Read the complete MSN article, Trump Admin Sues California Over Soaring Egg Prices.

According to the article, the Trump administration has sued California over its animal cruelty laws, saying the state's regulation of chicken farms has led to high egg prices across the country.

A Campaign Promise

Lowering the cost of eggs, which spiked in recent years as an avian flu outbreak ravaged American flocks, was one of President Donald Trump's key campaign promises in the lead-up to the 2024 election.

The Egg Products Inspection Act of 1970

The Trump administration's lawsuit argued that the federal Egg Products Inspection Act of 1970 should preempt any California state laws related to eggs. This law, the lawsuit says, gives the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services the authority to regulate eggs to protect consumers' health and welfare, and it requires "national uniformity" in egg safety standards.

"It is the prerogative of the federal government alone to regulate the quality, inspection, and packaging of eggs," the Justice Department wrote in its civil complaint.

"Americans across the country have suffered the consequences of liberal policies causing massive inflation for everyday items like eggs," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. "Under President Trump's leadership, we will use the full extent of federal law to ensure that American families are free from oppressive regulatory burdens and restore American prosperity."

It is not the first time that California's animal cruelty laws have been challenged in court. In 2014, six states—Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kentucky and Iowa—sued California over its egg regulations. The states lost both in a federal district court and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Other states, including Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, have laws requiring eggs sold in the state to be from cage-free hens. In February, Nevada temporarily relaxed its cage-free requirements because of the shortages, but the rules were restored in June.

How High Are Egg Prices?

According to the latest consumer price index, egg prices nationwide averaged $4.55 per dozen in May—up from $2.69 a year earlier, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The main reason behind higher egg prices is that supply has shrunk as a direct consequence of the avian flu that broke out in the country in February 2022 and has since wreaked havoc among American flocks. Under federal policy, to prevent the spread of the virus, entire flocks must be culled if even a single infected bird is found on a farm.

Cage-free hens proved to be particularly vulnerable to the virus. In 2024, according to NerdWallet, cage-free hens represented almost 60 percent of all bird flu cases for the year, even as they accounted for about a third of egg-laying hens in the U.S.

In January, the White House blamed the Biden administration for killing more than 100 million birds, most of which were egg-laying hens.

The Trump administration's lawsuit against California does not mention the avian flu that has laid waste across the U.S. egg industry and led to the culling of millions of birds across the country over the past few years.

Discussion Questions

  1. Describe the Egg Products Inspection Act.

    Arguably one of the more obscure federal laws, the Egg Products Inspection Act was enacted in 1970. It includes requirements to ensure that eggs and egg products are wholesome, not adulterated, and properly labeled and packaged to protect consumer health. The act mandates inspections of shell egg handlers and sets forth provisions for the processing and inspection of egg products, including sanitary operating practices and pasteurization requirements.

  2. In your reasoned opinion, are there any other legal arguments the Trump administration should make in its lawsuit against the state of California? What is the state of California’s best argument in this case?

    This is an opinion question, so student responses may vary. In your author’s opinion, the Trump administration can assert the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution (Article VI, Clause 2), which establishes that federal laws, regulations, and treaties take priority over any conflicting state laws.

    California’s best argument in this case is that the Egg Products Inspection Act was never intended to be the “see all, be all, and end all” of egg production legislation/regulation, and that its initiatives (more specifically, California Propositions 2 and 12) actually complement the federal law rather than conflict with it.

  3. California Propositions 2 and 12 are involved in this case. Under Proposition 2, an initiative approved by California voters in 2008 and implemented in 2015, the state forbids farmers from packing chickens together so close that a hen cannot "lie down, stand up, fully extend its limbs, and turn around freely." Proposition 12, an initiative backed by California voters in 2018 and implemented in January 2022, outlawed the use of cages for egg-laying hens, sows and calves raised for veal, giving specific requirements of how much space farmers must give to their animals. It also banned the in-state sale of products from caged animals raised out of state. Should the fact that California voters directly voiced their support for these regulations have any relevance in the outcome of this case? Why or why not?

    This is an opinion question, so student responses may vary. In your author’s opinion, direct voter involvement regarding particular government regulatory issues is one of the most direct forms of democracy. It can be impractical and unwieldly, however, if: (1) voters do not educate themselves on the particular issue(s) for which they are voting; and (2) too many direct voter involvement issues are included on voting ballots, which could slow down the government regulatory process. Ideally, government officials should represent the voice of the people.