State Trade Solution

The House Ag Committee’s version of the farm bill that passed last week includes the “Protect Interstate Commerce Act”, which would bar states from imposing their own animal-welfare standards on agriculture products brought in from other states. Introduced by Iowa Representative Steve King, the amendment’s main goal is to prevent farmers in other states from having to comply with such measures as California’s Proposition 2 initiative, which requires more space for chickens and other livestock. The amendment met with some strong opposition, and a rather spirited and lengthy debate ensued, but in the end remained intact. The “Protect Interstate Commerce Act” holds great interest for all producers involved in animal agriculture. Representatives of the HSUS, which was instrumental in getting California’s Proposition 2 passed, complain that the measure is “unconstitutional” and could more than likely nullify any state laws designed to protect farm animals. King states the amendment “will ensure that radical organizations like the HSUS and PETA are prohibited from establishing a patchwork of restrictive state laws aimed at slowly suffocating production agriculture out of existence.”