FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Kentucky lawmaker believes there is something the state can do to bring down egg prices for Kentucky families.
Rep. Savannah Maddox is championing a bill, House Bill 365, aimed at increasing access to locally produced eggs and reducing costs for consumers.
Currently, state regulations limit local producers to selling a maximum of 60 dozen eggs per week directly to customers. Maddox’s proposal seeks to raise that limit to 240 dozen, allowing agribusinesses to respond more effectively to market demand.
“It’s simple economics: the more eggs that you have on the market, the more that prices will decrease,” Maddox said. “If there is a greater supply of a product to meet the demand, that will cause prices to go down. But also, it’s expanding access. Kentuckians will have access to more eggs that they previously would not have had access to as a result of this regulation.”
With many Kentuckians feeling the pinch in their wallets as they shop for groceries, Maddox expressed that the public's reaction to her proposal has been overwhelmingly positive.
“I have had an 'egg-cellent' response across the Commonwealth among folks who are astonished at what they're seeing whenever they go to purchase eggs and the prices they're paying,” she said.
Maddox also emphasized that her legislation aligns with federal guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“No aspect of this legislation or any of the other bills I have filed to deregulate agriculture interfere with the USDA's guidelines,” she said. “So, why are we being more strict at the state level than even the federal government requires? It's a good question, and it’s one that we need to answer by passing this legislation.”
