BRANSTAD JOINS LAWSUIT OPPOSING CALIFORNIA EGG LAW

Iowa Gov. Branstad has joined a lawsuit opposing California's egg-production law that he contends discriminates against Iowa's egg producers. Branstad, along with other five other states, argues that California's egg-production law is unconstitutional and violates the commerce clause. “The burdensome law from the State of California effectively regulates the industry across state lines, hurts Iowa agriculture and is detrimental to Iowa egg producers,” Branstad said in a statement. The lawsuit -- which was filed by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster and co-signed by the attorney generals of Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kentucky and Branstad -- argues that the court should rule that California's law violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The commerce clause prohibits any state from enacting legislation that regulates conduct wholly outside its borders, protects its own citizens from out-of-state competition, or places undue burdens on interstate commerce. Iowa's egg farmers lead the nation in egg production by producing nearly 15 billion eggs per year, with almost one out of every five eggs produced in the United States coming from Iowa.