Soon Californians may have to come to grips with the consequences of their system of easy-to-generate popular ballot initiatives. By that I am not referring to the slim chance that Golden State Republicans will succeed in removing Governor Gavin Newsom from office via a recall vote on September 14. A more likely effect may arrive at year’s end when full implementation of 2018’s Proposition 12 animal-welfare initiative could spark a breakfast-hour crisis as bacon and other pork products disappear from California grocery stores and eateries.

Prop 12 represented the culmination of the Humane Society’s campaign to use California’s progressive leanings and huge consumer market to force significant changes in how animals are treated in the food-supply chain. An earlier 2008 ballot initiative turned out to be too vague to have a big impact, so Prop 12 specified minimum square footage for containment facilities used in the production of meat products sold in California. After a rather strange campaign in which agriculture groups were joined in opposition by PETA (which strongly holds that only an end to meat consumption will suffice to mitigate cruelty to animals raised for food), Prop 12 passed by a robust 63-37 margin.

To read the entire column, please click here.