I don't know about this idea of not supporting legislation to make large scale farming more humane because of reduced profits or companies not able to make the transition and looking to move elsewhere.
"Buying Local" aside, wouldn't you want to get your eggs from places that abide by more humane standards, even if they came from outside of the state?
I liken this kind of legislation to those that try to improve working conditions for people in businesses (like factories), or create standards and enforcement to prevent pollution from companies. You can argue that the standards will be too tough, and too expensive, and ultimately the companies will go elsewhere, where they can pollute, abuse, or keep chickens in small battery cages.
But that is where the consumer comes in and can buy California eggs with confidence because they know that these standards are presumably enforced. Kind of like if you buy American, you will likely be paying more, but you know that there were some standards in place, for safe working conditions, a minimum wage, among other things.
I understand the point of view of a limited government, or a "Stay out of our business" kind of government, but I feel like it is not very realistic for the government to not be in our lives on some fundamental things, like the human rights based things I mentioned before.
I guess this proposition is trying to give animals some rights as well. There are people who eat animals, and don't eat animals. And among both those groups, people who believe in the ethical treatment of animals, and people who don't. You can be a meat eater or egg eater, and still believe in an enforceable standard of living conditions for your food.
If this passes and sets a precedent for other states, well great! Maybe California can give tax breaks to egg farmers as an incentive to stay in the state and produce food to a higher standard. Nothing wrong with that! We tax products from other countries to encourage and support local production. We also subsidize foods like meat, dairy, grain (like corn and wheat) in the US too.
I would support this proposition in Oregon.
