Iowa Attorney General Defends Pork Producers Against California Proposition 12

Feb 24, 2025

Yesterday (Thursday, February 20, 2025), Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird visited northwest Iowa to have roundtable discussions with law enforcement officials about crime victim services. While she was here, she took the time to have a conversation with Sioux County Radio. One topic we discussed was California’s Proposition 12, a law that imposes strict farming regulations on out-of-state pork producers. Bird expressed her strong opposition to Prop 12.

Bird, who grew up on a farm, emphasized the significant impact this mandate could have on Iowa’s agriculture industry.

Bird is leading a coalition of 23 states in an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, urging the court to review and overturn Proposition 12. She argues that the law violates the federal Constitution and unfairly dictates how farmers in other states should operate.

We asked the Attorney General what the timeframe is for the Supreme Court appeal by the coalition of states.

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Video: 2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.