California egg farmers announced Monday they are suing the state, claiming the 2008 ballot initiative that sought to end "cruel confinement" of hens and other types of farm animals is unconstitutionally vague and, as such, should be nullified by the courts.
Proposition 2 was authored by the Humane Society of the United States and passed with 63 percent of the vote. It required that calves raised for veal, egg-laying hens and pregnant pigs be confined in such a way that they be able to lie down, stand up, fully extend their limbs and turn around freely – and that farmers comply with the mandate by Jan. 1, 2015.
The law covers eggs laid by California's nearly 19 million caged hens as well as those brought in from out of state.
The Association of California Egg Farmers filed the lawsuit in Fresno Superior Court on Friday, alleging that the proposition "provides no ascertainable guidance on the required dimensions or densities of hen enclosures."
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