"Animal welfare advocates are preparing for a fight in the US Senate where the new Farm Bill will be taken up in the next couple months, bringing with it a contentious provision that would undo state measures to protect livestock.
Last week the House passed its version of the bill, which contained a provision commonly referred to as the “Save Our Bacon Act” that bars state or local governments from having protections for animals at farms – including at concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs – or those sold within the state that differ from other states’ rules.
The measure specifically targets two state laws — California’s Proposition 12 and Massachusetts Question 3. Both require that hogs, calves and chickens that are on confined farms or sold in the states are raised with adequate room to turn around, lie down and extend their limbs.
The provision preempting those state laws has garnered broad support from meat industry associations that argue such state laws increase consumer costs and hurt farmers. However, public health, animal rights and environmental groups say the provision restricts states from offering basic protections for farm animals, and that this is a states’ rights issue."
