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Michigan Ag Committee to send cage-free bill to full Senate

Michigan’s Senate Ag Committee has passed legislation that will bring the state in line with national cage-free egg standards by 2025.   Senate Bill 174 passed out of committee and will be sent to the full Senate where it could be voted on as early as next week.  If passed and signed into law, Michigan would be the fifth state, and the largest egg-producing state in the nation, to adopt cage-free requirements.

Michigan ranks sixth in the nation in egg production.  Jim Byrum, president of the Michigan Agri-business Association says the legislation is vitally important to the future success of the state’s egg industry.  He says passing the bill will ensure Michigan egg producers are positioned to supply major grocery stores and retailers who have committed to purchasing only cage-free eggs beginning in 2015.

Only four other states, California, Washington, Oregon, and Rhode Island, currently have cage-free laws on the books.