The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to preside over legal challenges to laws in California and Massachusetts requiring larger living areas for some farm animals.
A total of 15 states led by Missouri and Indiana had asked the court to accept original jurisdiction over the lawsuits.
President Donald Trump's administration had urged it not to do so. It said the dispute over interstate commerce was best suited for a district court.
The lawsuit against California targeted a law barring the sale of eggs from hens that are not raised in cages large enough for them to stretch out. The other suit challenged a Massachusetts law requiring all eggs sold there to come from cage-free hens by 2022. That law also bars tight cages for pigs and calves.
Associated Press