The Supreme Court Upholds Proposition 12, California’s Ban On Cruel Gestation Crates Of Pigs

This morning, in a significant victory for animal rights, The Supreme Court of the United States voted 5-4 to uphold California’s Proposition 12. The decision supports one of the strongest laws to protect the welfare of farmed animals in the world.

This, despite the failed challenges of the greedy meat industry, specifically The National Pork Producers Council (NPCC), which filed the lawsuit, in an effort to continue to be able to profit from the unnecessary and inhumane suffering of pigs. Pork producers claim that the law affects operations far outside state borders and is in violation of the Constitution. This case marked the fourth time the pork industry legally challenged Proposition 12.

“While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list,” said Justice Neil Gorsuch, affirming that farmers should be blocked from raising a dormant commerce clause argument against California’s spacing requirements for pork-producing sows.

California reportedly consumes about 13% of the nation’s pork and imports nearly all of their meat.

Since Proposition 12 passed in 2018, California regulations require veal calves and breeding pigs, as well as their immediate offspring, to be housed in systems that comply with specific standards for freedom of movement to stand and turn around, cage-free, with predetermined floor space of 24 square feet.

“Peace 4 Animals, which advocates to end animal cruelty and confinement worldwide, is thrilled that the Supreme Court upheld this critical decision in favor of the welfare of farm animals and not for the profit of the pork industry,” stated Katie Cleary, Founder and President of Peace 4 Animals. “We hope that the requirements of Proposition 12 eventually will be implemented throughout the United States and the rest of the world. These poor innocent animals should never be subjected to such extreme cruelty only to be killed for human consumption. It is a shameful industry and one that people can help put an end to by eliminating meat from their diets and going plant-based.”

As previously reported by WAN, Proposition 12 passed in a bipartisan victory, with over 60% of the vote from Californians. Sadly, the legislation has yet to go into effect due to numerous delays brought on by these types of money-motivated lawsuits against it.

May this time be the last time Proposition 12 is challenged for all the wrong reasons.