USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins affirmed at a recent House Agriculture Committee hearing that while California has the legal right to enact USDA Prop 12—a law requiring space minimums for egg-laying hens, breeding pigs, and veal calves—the state cannot force compliance on producers beyond its borders. Secretary Rollins emphasized, “The minute that crosses the border and begins to compromise… our pork producers we need to act.”
North Carolina Representative David Rouzer (R‑NC) echoed Rollins’ stance, assuring the state’s farmers of his support. Rouzer highlighted that North Carolina’s $111.1 billion agricultural sector—including its position as the third-largest pork producer in the nation—relies on fair, science-based regulations, not mandates imposed by California. He stated, “North Carolina pork producers have a friend at USDA in Secretary Brooke Rollins.”
Prop 12 affects producers nationwide, including those in North Carolina. Approximately 40 million Californians consume nearly 15% of the country’s pork, and compliance with Prop 12 requires substantial investments in new or retrofitted facilities. Rouzer warned that these costs could damage the state’s farmers without benefiting in-state consumers.
Rollins underscored her commitment to federalism and the Tenth Amendment, cautioning that federal interference may be required if California’s mandates continue to harm out-of-state producers. She said the situation “is a bipartisan question,” indicating broad concern in Congress.
As Prop 12’s impact reverberates nationwide, Secretary Rollins’ declaration serves as a powerful signal: state-level food policy must respect the sovereignty of other states and avoid destructive, cross-border consequences.
U.S. Rep. David Rouzer, whose district is home to some of the largest pork operations in the country, has been a vocal opponent of California’s Proposition 12 since its implementation. He argues that the law imposes costly regulations on farmers in other states who have no say in California’s policymaking. Rouzer has called for federal intervention to prevent individual states from setting de facto national agriculture policy.
Industry leaders have also voiced concern that if Proposition 12 is allowed to stand unchallenged, it could open the door for other states to impose localized regulations with nationwide consequences. With California accounting for a significant share of U.S. pork consumption, producers across the Midwest and Southeast are feeling pressure to comply or risk losing market access.
