We love them fried, boiled, and scrambled. We start our days with them sunny-side up or over-easy. They’re deviled for summer picnics and in a salad for lunch. Eggs have been a staple on Coloradan’s breakfast tables since before we became a state. They are delicious, nutritious, and up until the Colorado legislature passed and “Mr. Libertarian” Governor Polis signed HB20-1343 “Concerning Confinement Standards for Egg-Laying Hens Whose Eggs Are Sold,” they were affordable.
Egg prices have increased significantly. A dozen eggs from my local dairy cost $2.99 on January 4th, 2022. The price is now $6.99 per dozen which is a 133% increase in about a year. The price for a dozen eggs is up 40% from just mid-November. These price increases are affecting food choices and food security for everyday, hardworking Coloradans.
Government “Green” policies have increased the cost of fuel to power our cars, heat our homes and produce our food. As I continue extensive research on “Green” policies, I realize the real “Green” is the “Green” moving into the pockets of PBIs (Politicians, Bureaucrats, and Interested Parties) as their agenda raises the cost of living for Coloradans and all Americans.
Government rules and regulations have increased production costs for our food producers, which is seen in rising costs at the grocery store. These policies, rules, and regulations are threatening the food security of Americans whose goal is to move up the economic ladder, be self-sufficient, and not be dependent on their neighbors thru government programs.
Colorado HB20-1343 has individuals scratching their heads. The “Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens” legislation dictates that egg-laying hens are free to roam unrestricted in an indoor environment, except restricted by exterior walls or some interior fencing. Why is chicken’s indoor environment a legislative focus when we have real challenges in Colorado? KDVR-TV recently reported that Scholoroo ranks Denver as the worst place to raise a family.
While we witness the tragedy of the homelessness industrial complex (a lot of people are making a lot of “Green” on the pain and suffering of others), the Colorado legislature passed and this governor signed HB20-1343 “Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens” which dictates that egg-laying hens are provided enrichments that allow them to exhibit natural behaviors, including, at a minimum, scratch areas, perches, nest boxes and dust bathing areas. What is a dust bathing area and why is it in Colorado law?
Colorado HB-1343 “Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens” empowers PBIs (Politicians, Bureaucrats, and Interested Parties) to pick winners and losers. A facility that is defined to include live animal markets or official plants (big guys) … or business owners that collectively sell fewer than one hundred cases of thirty dozen shell eggs per week (small guys), are not subject to this legislation. BUT, if you are a mid-level producer and you violate HB20-1343 “Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens,” you may be hit with a civil penalty of up to $1,000.00 per violation and taken to court. Big business and big government like each other because they can collude to pass rules, regulations, and legislation to put their smaller competitors out of business. See Colorado HB-1343 “Confinement of Egg Laying Hens.” Not fair!
Colorado HB-1343 “Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens” reeks of cronyism. The “Egg” commissioner may use a government or private inspection or process verification provider to ensure compliance with the “Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens” legislation.
And while we have a U.S. Supreme Court Justice and college professor who cannot define what a woman is, HB20-1343 “Confinement Standards for Egg-Laying Hens” defines an “Egg-Laying Hen” as a FEMALE domesticated chicken, turkey, duck, goose, or guinea fowl kept for the purpose of commercial egg production. No trans egg laying here.
To fund the bureaucracy that is increasing the cost of your eggs, the “Egg” commission (in addition to all other powers and duties conferred upon the “Egg” commission by this article) can “fix, assess, and collect fees sufficient to recover the department’s direct and indirect costs incurred in carrying out and enforcing the provisions of ….” So mid-level egg producers must fund their regulators which increases the cost of your sunny side up at your breakfast table.
Bottom line is your nest is being de-feathered, feather by feather by rules, regulations, legislation, and initiatives. If you choose to purchase more expensive cage-free chicken eggs, you should have the freedom to do so. However if you are a single mom who is just trying to put food on the table for your kids or a senior citizen who is working to make ends meet when facing higher taxes, increasing costs to warm your home, and surprise pricing at the grocery store, we realize the compassionate answer is to repeal Colorado HB20-1343 so that individuals have the choice of affordable eggs.
HB20-1343 was passed by the Colorado legislature in 2020 and signed by the governor on July 1, 2020, however it did not take effect until January 1, 2023 which is conveniently after the 2020 election and 2022 election. If legislators pass and the governor signs legislation that so adversely affects people, then these politicians must at least have the character to answer to the voters in their next election instead of kicking the can down the road three years later.
There are solutions. First, either by legislation or the initiative process, Coloradans can repeal HB20-1343. Secondly, in the next election cycle, vote for individuals who value you and your family more than the square footage of egg-laying chickens from mid-level producers.
Denver ranked worst city to raise a family | FOX31 Denver (kdvr.com)
12 Responses
When are these liberals (leftist commies) in this state will finally say “enough”? What we have here is the Dinkins affect. It has to get really bad for things to change. As you might know about the Dinkins affect is when David Dinkins was elected mayor of NYC, crimes spiked over the 4 years. Along came Rudy Giuliani who ran against Dinkins but lost. So for another 4 years NYC residents suffered through staggering crime rates from murder, homicides, you name it, they went through it. So Rudy Giuliani ran again and won simply because people had enough. Giuliani restored NYC to its glory. Colorado is in this shape right now with these crazy policies and crime. So, will it be enough to where people can cause a shift for the good?
This is the most insane, destructive law I have seen in quite a while! Why would anyone consider this a priority over human life? There needs to be more time & effort on rebuilding this State than causing undo chaos!
Pat
Kim, when it comes to the production of eggs, we’re a free-market economy and this sudden bottleneck in the supply of eggs shows a failure by egg producers to respond in advance to what they knew was coming due to Colorado legislation HB20-1343 signed by Polis on July 1, 2020. It’s the stupid egg producers who have been caught with chickens in cages they can’t use while the smart producers are now benefiting from the high prices.
That’s why we need a windfall profits tax on the ‘smart egg producers’, to help fund ‘stupid egg producers’ get their operations in order. The ‘sudden bottleneck’ wasn’t caused by the ‘free market’. It was caused by the gov’t legislation. If it were a ‘free-market’ as you suggest then the gov’t wouldn’t interfere and pick winners and losers. Since they’re picking winners, the winners must be heavily taxed to help out and subsidize the losers. This way no one loses and no one wins in this ‘socialistic free market’.
/sarcasm off
“Avian flu struck Colorado’s egg-laying chicken population in April 2022 and more than 6.3 million birds were slaughtered by the end of the year. That led to a half-billion egg drop in production compared to 2021. Out-of-state farms helped supply eggs to meet local needs, but other states too are seeing the impact of the fast-spreading virus” article from Colorado Sun.
Maybe the above also had something to do with the increase in prices? Why not raise the animals in “human” conditions. Least we can do for our fellow creatures. A dust bath is to keep the mites from becoming too big of a pest for the bird. I must wonder about the cost delta of the legislation vs the cost delta of the slaughter. Maybe next summer will provide an answer.
This is a lie. The price of eggs is up nationwide because of the avian flu. Period. https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/egg-prices-rise-64-percent-some-states
There are local variations. Please don’t think that it’s a one-size-fits-all boilerplate. It’s still useful to point out how government “helps” people.
Ya get what ya vote for, and CO voters voted for this idiocy. Complaining about the results of your vote, and then voting the same again and again doesn’t seem to generate alot of sympathy from the adults who NEVER vote D… because we’re ADULTS.
Polis is a liberal progressive highly influenced by a tree hugging, PETA loon. Together they’re destroying Colorado agriculture.
https://www.coloradohouserepublicans.com/press-releases/9nbsqxypk1mxe3g3jw3dpeljmmee7c?fbclid=IwAR18LcFTqg6oVKRhvkoQHbVs1PafU65_rKQEExlG348SK44Jp5iqDUdzcpk
Polis purposefully left rural Colorado Agricultural Producers out of his ” rotten state of the union” address… He is a failure.
No he didn’t. This is just more Trumpist propaganda and spin.
Look … the Trumpist/Republicans got clobbered and but how in the last election — as long as you keep repeating lies and indulging every nutty conspiracy theory that comes along, you’re going to keep losing.
Which is too bad because a responsible, traditionally conservative voice is an important ingredient in our democratic republic.
https://www.coloradopols.com/diary/184730/its-the-industry-that-is-unappreciated-in-speeches
It’s obvious you voted for Polis, and you watch MSM. Wake up to reality!!!