My father raised Black Angus cattle for quite a few years, and while I was quite young when he hung up his spurs – literally, as the Old Man maintained that the best way to move a herd of cattle was on horseback – I never got over my love for a thick, delicious Black Angus steak.

But I’m also a big believer in liberty and individual choice. So when I saw that Texas had become the 7th state to outlaw lab-raised meat, I was of two minds on the matter.

Texas will become the seventh state to ban the production and sale of lab-grown meat in September.

Florida was the first, followed by Alabama last year. This year, five more states, including Texas, followed.

They did so after the Trump administration took the opposite approach. In 2019, the first Trump administration was the first in U.S. history to begin the process to authorize lab-grown chicken, seafood and beef in the U.S.

In 2023, under former President Joe Biden, the U.S. became the second country in the world to approve the production and sale of lab-grown meat.

This is an issue that’s properly handled in the states. The Constitution nowhere allows the federal government to approve or disapprove of any foods, but candidly, that ship has sailed. The Biden administration, in particular, not only didn’t abide by the Constitution, but most of them probably never read it.

Texas, though, it’s as concerned about food safety as they are about ranchers, and given that this is Texas, that’s understandable.

“The introduction of lab-grown meat could disrupt traditional livestock markets, affecting rural economies and family farms,” Perry’s bill analysis states. “There are concerns over transparency in labeling, risk of contamination, and the long-term health impacts of consuming cell-cultured products.” The measure prohibits the production and sale of cell-cultured protein products in Texas “to protect consumers and support traditional agriculture.”

Well, traditional agriculture is good, although I suspect that lab-grown meats would, in any case, be only a very small niche market product for lefty virtue-signalers. Remember the old joke about how you know if there’s a vegan at your party? He’ll tell you.