An attempt by Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) to block California’s Prop 12 with a preliminary injunction has been denied by a federal judge in California. IPPA now has 14 days to amend their lawsuit in response to the Court’s dismissal, in additional to a possible appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Prop 12 bans the sale of meat and eggs derived from producers that don’t meet California’s rigorous standards, including prohibiting the sale of pork from pigs not raised in at least 24 square feet of space.

IPPA filed the lawsuit in August of last year, saying the legislation unquestionably affects pork producers in the state of Iowa, and that it would ultimately greatly boost cost burdens on pork producers. The National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation are still waiting to learn if the U.S. Supreme Court will agree to take their case against Prop 12.

Read more on the legislation and its impact on pork producers here.