common sense in agriculture policy.
