Prices are climbing, shelves are thinning, and families are feeling the squeeze. It’s been a rough couple of years at the grocery store, with inflation hitting everything from milk to meat. And now, as we approach the New Year, it seems things might get worse before they get better.

Some states are enacting new policies that could further disrupt the supply chain and make basic items even more expensive. You’d think lawmakers would focus on lowering costs and easing burdens, but instead, they’re doubling down on rules that could leave shelves empty and wallets emptier.

As usual, the ripple effects of these decisions will hit middle-class families the hardest. Just as many are finally catching their breath, another storm is brewing—and the consequences could be seen as soon as next month.

If you thought your grocery bill couldn’t get any higher, think again. Indeed, Michigan bureaucrats are about to make your breakfast even more expensive. Starting December 31st, a sweeping government mandate will force most egg producers to completely overhaul their operations – and guess who’s paying the price?

The Latest Government Overreach

The latest example of heavy-handed regulation requires virtually all eggs sold in Michigan to come from cage-free facilities, a move that industry experts warn will send prices soaring even higher than their current record levels. Because apparently, bureaucrats know better than farmers how to raise chickens.

“Our producers have certainly incurred significant costs preparing for this change in barns and equipment,” admits Nancy Barr, executive director of Michigan Allied Poultry Industries. Those mounting costs are already being passed directly to consumers, with egg prices jumping a staggering 55% in November alone.

The mandate, pushed through by state lawmakers in 2019, requires all shell eggs from chickens, ducks, and other fowl to be produced in cage-free housing systems. While small farms with fewer than 3,000 hens are exempt, the regulation creates crushing new requirements for major producers who supply most of Michigan’s eggs.

Under the new rules, producers must completely restructure their facilities to provide specific amounts of floor space, scratch areas, and dust bathing zones – expensive modifications that industry analysts estimate will increase production costs by 8% to 19%.

The Real Cost to Families

Remember when eggs were affordable? Those days are ending thanks to government-knows-best policies. Wholesale egg prices have already skyrocketed nearly 55% this November, with grocery store prices for a dozen eggs hitting $3.65 – up dramatically from $2.14 just a year ago. The mandate threatens to push those prices even higher.

Local restaurants are bracing for impact. Jeff Lobdell, who runs 22 restaurants in western and northern Michigan, reports spending over half a million dollars annually on eggs for his breakfast-focused establishments.

“It is going to make it more expensive for us to produce breakfast when we have a higher cost,” Lobdell warned.

The mandate’s ripple effects extend beyond just prices. Michigan ranks as America’s seventh-largest egg-producing state, and industry experts worry the new requirements could force some producers out of business entirely. October egg production has already plummeted 34% compared to last year, with 31% fewer laying birds in the state.

Making matters worse, the mandate comes as producers battle a devastating outbreak of bird flu that has already decimated flocks nationwide. Rather than allowing farmers to focus on protecting their birds and maintaining production, regulators are forcing costly facility upgrades that threaten to further destabilize supply.

The Coming Crisis

Research from Michigan State University suggests many consumers will simply stop buying eggs altogether if prices continue climbing. The study found that forced transitions to cage-free systems could increase the number of families dropping eggs from their grocery lists by 20 percentage points.

Michigan joins approximately a dozen other states implementing similar heavy-handed regulations on egg producers. Meanwhile, neighboring states like Ohio have taken a more measured approach, allowing existing operations to continue while only applying new standards to new facilities.

As families struggle to put food on the table and small businesses fight to stay afloat, Michigan’s cage-free mandate serves as a warning about the real costs of government overreach. When bureaucrats in Lansing meddle with farming practices they know little about, it’s everyday Americans who end up paying the price – one expensive egg at a time.

The question remains: how many more basic staples will fall victim to costly regulations before voters say enough is enough? For Michigan’s hardworking families, the answer needs to come as soon as possible.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Michigan’s cage-free mandate could increase egg production costs by up to 19%, hitting family budgets hard.
• Government overreach forces costly upgrades while producers battle the bird flu crisis.
• Research shows that 20% of families may stop buying eggs altogether due to rising prices.
• Similar regulations are spreading to other states, which threaten America’s food security.

Sources: Fox Business, MLive, Toledo Blade