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The Right Coast
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California Is Making Bacon More Expensive – WSJ

By Thomas A. Smith

Pork producers and retailers have sued to block Proposition 12, which they argue is an extraterritorial regulation that violates the Supreme Court s dormant Commerce Clause doctrine. The court has repeatedly held that a state may not directly regulate commerce conducted entirely in another state even if it has cross-border effects.

While the Constitution grants states police powers to protect public health and welfare, California conceded when it proposed Proposition 12 regulations in May that they do not directly impact human health and welfare of California residents and are not accepted as standards within the scientific community to reduce food-borne illness.

If the Golden State can dictate farm animal welfare in the rest of the country, why couldn t it require companies that sell goods or services into the state also abide by its labor and climate laws? This would destroy America s federal system. The Supreme Court will consider the petition by the National Pork Producers Council and American Farm Bureau Federation on Friday, Jan. 7. Justices will have plenty to chew on.

via www.wsj.com

I’m sympathetic with this regulation because pigs are highly intelligent and undoubtedly suffer from the cruelty of their upbringings. This does not stop me from, well, pigging out on bacon, pork chops, sausages and other non-kosher delicacies, however. This is because I am weak, especially when confronted with delicious things to eat. I’m sure the lobbyists of Big Meat were busy with these regulations as well, coming down hard on small producers. You can find free-range pork, I suppose, but it’s a lot more expensive. I believe we should treat animals kindly, right up until the moment we slaughter and devour them. LWJ is encouraging me to go vegan or vegetarian, which I agree is a pious thought, but just seems unnatural not to mention unendurable to me.

I’m currently giving the “carnivore diet” a try — you can eat anything that comes from an animal. That’s sounds good to me and I can still drink milk under this rule. I’ll let you know how it goes. You’re also allowed the occasional berry and green. But no french fries.