A federal appeals court today overturned a lower court ruling that Iowa's
ban on meatpackers owning livestock was unconstitutional.
The appeals court's decision also sent the legal question about the
constitutionality of the Iowa law back to federal court in Iowa's southern
district to be re-tried.
The appeals court's decision was hailed as a victory for those who want to
restrict the increasing concentration in the packing industry.
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said in a statement he was pleased with the
appeals court's decision and looked forward to re-trying the case.
"We look forward to a trial where we can present evidence to the district
court demonstrating that Iowa's statute regulating meatpackers' involvement
in livestock production does not unconstitutionally discriminate against
interstate commerce and that any burden on interstate commerce is clearly
outweighed by the benefits to producers and consumers," Miller's statement
said.Des Moines Register:
