Serving the community since 1906
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 6, 2025
VOLUME 118 | ISSUE 6
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Highlighting progress and inequities in local schools BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Weld County Commissioners are backing the repeal of a Colorado law that requires egg producers to use cage-free systems.
BELEN WARD
Weld County Commissioners seek to crack cage-free egg law BY BELEN WARD BWARD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Weld County Commissioners are throwing their weight behind efforts to repeal Colorado’s cage-free chicken rules for egg producers in an effort to help lower the cost of eggs. “We support our ag community,” said Commissioner Chair Perry Buck. “The constraints of the bill approved in 2020 have not only had a negative impact on producers but also Colorado families. It’s something that we as a state can fix and should fix.” Weld County Commissioner Scott James said he plans to testify in the state legislature to re-
peal the 2020 law that requires egg producers to use cage-free systems. Weld County Commissioner are unanimously supporting House Bill 25-1074, which also be reviewed by the Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources Committee. House Bill 25-1074 reads, “Colorado’s cage-free egg law is driving up prices at a time when families can least afford it; with inflation pushing grocery bills to record high amounts, forcing producers to shift to expensive cage-free systems only adds to the financial strain on consumers.” According to the Department of Agriculture, Weld County is
the largest producer of poultry and eggs in the state. It is home to 43 egg-poultry facilities, three of which are extensive commercial facilities that provide eggs across the country. The Colorado Egg Producers Association estimates that the cost of producing cage-free eggs is roughly 16%-18% higher than the cost of producing eggs in a caged environment due in part to the labor involved, the cost of reconstructing hen houses, and the potential spread of illnesses in a larger environment. Cage free or bird flu?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows egg prices increased
WESTMINSTER VOICES: PAGE 6 | CULTURE: PAGE 8 | BRIEFS: PAGE 12
39.6% between September 2023 and 2024, which was the largest increase of any food tracked. Since January 2022, the average national cost of a dozen eggs rose 75% from $1.92 to $3.37 in October 2024, peaking at $4.82 in January 2023. As of December 2024, a dozen large white eggs at a grocery store cost $5.49. Olga Robak, director of communications for the Colorado Department of Agriculture said Colorado’s cage free law was not the most significant factor, saying the H5N1 Avian flu was a bigger factor. SEE EGG LAWS, P10
Colorado has long been a pioneer in school choice, offering families various educational options, including public, charter, private and magnet schools, as well as open enrollment across district boundaries since 1994. According to the Reason Foundation, data from the Colorado Department of Education showed that more than 199,000 students, 28% of those enrolled in traditional public schools statewide, used open enrollment during the 202324 school year. While National School Choice Week, which was celebrated this year from Jan. 26 – Feb. 1, showcased these opportunities, it also raised questions among some policy advocates about the equity of access to these options. Director of the National Education Policy Center Kevin Welner, explained that while school choice was initially designed to decouple educational opportunities from residential zip codes, meaning that where you lived no longer had to define the quality of your education, that doesn’t always play out in practice. “Unconstrained school choice programs… often add a layer of stratification on top of the existing residential stratification,” Welner said. “Parents with more social capital or SEE SCHOOL CHOICE, P13
2025
VOTING STARTS
MARCH 1!
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