2018 California Proposition 12

The California Secretary of State's summary from the Official Voter Information Guide of Proposition 12 is as follows: ==Support==

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other animal protection groups argued that confining animals in small cages is cruel, and that Prop 12 was needed to improve animal welfare, including by mandating cage-free conditions for egg-laying hens. Prop 12 applies equally to both animals raised in California and those raised elsewhere for the California marketplace. • ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) • Mercy for Animals • The Humane League • Compassion in World Farming • Animal Legal Defense Fund • Animal Equality • Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL) • Compassion Over Killing • In Defense of Animals (IDA) • San Francisco SPCA • San Diego Humane Society • Marin Humane Society • Center for Food Safety • Organic Consumers Association • Center for Biological Diversity • Sierra Club California • United Farm Workers • Farm Sanctuary • World Animal Protection • Animal Welfare Institute • California Animal Welfare Association The following newspapers endorsed it: • Los Angeles Times • The Mercury News (San Jose) • The Monterey Herald • San Francisco Bay Guardian • East Bay Express • East Bay Times • Marin Independent Journal • San Diego Free Press • Santa Cruz Sentinel == Opposition ==

The American Veal Association argued that Prop 12 would create unnecessary regulations and that the veal industry was already well on its way to phasing out crates. Ken Klippen of the National Association of Egg Farmers told Fox News that the measure would take away consumer choice and that the motivation behind the measure was to push consumers towards a vegan diet. Groups such as PETA opposed the measure because they considered it insufficient. • National Association of Egg Farmers • American Veal Association • California Pork Producers Association • People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) • National Pork Producers Council • Protect the Harvest • Humane Farming Association • Friends of Animals • Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) • Action for Animals The following newspapers opposed it: • The Bakersfield Californian • Los Angeles Daily News/The San Bernardino Sun • San Francisco Chronicle • The Fresno Bee/The Sacramento Bee • Orange County Register • The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa) • The San Diego Union-Tribune • The Tribune (San Luis Obispo) ==Election results==

The results of the vote were 62.65% YES to 37.35% NO. ==Effects and legal challenges==

The egg industry has largely complied with the law. Despite the resounding success at the ballot box, the pork industry unsuccessfully sued to block implementation of the law. In June 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States rejected a lawsuit from the North American Meat Institute to stop the law. The Meat Institute had argued that Prop 12 violated the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution, but this argument was rejected because Prop 12 holds in-state and out-of-state producers to the same standard. On January 25, 2022, a judge ordered a temporary halt to enforcement of the prohibition on pork from gestation crates, for 180 days, pending development of final regulations by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, to give producers more time to comply. The CDFA also needed more time to comply with a lawsuit filed by animal activists, who wanted to increase stringency of the regulations. The American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Pork Producers Council again asked the Supreme Court to overturn the law, in another lawsuit similar to the ones that were previously rejected. As of 2024, House Republicans are attempting to overrule Proposition 12 through the United States farm bill. No new farm bill has been passed as of November 2024. ==See also==