Supreme Court Rejects Challenges to State Animal Ag Laws

The Supreme Court this week rejected to hear challenges to state animal ag laws.  The Supreme Court rejected oral arguments in two lawsuits, one against California and another against Massachusetts, regarding interstate commerce of agriculture products.  The lawsuits allege the states are regulating agricultural production across state lines.

Missouri and Indiana led the lawsuits, arguing California and Massachusetts laws would block the sales of ag products from other states by enacting strict production requirements, such as cage-free egg production standards.

DTN reports that by letting the two laws stand, the high court essentially rejected the arguments by Missouri, Indiana and other states that the two related cases are "original actions" that should first be heard by the Supreme Court rather than go through circuit and appeals decisions first.

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