Last updated: July 12, 2026
The federal Farm Bill is now moving through the Senate after passing in the House of Representatives at the end of April. Many of our supporters contacted their legislators and made their voices heard to oppose the dangerous “Save Our Bacon” (SOB) Act, which would overturn hundreds of state-level animal protection laws. Unfortunately, the version of the bill passed by the House includes the SOB Act and will allow Congress to consider the SOB Act for inclusion when they write a compromise Farm Bill later this year.
Minnesota is now one of the most important states in the fight against the SOB Act because our senator, Amy Klobuchar, is the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and will play a leadership role in shaping the Senate’s version of the Farm Bill. Minnesota Senator Tina Smith is also on the committee and will make important contributions to the bill’s final shape, and Senator Klobuchar and Representative Angie Craig will sit on the committee that negotiates the compromise version of the House and Senate Farm Bills. Thanks to advocates like you, the Senate’s draft Farm Bill does not include the SOB Act—but we need to keep our voices heard to make sure it’s not added later on.
It’s more important than ever to speak up and make sure the Farm Bill doesn’t contain any version of the “Save Our Bacon” Act. The good news is that it’s super easy to make a difference. Read below and we’ll show you how.
What Is the Farm Bill?
The Farm Bill is a huge omnibus bill that passes through Congress roughly every five years. It is a package deal that covers a wide range of issues in food and agricultural policy, including farm subsidies, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), crop insurance, rural development, and more. The House version of this year’s Farm Bill also contains the SOB Act, which would undo protections for farmed animals across the country, including in Minnesota. If enacted, it would have serious consequences for animals, people, and communities.
Why Minnesota’s Voice Is So Important
Minnesota has already made meaningful progress for animals this past year. Advocates in our community have advanced protections for dogs and cats from puppy mills, and Hennepin County continues work on its plant-based-by-default policy for county events.
But at the federal level, those kinds of hard-won protections are under threat.
Both of Minnesota’s Senators serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee, which is now negotiating its version of the Farm Bill. Senator Klobuchar is the committee’s ranking member and sets the tone for Senate Democrats’ priorities as they “mark up” (or amend) the bill in committee and on the full Senate floor.
After the Senate version of the Farm Bill is passed, the House and Senate bills will go to a special body called a conference committee, which decides what the final version of the bill is going to look like. As ranking member of the Senator Agriculture Committee, Senator Klobuchar will lead Senate Democrats on the conference committee. Representative Craig, also from Minnesota, is the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee and will lead House Democrats on the conference committee. That means two of the four leadership positions will be held by lawmakers from Minnesota.
This gives Minnesota a powerful role in stopping the SOB Act from moving forward. It also means that we need to focus our messaging on Minnesota’s interests, like local control, public health, and the farm economy, to have the greatest impact on our representatives.
What Is the Save Our Bacon Act?
The “Save Our Bacon” (SOB) Act is a proposal backed by Big Pork lobbyists that would wipe out hundreds of state laws regulating the sale of animal products within states’ own borders. Legal experts at Harvard Law School have warned that it would invalidate more than 600 state laws nationwide, affecting protections for farmed animals as well as laws related to food safety, animal diseases, and public health.
On its own, this proposal would face fierce opposition from animal advocates, independent family farmers, public health experts, state and local governments, and supporters of states’ rights across the political spectrum. Instead of giving the SOB Act its own up-or-down vote, Big Pork lobbyists are trying to slip it into the Farm Bill—a piece of legislation that Congress is under enormous pressure to pass—while blocking efforts to remove it.
For farmed animals, the stakes could not be higher. The SOB Act is primarily targeted at California’s Proposition 12, which voters overwhelmingly approved in 2018 to stop the sale of pork, eggs, and veal from animals raised in extreme confinement.
Today, Proposition 12 is widely regarded as one of the strongest animal protection laws in the world, and it has already improved conditions for millions of farmed animals. The SOB Act would undo that progress and prevent states from passing similar protections in the future.
How You Can Make a Difference
This may all sound scary, but it’s also reason for action. When all of us make our voices heard, we can create change.
The most important thing you can do for animals right now is call and email Senator Klobuchar, Senator Smith, and Representative Craig to let them know you oppose any version of the “Save Our Bacon” Act in the Farm Bill and you want them to keep fighting and make a public statement that the SOB Act is an unacceptable “poison pill” for Farm Bill negotiations.
Call Your Representatives
Calling your Congressional representatives is easier than you think! When you call, you’ll likely either talk with a staffer or be prompted to leave a message. Calls from constituents are logged, and lawmakers listen to what their constituents want. Phone calls are among the most effective ways to make your voice heard. Call these numbers to get in touch with our representatives’ offices:
- Senator Amy Klobuchar: 202-224-3244
- Senator Tina Smith: 202-224-5641
- Representative Angie Craig: 202-225-2271
Email Your Representatives
Maybe making calls isn’t your style. Or maybe you’ve already tried calling and the voicemail box is full. Sending an email is the next best thing. Share your opinions in writing and send them off to these links:
What to Say When You Call or Email
Contacting your representatives can be intimidating—but it doesn’t have to be! When you call or email, please personalize your message to fit your own personality and what you’d like to say. To make it even easier, we’ve provided a sample script below.
Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m a constituent from [CITY/ZIP].
I’m calling to thank Senator [NAME] for opposing the “Save Our Bacon” Act in the Farm Bill, and asking her to oppose any version of it from being included in the final Farm Bill, and make a public statement to that effect.
The Save Our Bacon Act would override hundreds of state and local laws—including at least a dozen Minnesota laws protecting against animal diseases.Minnesota voters should have the right to set our own standards that protect farmers, animals, and public health. Congress should not strip that authority away from us.
[For Klobuchar only] As someone running to be the next Governor of Minnesota, it’s critical that you protect Minnesota’s ability to make its own laws.
Please keep working to keep any version of the Save Our Bacon Act out of the Farm Bill and let your colleagues know that it’s a poison pill for negotiations. Thank you.
More Ways You Can Help
If you’ve already called or emailed, thank you for making your voice heard! You can contact your representatives as often as daily about any issue you care about—so call or email again. And again. Every call and email is another voice for animals and our community!
Here are more ways to be involved:
- Are you a family farmer or connected to someone who is? Contact us
- Are you a public health expert or connected to one? Contact us
Together, we are making life better for farmed animals. Stay tuned for more action alerts and join us at an event soon. Our community is strong and we are so grateful for all the ways you show up!
