Republican Steve King is championing an amendment to regress the Protect Interstate Commerce Act (PICA). The amendment would topple Arnold Schwarzenegger's law (enacted two years ago) requiring states to necessitate adequate space for veal, egg-laying hens, and pregnant sows enough room in their cages to lay down.
King's argument is centered around the belief that states should be able to self govern their own agricultural and livestock regulation, without the influence of contrary state laws. Time Swampland reports King's amendment may potentially endanger established food and safety regulations.
The Huffington Post says that Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) contest that the amendment would topple 12 state restrictions regarding firewood laws; involving combating invasive insects.
King refutes brazenly that "[The] restriction places an incredible burden on farmers across the nation to spend up to as much as $40 per hen to completely restructure entire farming operations. Regardless of how they're produced, eggs are already regulated by the Federal Egg Inspection Act, which ensures all eggs entering interstate commerce are safe for the consumer.”
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