New Laws Starting Next Year, One Could Cause Bacon Shortage

Sacramento, CA – Several new laws starting next year are the first of their kind in the nation, while others may make it hard to bring home the bacon.

Voter-approved rules for the pork industry kicking in Jan. 1 are setting the nation’s toughest living space standards for breeding pigs. That has prompted concerns about possible shortages of bacon and other pork products along with job loss. With legal challenges failing in the courts, opponents are making last-minute calls to delay the new regulations until 2024. Proponents argue that fear is exaggerated since the state is continuing to allow the sale of pork processed under the old rules for a while even after the law takes effect.

Other laws that will be enacted are designed to shield those seeking abortions, protect protesters from police, accelerate the approval process for housing projects, further ease criminal penalties to reduce mass incarceration.

“In partnership with the Legislature, we’ve advanced hundreds of new bills this year to make meaningful progress on an array of issues that matter deeply to Californians across the state,” said Governor Newsom. He added, “As we head into the new year, I look forward to our continued work to expand opportunity for all Californians.”

Marking national “firsts” are the state’s minimum wage reaching $15 an hour, protecting warehouse workers from quotas, mandating hourly wages for garment workers, requiring gender-neutral store displays.