OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Gentner Drummond is pushing back against California’s strict hoghousing regulations that would adversely impact Oklahoma’s pork producers.

In 2018, California passed Proposition 12, a law requiring out-ofstate pork producers to comply with strict farming regulations if they want to sell their pork products. Since California is the nation’s top pork-consuming state, it wields major influence over the entire market. Proposition 12 sets harsh regulations that will spike pork prices and force some pork producers to close if they cannot afford to keep up with the mandate.

“Californians have every right to set laws impacting their own state, but they should not be able to dictate how hog farmers in Oklahoma raise their pigs. Proposition 12 is a textbook example of excessive regulations that burden farmers with exorbitant costs,” Drummond said.

Pork is Oklahoma’s second-largest agricultural industry, which works to raise and deliver quality pork throughout the state. It is responsible for more than 23,000 jobs in Oklahoma.

Drummond and counterparts in 22 other states are urging a federal appeals court to hear the case defending pork producers. They make the case that Proposition 12 risks creating an interstate trade war — in violation of the constitution. Proposition 12 specifically violates the Dormant Commerce Clause, which gives the federal government the power to regulate interstate commerce; the Import-Export Clause, which prevents states from imposing import regulations on products from other states; and the Full Faith and Credit Clause, which requires states to respect the laws passed in other states.

Oklahoma joined the Iowa-led brief, along with Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.