Latest / CattleUSA Daily / 126: “Save Our Bacon” Bill Targets Prop 12 Fallout

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126: “Save Our Bacon” Bill Targets Prop 12 Fallout · CattleUSA Daily

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  Welcome to the Cattle USA Daily podcast, your go to source for
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  the latest livestock markets, industry insights and the update
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  shaping agriculture today. I'm your host, Lauren Moylan, a
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  passionate advocate for agriculture, here to keep you
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  informed and connected. Now let's dive into today's
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  episode. Welcome back to the Cattle USA
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  Daily podcast. Today, we are talking about a
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  new bill just filed in Congress, one that could shake up the
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  future of livestock production and protect producers from out
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  of state mandates. It is called the Save Our Bacon
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  Act, and it is taking direct aim at California's Proposition 12A
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  regulation that's already impacting farmers, restaurants
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  and consumers across the country.
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  So let's back it up for a second.
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  What is the problem in the first place?
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  In 2023, the US Supreme Court upheld Californias Prop 12A rule
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  that bans the cell of pork from pigs not raised according to
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  Californias housing standards, even if those pegs are raised in
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  another state. That declaration gave California
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  the power to influence how livestock is raised nationwide,
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  and it's already sending ripple effects across the AG sector.
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  Restaurants are seeing rising costs, producers are facing
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  expensive retrofits, and consumers?
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  They're paying more at the grocery store.
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  The Save Our Bacon Act, filed by Iowa Congresswoman Ashley
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  Henson, aims to fix that. The bill would prohibit states
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  like California from dictating livestock production methods in
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  other states. In short, it rains in the kind
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  of overreach we saw with Prop 12 and reasserts that states
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  shouldn't control how food is raised outside of their borders.
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  AG groups across the board are backing this bill, including the
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  National Pork Producers Council. They say without federal
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  protections, America's 60,000 pork producing families are
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  going to be forced into business crushing decisions.
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  The pressure to comply with conflicting state regulations
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  could bankrupt smaller operations and consolidate the
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  market even further. Here's the thing guys, this
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  isn't just about farms. It is also about the food
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  industry. During a House AG Committee
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  hearing on Prop 12, Lily Rocha of the Latino Restaurant
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  Association pointed out that restaurants are already
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  struggling under regulatory costs.
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  She said, quote, if the consumers can't afford to pay
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  for the product, then that product is no longer available.
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  Your restaurant goes out of business.
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  And Representative Austin Scott made the connection crystal
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  clear. When pork prices rise due to
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  regulation, everyone in the supply chain pays from farm to
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  fork. Will Corgan from the Center of
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  Environment and Welfare says activists spent over $10 million
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  to pass Prop 12, but many voters didn't understand the economic
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  consequences. He cited polling showing 60% of
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  Californians now want a legislative fix to Prop 12.
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  Why? Because they've seen it at the
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  grocery store. Coggin points to skyrocketing
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  prices for bacon and eggs, with some California stores charging
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  over $10 a dozen for eggs during recent shortages.
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  The bill has just been filed, so it is still very early, but the
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  pressure is mounting from producers, restaurants and
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  consumers alike. Lawmakers on the House AG
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  Committee are already hearing first hand testimonies on the
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  damage Prop 12 is doing, and this bill could be the first
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  real step towards federal response.
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  So here is your take away as a listener today.
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  The Save Our Bacon Act would block state level mandates like
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  Prop 12 from affecting livestock producers in other states.
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  It's backed by major AG groups and aims to protect both
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  producers and consumers from rising cost and market
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  instability. The fight over food production
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  isn't over, and this bill could shape how we move forward.
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  We will keep you updated on its progress as it moves through
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  Congress. Until then, appreciate.
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  Until then, thank you guys so much for listening to another
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  episode of the Cattle USA Daily podcast.
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  As always, thanks for listening and we will see you all tomorrow
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  on another episode of the Cattle USA Daily podcast.
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  Have a good one y'all.