A legal battle is brewing between New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams over the contentious issue of foie gras, a luxury food product derived from duck liver.
The dispute centers on animal rights concerns, as the production of this delicacy involves force-feeding ducks at specialized farms located outside the city.
The Adams administration has been attempting to implement a ban on foie gras, a move that has been met with resistance from Hochul's state Department of Agriculture and Markets, which has instructed the city not to enforce the ban. The ban was initially signed by former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2019 and was set to come into effect in November 2022.
Supporters of the state's intervention argue that the city's authorities are overstepping their bounds by effectively attempting to shut down farms located approximately 100 miles from the city. On the other hand, proponents of the ban contend that NYC should have the autonomy to regulate itself, as reported by Politico.
The city officials scored their first victory earlier this month when a county judge overturned the state's order prohibiting the enforcement of the ban. However, those opposing the ban have filed an appeal against this decision.
Voters for Animal Rights (VAR), a lobbying group that played a key role in persuading the city to pass the initial ban, accuses state officials of deliberately prolonging the legal process. They argue that this allows existing farms to continue supplying foie gras while the litigation is ongoing.
Bryan Pease, the lawyer representing VAR, told Politico, "They just want to drag this out as long as possible to keep profiting for as long as possible. Theyre not going to be able to maintain this completely frivolous position that they have that they can strike down laws wherever they want, just because it might have some indirect upstream effect on a farm somewhere in Upstate New York. If that was the case, then you couldnt ban anything."
Fox News Digital's request for a comment from Governor Hochul's office has yet to receive a response.
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