Lady Freethinker has signed on to a letter and so joined more than 150 organizations in opposing the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act — an ill-conceived piece of legislation that, if passed, could jeopardize more than 1,000 state and local laws, including those that protect animals.
The EATS Act would prohibit states from regulating the “pre-harvest” production of agricultural products and is seen as a direct response to the Supreme Court’s recent upholding of Prop 12 — a California voter-backed initiative that prohibits the sale of products within the state that were created from intensely-confined farmed animals.
It’s currently being considered as part of the 2023 Farm Bill — sweeping legislation that will set agricultural planning for the next five years. The current Farm Bill ends in September.
Spearheaded by the Humane Society of the United States Legislative Fund, the letter notes that the EATS Act could gut state authority, potentially bankrupt state and local governments, result in endless litigation, undermine founding principles and constitutional law precedent, and hurt farmers and rural communities.
The Supreme Court has consistently acknowledged that the Constitution’s 10th Amendment allows states to enact laws to protect public health, safety, and welfare by regulating the sale of goods and services within state borders, the letter notes.
The letter, which has been sent to the House and Senate agriculture committees, urges Congressional leaders to reject the EATS Act and any other proposed legislation that would assault duly-enacted state and local measures.
Other entities that have publicly opposed the EATS Act include more than 1,2000 farms, environmental and animal protection organizations, legal scholars, food and public health and safety groups, and child labor and worker protection organizations. Some pork producers also have opposed the bill, while other agricultural behemoths — including Tyson, Smithfield, and Hormel — have said they will comply with Prop 12’s requirements.
More than 200 legislators across the political spectrum also have openly opposed the EATS Act.
This horrific law — with serious consequences for animals, people, and our planet — must not pass!
If you haven’t already, please sign Lady Freethinker’s petition urging Congress to nix the EATS Act.
SIGN: Stop Disastrous Bill That Could Strip Farmed Animal Protections
