State laws mandating larger pig housing might be curtailed

When passed by popular vote in California in 2018, Proposition 12 was considered a landmark animal rights law.

The legislation establishes minimum space requirements for pregnant pigs and prohibits selling pork raised on farms that don't comply. This restriction effectively bans the use of gestation crates, also called gestation stalls, which are confined spaces with metal bars used to house pregnant sows. Typically around 7 feet by 2 feet, they are too small for sows to turn around in, much less walk or move freely. Now Congress is considering language in the upcoming farm bill that would gut the gestation crate law in California and a similar law in Massachusetts.

This story was published on June 2, 2026.