Court Opinion

ID: 9661201
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 22:32:06.589856+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:26.226617
License: Public Domain

FRED M. TAYLOR, District Judge
(dissenting):
The majority of this three-judge court have concluded that Chapter 150, Oregon Laws 1965 is in violation of the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution.
Under the facts of this case and the authorities relied on, as I understand them, I am unable to agree with the majority.
The Act in question was enacted under and pursuant to the police power of the State of Oregon with the intent and for the purpose of protecting the consuming-purchasing public against deception. The evidence reveals that the principal objection to the enforcement of the law is the apprehension on the part of the retailers of meat that the public would become aware of the fact that they are selling foreign or imported meat together with domestic meat which might result in loss of business. It is clear that by not divulging the true facts, the retailers are now pawning off to the consumer foreign meat, imported in a frozen state, as domestic meat. It is my opinion that under its police power the State of Oregon not only has the right but the duty to protect its citizens from such deception.
I do not believe the evidence is sufficient to justify the holding that the enforcement of this Act would unreasonably burden interstate or foreign commerce so as to violate the Commerce Clause of the Constitution of the United States.