Sorry Californians, the Supreme Court just ruled against your bacon (and it might make pork more expensive for us all)
· May 11, 2023 · NottheBee.com

Remember when voters in California approved Proposition 12, which increased the space hens, calves, and pigs were being raised for food are kept in, and we sounded the alarm of the impending bacon shortage?

Well, that day has come.

But first, let's talk about how Californians got to this dystopian fate in the first place.

The bleeding hearts in California were frustrated that some of these animals live in cages where they cannot turn around or lie down, and the people wanted a better life for their food.

And while that certainly seems awful, rather than just regulating their own farmers, the proposition said that no animals raised in these conditions could be sold in California at all.

The trouble is that 99% of the pork consumed in California comes from other states.

California's laws would raise out-of-state pig farmers' costs significantly in order to continue to have access to California's market, thereby affecting the entire interstate market.

Understandably, those producers sued the state, and the proposition, which was supposed to take effect in 2022, was put on hold until the case was resolved.

The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court in National Pork Producers vs. Ross.

And the Supreme Court just handed California the win.

Here's the opinion written by Justice Gorsuch:

"Companies that choose to sell products in various states must normally comply with the laws of those various states," he said. "While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list."

I mean, technically, the Constitution does address this issue with the Commerce clause granting the federal government authority over interstate commerce, but I'm no Supreme Court justice, so what do I know?

So, what does it mean for us?

It means Californians will lose all access to bacon almost immediately. The chances the pork products at your grocery store comply with the law right now are slim to none.

It also means that farmers around the nation are about to make a choice.

Either keep their production the way it is and lose California as a market, or cave to the West Coast crazies' demands and incur massive infrastructure costs.

Whichever path they take, you can bet the price of pork is going up.

If anyone needs me, I'll be out buying bacon.


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