Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over California egg prices

Source: The Hill

03/19/26 3:18 PM ET


A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration against California last summer over the cost of eggs. U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi, a President Trump appointee, found that the federal government lacked standing to challenge California laws and regulations governing the production, sale and shipment of eggs.

Scarsi did not rule on the merits of the case, writing in the Wednesday order that “unlike with the chickens and eggs at issue here, there is no question that an analysis of standing must come first.”. The Hill has reached out to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) office for comment.The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued California last July over what it called “unnecessary red tape” around egg production, citing three state laws it claimed were contributing to higher egg prices.

One of the targets of the suit was a 2018 statewide ballot measure that established new minimum-space requirements for housing egg-laying hens and other farm animals, including veal calves and breeding pigs, and prohibited farmers from selling products from animals housed in a “cruel manner.”

That measure expanded on Proposition 2, a 2008 statewide ballot measure that created welfare mandates for farm animals but did not specify size requirements. The administration also challenged a 2010 law that regulated the quality of eggs sold for human consumption.

Read more: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5792364-judge-dismisses-california-egg-price-lawsuit/