DES MOINES, IA – On July 23, 2025, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, along with seven other governors, addressed congressional leadership through a unified letter supporting the Save Our Bacon Act. This proposed legislation is a response to California’s Proposition 12, which the governors label as unconstitutional due to its imposition of restrictive and arbitrary standards on pork producers across the nation. The communication emphasizes the necessity to safeguard state-level autonomy in agricultural practices and to prevent overreach from states like California that attempt to impose regulations beyond their own borders.
The Save Our Bacon Act specifically targets Proposition 12, a California law that enforces stringent requirements for livestock housing, including mandated space allocations for pigs, despite California’s minimal hog production. The letter, co-signed by governors from major pork-producing states, stresses that such regulations hinder interstate commerce, increase expenses for both producers and consumers, and threaten decades of scientifically grounded, sustainable farming methodologies.
“For decades, our livestock producers have employed science-based practices and adapted production technologies that have made our nation’s food supply among the safest and most sustainable globally,” the letter asserts. It points out that while California holds 15% of the national pork market, almost the entirety of the nation’s sow population resides outside of California. The mandates of Proposition 12, described as “unnecessary and unscientific,” inflate pork prices for California consumers and impose hefty financial pressures on producers in states like Iowa, the leading pork producer in the U.S.
The governors contend that while consumer preferences and market-driven evolution in farming ought to be respected, one state should not have the authority to dictate production standards for others. “We uphold the right of each state to lawfully oversee livestock production within their own jurisdictions,” the letter maintains. “However, when one state seeks to regulate another, federal legislation becomes necessary and warranted.”
The Save Our Bacon Act seeks to prevent state and local governments from enacting regulations on agricultural production in other states, ensuring that farmers can operate under the regulations of their own state without external constraints. Governor Reynolds and her fellow governors are urging Congress to advance this bill to protect the national pork industry, maintain affordable protein supplies, and uphold the integrity of interstate commerce.
For further inquiries regarding the Save Our Bacon Act or the correspondence from the governors, please reach out to the Office of Governor Kim Reynolds or consult the official congressional website for the latest legislative updates.
