Colorado lawmakers rejected an attempt Monday to roll back the state’s new cage-free eggs law.
Republicans behind the measure saw it as a way to slow soaring egg prices.
Bird flu is wiping out broods and driving up the cost of eggs at the supermarket . It's one of the most visible signs of inflation. The issue has spurred from coast to coast.
But Republicans in the Colorado General Assembly have argued there's another factor in the state: requiring producers to keep chickens outside of cages makes it harder to isolate sick hens and increases producers’ costs. That rule went into effect on Jan. 1, and a priority for the GOP this year has been to reverse it.
So state Rep. , R-Fort Lupton, filed a measure, , that would do away with the cage-free requirement.
"Chickens by nature flock together," he said at a hearing Monday on his proposal, "and in cage-free settings, this behavior increases the likelihood of disease transmission."
Colorado is one of that require large egg producers to be cage-free. Most of those states also require eggs sold at the supermarket to be farmed without cages — meaning grocers can't bring caged eggs from out of state, even if they're cheaper.
At a hearing, several people shared anecdotes of eggs being cheaper just over the state line.
That prompted an assortment of groups to get behind the Republican proposal. Notable among them were free-market advocates, leaders of the Libertarian Party of Colorado and the Weld County Commission. Weld County is of eggs.
But a notable group stood against them — farmers and egg producers. They said they’ve already adjusted to the cage-free requirement, and it would be unfair to change the rules again so soon.
"If you look nationwide, you will see that egg prices are increasing everywhere," said Tyler Garrett, director of government relations for Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. "Reversing these requirements around cage-free eggs will not fix our egg price issue."
As for the lower prices at some supermarkets, egg producers and retail groups say that may just be gamesmanship.
Stores know egg prices are a big issue — economically, as well as politically. Offering a deal could simply be a good way to draw in customers.
