The measure sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States has qualified for the November ballot.  It requires that egg-laying hens, calves raised for veal and pregnant pigs cannot be strictly confined.  Paul Shapiro with the Humane Society calls it a modest measure.

 “And certainly it’s hard to imagine a worse cruelty than being confined permanently in a cage where you’re unable to turn around or extend your limbs…”

The group Californians for Sound Farm Animal Agriculture is funded  by egg farmers and was formed to fight the measure.  Spokeswoman Anita Mangels says the measure would largely affect egg production in the state and would ban a way to cage hens that controls disease.

“This is an irresponsible attempt to impose a simplistic one-size solution on a complicated issue that according to the science doesn’t need it.”

Mangels says the measure will also result in higher egg prices.