Supreme Court Upholds California’s Anti-Animal Cruelty Law for Pork

The Supreme Court upheld a California law that bars the sale of pork produced in other states unless the sow was housed in conditions that allowed her to move freely.

The law was the brainchild of animal rights activists in the state, who worked for its passage saying it was necessary to reduce disease from crowded conditions. But the National Pork Producers Council brought a constitutional challenge to the law, arguing that it impermissibly regulates commerce between the states, because nearly all pork production occurs outside of California.

The decision of the court was 5-4, though there was some disagreement among the justices in the majority on the reasons why the California law should be upheld.