Trump administration sues California over egg prices

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against the state of California, aiming to block animal welfare laws it argues are unconstitutional and have contributed to a spike in egg prices. However, the group behind those animal welfare standards is pushing back, pointing to the bird flu outbreak as the real cause of the financial strain on consumers.

Filed Wednesday in federal court in California, the lawsuit targets voter-approved initiatives from 2008 and 2018 that mandate all eggs sold in the state must come from cage-free hens.

According to the Trump administration, these laws place an undue burden on egg producers nationwide due to California’s significant influence on the U.S. economy.

“It’s one thing for California to pass laws that affect its own state. It’s another when those laws spill over and affect other states in violation of the U.S. Constitution,” said U.S. Agriculture official Brooke Rollins in a statement Thursday. “Thankfully, President Trump is taking a stand against this kind of overreach.”

Egg prices surged over the past year, largely due to the outbreak of avian flu, which has led to the culling of nearly 175 million birds since early 2022. While prices have dropped considerably in recent months, the Trump administration has taken credit for the decline, though seasonal trends also play a role. Avian influenza typically peaks during spring and fall migrations and eases during the summer months.

In response, the California Department of Justice fired back: “Pointing fingers won’t change the fact that it is the President’s economic policies that have been destructive. We’ll see him in court,” it said in a statement Friday.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average national price for a dozen Grade A eggs dropped from a record high of $6.23 in March to $5.12 in April and then to $4.55 in May. Still, May’s price remained 68.5% higher than the same time last year.