Date decided 1970 | ||
Full case name Loren J. Pike v. Bruce Church, Inc. Citations 397 U.S. 137 (more)
397 U.S. 137 Majority Stewart, joined by Unanimous People also search for City of Philadelphia v. New Jersey | ||
Pike v. Bruce Church, Inc., 397 U.S. 137 (1970), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that power of states to pass laws interfering with interstate commerce is limited when the law poses an undue burden on businesses.
Contents
Background
An Arizona statute required that Arizona-grown cantaloupes advertise their state of origin on each package. Church was an Arizona grower of high quality cantaloupes. Instead of packing them in Arizona, it transported them to nearby California facilities, where they were not labeled as grown in Arizona.
Arizona issued an order prohibiting Church from shipping uncrated cantaloupes from the Arizona ranch, and requiring that the cantaloupes be packed in Arizona and identified as coming from an Arizona packer. This would have cost Church $200,000 to pack a $700,000 crop.
Opinion of the Court
State statutes that have a negative effect on interstate commerce are unconstitutional under the Dormant Commerce Clause. Justice Stewart used a balancing test.
Applying this test to the Arizona statute, the court found it imposed too great of a burden to justify its benefits.