Freshman Republican Wants to Repeal Colorado's New Cage-Free Eggs, Bag Fee Laws

Seven days after Colorado started requiring eggs to come from cage-free hens, a new state representative introduced a bill to repeal the law.

Representative Ryan Gonzalez's House Bill 25-1074 seeks to eliminate the hen confinement standards passed by state lawmakers in 2020. The law gradually rolled out starting in 2023, initially mandating that hens be given more space in their enclosures; since January 1, it has prohibited egg producers from selling in Colorado if they don't meet cage-free regulations.

Gonzalez blames the law for recently rising egg prices. The wholesale price of a dozen large white eggs for the region including Colorado currently ranges from $6.62 to $6.71 — up from $2.01 to $2.10 in 2024 and from $1.35 to $1.44 in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s daily price report for January 24 of each year.

"I am inspired by the stories of hardworking families in my district who are struggling with the rising cost of living," Gonzalez says. "I recently spoke with a mother who could barely afford a carton of eggs, something that should never be considered a luxury."

Whether the cage-free law is responsible for price increases is up for debate. Some grocery stores have pointed fingers at the law for egg supply issues; however, experts largely blame avian influenza outbreaks that have occurred in the past two years. Colorado egg producers have been preparing for the cage-free requirements for more than four years. Major retailers including King Soopers and Safeway have said the change would not affect price or supply.

The entire country is experiencing similar increases in egg prices, points out Senator Dylan Roberts, one of the sponsors of the 2020 hen confinement standards bill.

Roberts says he brought forward the 2020 bill as a compromise after a ballot measure proposal sought to set confinement standards for all livestock, not just hens. He worked with the Colorado Egg Producers association to develop the bill, giving them years of rollout to limit the burden. Ultimately, the bill passed with bipartisan support and proponents behind the ballot measure agreed to withdraw.

"I didn’t want to sponsor that bill, but it was the responsible thing to do, at the time, for Colorado’s agriculture producers and all Coloradans," Roberts says. "Repealing this law — which is also present in many other states, including bright-red Utah, among others — would do nothing to lower egg prices in Colorado and could only expose our agriculture industry to more damaging ballot measures."

Bill Aims to Repeal Single-Use Bag Fee Colorado

Gonzalez's sights aren't just set on the cage-free egg bill, he also wants to reverse a portion of Colorado's law banning single-use plastic bags. That law — passed in 2021 and fully implemented in 2024 — requires retailers to charge ten cents for single-use paper bags. Gonzalez's House Bill 1051 would eliminate the ten-cent fee.

These are the first two bill proposals of Gonzalez's legislative career. The freshman Republican was elected to represent House District 50 in November, being sworn into office on January 8.

"My goal with these bills is to provide immediate relief by repealing burdensome mandates and fees that make life more expensive for Coloradans," Gonzalez says. "The cage-free egg mandate and grocery bag fees may have been well-intentioned, but they are driving up costs for families at a time when every penny counts."

Sponsors of the bag-fee law, Senator Lisa Cutter and Representative Alex Valdez, defend their policy. They note that the fee helps encourage Coloradans to use less single-use plastic and the majority of the money goes to local governments to fund providing reusable bags, addressing plastic pollution or pursuing other sustainability projects.

"I think there are much more meaningful and impactful ways that we can work together to save Coloradans money," Cutter says.
"For example, we introduced a package of legislation yesterday to go after price gouging, rent algorithms and junk fees," she continues. "Bag fees are truly at the discretion of the consumer, who can always choose to bring reusable bags or load things directly into their car. I personally find it more important to go after costs that take advantage of the consumer and are more difficult, if not impossible, for them to avoid."

Valdez adds: "At this point, we have prevented billions of plastic bags from entering our landfills, waterways and trees. The fee is crucial for continuing our progress towards a cleaner and less polluted Colorado."

Gonzalez's bills are unlikely to pass. The Colorado Legislature has a 66-34 Democratic majority. Both of the laws he is trying to reverse were sponsored by Democrats and, so far, only Republicans have signed on to support Gonzalez's proposals.

While Gonzalez says he is "hopeful" he can gain the support of Democrats, he intends for his bills to start a conversation about "the unintended consequences of recent legislation."

"We are holding the majority party accountable and ensuring that Coloradans’ voices are heard in the fight to lower costs and remove unnecessary financial burdens," Gonzalez adds. "I am not here to make enemies; I am here to serve my constituents. ...My focus is on the families struggling to make ends meet, not on partisanship or politics. These bills are about doing what is right for the people of Colorado."

Even if these proposals fail, there will be more to come.

"These two bills are just the beginning," he says.

House Bill 1074 regarding hen confinement standards is up for its first vote on Monday, January 27, in the House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee. House Bill 1051 regarding single-use paper bag fees does not yet have a scheduled hearing.

Update: House Bill 1074 was rejected by the the House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee, 8-5.