Improve Iowa’s ag industry standards

I was happy to read that the lawsuit filed against California regarding better conditions for laying hens was thrown out. The California law included a mandate that egg laying hens be kept in enclosures providing 'sufficient room for each hen to stand up, lie down, turn around freely and fully extend their limbs.” Judge Kimberly Mueller wrote, 'It is patently clear plaintiffs are bringing this action on behalf of a subset of each state's egg farmers, not on behalf of each state's population generally.”

The judge is right. Many people realize that the way laying hens are treated on industrial farms is horrible. That's why the law was passed in California. I do not want standards for agriculture production of animals to be forced down to the lowest standard. So instead of Gov. Terry Branstad's 'fighting for the state's agriculture industry” by forcing other states to accept our lower standards, we should improve our standards. Have you forgotten about DeCoster? Read http://tinyurl.com/lxu9zs8.

Lynn Gallagher

Solon