Murphy signs infamous pig crate ban in New Jersey that Christie rejected

Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday signed a ban on gestational pig crates that former Gov. Chris Christie infamously vetoed a decade ago, a move that critics — comedian Jon Stewart and iconic singer Cher, among them — called a presidential campaign ploy.

The ban marks a long-fought victory for animal rights advocates. They've sought for more than a decade to outlaw gestational pig crates in New Jersey, though they are not widely used and the Garden State produced just 7,500 pigs in 2022 — well behind the top-ranking Iowa's production of 23 million hogs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Still, supporters heralded Murphy's signature of the crate ban as a victory for the humane treatment of animals.

"The cruel confinement of pigs and calves raised for veal will not be tolerated. The exposure of the conditions farmed animals endure is the only way to change industry standards," Animal Legal Defense Fund legislative affairs manager Brian Hackett said in a statement. “The Animal Legal Defense Fund is happy to see New Jersey join 11 other states that recognize the cruel confinement of these sensitive and highly intelligent animals is wrong and needs to end.”

A coalition led by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Humane Society of the United States has sought for 13 years to ban the use of small crates that confine mother pigs and calves to raise veal.

Few people paid much attention to bills to ban the crates until Christie vetoed them in 2013 and 2014, when he was considering running for president.

But the massive amount of attention on Christie at the time raised the movement's profile, with critics asserting that Christie was trying to appeal to voters in Iowa, the first presidential caucus state. Cher tweeted that Christie was a "despicable bully" and then-Daily Show host Jon Stewart ripped the governor for "kowtowing to a state 1,000 miles away in exchange for...the slimmest chance of political gain."

But Christie accused lawmakers of playing politics and said the bill was a solution in search of a problem. He also pointed out that the state's Agriculture Department found the bill to be unnecessary.

The Agriculture Department and State Board of Agriculture must adopted rules on the confinement, care and treatment of breeding pigs and calves raised for veal within six months. The bill Murphy signed bans the confinement of pigs that limits their ability to "freely move in certain ways and properly groom itself" and "limits visual contact with other calves."

The new law includes certain exemptions, including for medical research, fairs and transportation.

Supporters acknowledged that gestational crates are not common in New Jersey, though it is elsewhere.

“While we are assured the majority of our hog farmers do not use this method of confinement, New Jersey needs to stand with other states and other countries in making sure this uncivilized practice is banned once and for all," said one of the bill's sponsors, state Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth).

One of the driving forces behind the ban in New Jersey was former state Sen. Ray Lesniak, who was well-known for his animal rights advocacy and continued pushing for the ban after leaving office.

“I thank Governor Murphy for signing legislation banning the cruel pig crates which Governor Christie vetoed eight years ago,” Lesniak said in a statement.