August 2026 CEW polling finds majorities in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Michigan, Kansas and Illinois favor congressional policies to limit California's Proposition 12, with support ranging from 57% to 63%. The survey also found high concern about food prices (86%–92%) and broad agreement that states should not regulate businesses in other states. CEW said full methodology for the August poll will be released later; earlier May surveys showed similar levels of support with sample sizes of 301–584 and a ±4% margin of error.
New Five-State Poll: Majorities Back Congressional Limits On California's Prop 12
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New polling commissioned by the Center for the Environment and Welfare (CEW) finds that majorities in five Midwestern and Plains states want Congress to act to limit the national reach of California's 2018 Proposition 12.
The online survey, conducted in August 2026, covered Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Michigan, Kansas and Illinois. CEW reported that between 57% and 63% of respondents in each state said they want their members of Congress to support policies that would blunt Prop 12's effects outside California.
Key Findings
Support for congressional action was highest in Kansas (63%) and lowest in Michigan (57%), with Pennsylvania and Illinois at 60% and New Mexico at 59%. The survey also recorded strong concern about food prices across the five states: 86% in Pennsylvania, 88% in New Mexico, 92% in Michigan, and 90% in both Kansas and Illinois described themselves as somewhat or very concerned about food costs.
The poll asked about a related principle as well: whether states should be free to regulate and tax businesses within their own borders but not regulate or tax businesses in other states. Majorities in all five states agreed, ranging from 58% in Michigan to 70% in Kansas.
Context And Methodology
CEW said the August 2026 polling was conducted online and that a more detailed methodology would be released. Without information on sample sizes, respondent selection and margins of error for the August poll, the results should be interpreted with caution compared with polls that publish full methodology.
CEW previously commissioned similar state surveys in May conducted by AI-driven data firm AlphaROC (May 18–22). Those earlier polls reported support for congressional action on Prop 12 between 57% and 67%, with sample sizes ranging from 301 respondents in Alaska to 584 in Virginia and an approximate margin of error of ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Political And Legal Background
Proposition 12, approved by California voters in 2018, sets housing standards for breeding pigs and prohibits the sale in California of covered pork products if the animals were confined in ways that do not meet the state's standards — including pork produced outside California. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a constitutional challenge by pork industry groups in 2023, while noting the law's potential to increase production costs for some suppliers seeking access to California's market.
Will Coggin, CEW research director, said: "Americans strongly support commonsense legislation that would lower their grocery prices. The animal rights agenda is worsening the affordability crisis for American families and farmers by abusing the ballot box in California to drive up costs nationally. Lawmakers should take the opportunity to bring down food costs with the Farm Bill before this situation gets worse."
CEW said the new polling is part of its Food Price Fix campaign, which advocates congressional measures to limit Prop 12's out-of-state effects.
Legislative action is active: the Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026 (the Farm Bill 2.0) out of committee on Sept. 16, but the measure still must clear additional steps in Congress before becoming law.
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