Trump administration sues Michigan over cage-free egg production law
The federal government has sued the state of Michigan, its agriculture director and attorney general over cage-free production rules applying to eggs sold for human consumption.
The lawsuit claims that Michigan's law, which took effect Jan. 1, 2025, contributed to the high price of eggs for consumers and imposed "unnecessary red tape" on large-scale commercial egg producers.
The lawsuit, which seeks to declare the state law invalid, was filed Jan. 22 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, naming Dr. Timothy Boring in his capacity as director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Dana Nessel in her capacity as Michigan attorney general.
Michigan's cage-free egg law, the state agriculture department says, had been in the works for 15 years before taking effect. Several other states have cage-free egg laws, including Arizona, California, Massachusetts and Ohio.
Any business owner – including supermarkets – who sells shell eggs in Michigan must make sure the cage-free requirements are followed by the supplier, whether produced locally or out of state. The lawsuit focuses on implications for out-of-state producers, saying the federal government has the final authority for interstate commerce.
Michigan's rules call for hens to be "free to roam unrestricted" in their environments, allowing them to participate in "natural behaviors." The law applies to farms that have 3,000 or more egg-laying hens providing eggs for human consumption
It does not apply to producers who have fewer than 3,000 hens. It also does not apply to eggs that are sold in liquid or cooked form.
Egg prices have fluctuated over time for reasons that include seasonal demand, avian influenza outbreaks, feed costs and inventory shifts. The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics said a dozen shell eggs cost a national average of $4.95 in January 2025, compared to $2.52 in January 2024 and $4.82 in January 2023.
Some expected the enactment of the cage-free egg law to increase the cost to consumers, and the 2025 effective date also coincided with an avian flu impact.
"The United States is facing a serious and sustained cost-of-living crisis," the federal lawsuit says. "Overly burdensome and unnecessary regulations have diminished the purchasing power and prosperity of the American worker. These regulatory costs are borne most acutely by families purchasing essential goods, including food."