The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against California, challenging the state’s laws that require eggs sold within its borders to come from animals raised under specific welfare conditions. The suit argues that California’s regulations, including Proposition 12, impose unnecessary restrictions that inflate egg prices by preventing farmers nationwide from using common agricultural practices. Citing the 1970 Egg Products Inspection Act and the Supremacy Clause, the administration claims California’s additional standards are invalid and contribute to higher costs for consumers.

Animal welfare groups strongly oppose the lawsuit, asserting that California’s laws have been legally upheld and reflect widespread voter and consumer demand for humane treatment of laying hens. They warn that overturning these standards could lead to a surge of cheaper, factory-farmed eggs flooding the market, harming both animal welfare and American farmers. Critics also argue that recent egg price increases are due to factors like avian influenza, not welfare regulations, and view the lawsuit as politically motivated rather than grounded in constitutional law.