Michigan: Victory for Egg-Laying Hens!

Update—November 21, 2019: Great news, advocates! This bill succeeded and is now state law. We want to thank everyone who spoke up on this important issue.

Veal crates, gestation crates and battery cages are frequently used to confine animals on farms throughout the state. Calves, breeding pigs and egg-laying hens who are housed in these cruel systems are crammed into such small spaces that many are unable to turn around or even lie down for their entire lives.

Michiganders recognize the inhumane nature of these practices, and 10 years ago the Legislature passed a law to phase out the use of cruel confinement methods by 2020. However, since its passage, instead of taking meaningful action to comply with this law, agribusiness has been working tirelessly to prolong the phase-out date.

As introduced, S.B. 174 was Big Ag’s latest attempt to continue using cruel confinement methods indefinitely. Thanks to your outreach, the Michigan Legislature passed a compromise bill that extends the phase out date until 2024, but also creates a new sales ban provision that would prohibit the sale of caged eggs in the state. The sales ban will ultimately improve the lives of millions more hens than the original legislation passed in 2009 and is a huge victory for animals!