Compliance would be required for all eggs sold in California
An email received from HSUS said the legislation applies to all eggs sold in the state regardless of where they were produced—within or outside state lines—and would take effect in January 2015.
About one-third of shell eggs sold in California are imported from other states, according to a UC Davis report. AB 1437 would be expected to close the loophole through which California vendors could import eggs from states without hen protection laws.
Law would broaden Prop 2
The law would broaden the effect of Proposition 2, which voters passed in 2008, requiring that with certain exceptions, by January 2015 “calves for veal, egg-laying hens, and pregnant pigs be confined only in ways that allow these animals to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely,” states an analysis conducted by the California Senate.
The analysis adds that proponents of the bill argue it would improve comfort and reduce stress on the hens, making it a boon to public health and safety, since “egg-laying hens subjected to stress are more likely to have higher levels of pathogens in their intestines and that poor conditions increase the likelihood of food-borne pathogens.”
California’s 19 million egg-laying hens provide five billion eggs per year, says the UC Davis report, making it the fifth largest egg-producing state in the U.S.
Supporters of AB 1437 include Animal Acres, Animals Place, Center for Science in the Public Interest, the League of Humane Voters, and more.
Opposition
The bill's chief opponent is the Association of California Egg Farmers (ACEF), arguing against the "substantial financial requirements they may face to comply with Proposition 2, the time and expense involved in obtaining permits and modifying enclosures, the potential for severe criminal penalties and the alterations in husbandry practices that may be necessary," said ACEF Executive Director Debbie Murdock. [PLEASE SEE COMMENTS IN "COMMENTS" SECTION BELOW.]
"Most of the state's egg farms are family owned," Murdock added, "producing a safe, affordable and nutritious source of food for California families and generating thousands of jobs, especially in economically hard-hit rural areas.
Watch undercover video of a southern California factory egg farm.
To voice your opinion:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 558-3160 (new number)
Email: http://gov.ca.gov/interact#email
Katerina Lorenzatos Makris is the author of 17 novels for
publishers including Avon, E.P. Dutton, and Simon & Schuster, and
hundreds of articles for publications such as National Geographic
Traveler, San Francisco Chronicle, and Veggie Life. She wrote a
teleplay for CBS and short fiction for The Bark magazine. With coauthor
Shelley Frost, she wrote Your Adopted Dog
(The Lyons Press). Holding a B.A. in Environmental Science Studies and
a lifelong interest in animal issues, she spends a lot of her time
battling a severe addiction to dogs.
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