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March 20, 2018DES MOINES, Iowa |  By: INS

Iowa lawmakers pass controversial bill; animal groups call on governor for veto

The Center for Food Safety and Mercy for Animals are calling on Iowa's governor to veto a controversial bill passed by the state Legislature that could make some retailers sell battery-caged eggs whether they want to or not. The law could require grocery stores to sell conventional eggs from hens raised in battery cages if they also sell "specialty" eggs with labels such as "cage-free" and "free-range." Cody Carlson with Mercy for Animals believes forcing private businesses to sell a specific product is unprecedented.

House File 2408 was approved 32-17 in the Iowa Senate, sending it to the governor for consideration. Supporters say consumers should have a low-cost choice for protein, and a dozen cage-free or free-range eggs can cost twice that of conventional eggs from factory farms.

The legislation as written would apply to stores that participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC. WIC recipients are currently not allowed to purchase cage-free eggs. That means that if big chains want to keep their promise to switch to carrying only cage-free eggs by 2025, they would need to withdraw from the WIC program, or also carry conventional eggs.

Five states ban or restrict battery cages, including California, Washington, Oregon, Michigan and Ohio. But Iowa is the leading producer of eggs in the country, and its caged-egg industry purchases massive amounts of the state's corn and soy commodities for cattle feed.