When California egg producers challenged the legal validity of Proposition 2, a law regulating egg-laying hen enclosures, they lost. Now the battle they fought is being carried out by other states' farmers who will be prohibited from selling to California if they don't allow their chickens more room to lay eggs, either by making them free range or providing more cage space. Involved in the lawsuit are: Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kentucky and Iowa (#1 producer of eggs).

A "King Amendment" to the 2012 Farm Bill which would have exempted out-of-state egg farmers was struck down as the one concession to California's egg industry which says it needs a fighting chance to survive the new cage legislation. Voters chose overwhelmingly (63.5%) to support the legislation requiring more space for laying hens. Top Producing Counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, and Kern counties. Petaluma in Sonoma county was once known as the egg basket of the world.