U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Proposition 12 Expected in Early 2023

Oct 25, 2022

The President of the National Pork Producers Council says the U.S. Supreme Court has a lot to go over as it considers the constitutionality of California's Proposition 12.

Representatives of the National Pork Producers Council and the National Farm Bureau Federation presented oral arguments last week in their case to the Supreme Court of the United States against California's Proposition 12, a ballot initiative passed in 2018 that bans the sale of pork in that state not raised in accordance with that state's requirements.

Terry Wolters, the President of the National Pork Producers Council, says the judges were very well versed, very prepared and had some extremely pointed questions.

Clip-Terry Wolters-National Pork Producers Council:

Since this rule was passed in 2018 we really have been arguing that under the Dormant Commerce Clause, it's unconstitutional for California to regulate commerce outside of its state.We primarily felt like the case was brought on behalf of the pork producers.It is much broader than just agriculture.While we were talking largely about pork that day, we feel like it challenges or jeopardises all of commerce across many states.

There were conversations about potential labelling, there were questions about whether California was trying to bully the rest of the states, there were questions that dealt with, potentially if this was to stand what other aspects or subjects would be brought forward and could additional restrictions like wage laws or if your employees are vaccinated, questions that really got very pointed about how these propositions and referendums would actually impact commerce in other states.

Wolters acknowledges the Supreme Court justices have a lot to consider.He anticipates a ruling a ruling in January or February of next year.

Source : Farmscape.ca

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.