Chris Christie's pig dilemma

A piece of New Jersey legislation that affects pig farming normally wouldn't mean much to the state's governor - but it does when that governor might begin his 2016 presidential bid in the state that produces the most pork in the nation.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie must decide by this December whether he will sign legislation to ban pig farmers in his state from using gestation crates, very small metal cages that prevent pigs from turning around, according to the Associated Press. The bill has strong bipartisan support in the New Jersey legislature, but faces strong opposition from farmers and politicians in Iowa, which holds the first caucus for presidential candidates.

"I called him to tell him how bad I thought it would be and how the people that are involved in pork production, that really understand this, feel this would be very bad," Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, told the Associated Press. "I just think, unfortunately New Jersey's a state that doesn't raise a lot of hogs. There's a lot of misinformation."

He said the crates actually prevent baby pigs from being crushed to death by older ones that fall over.

Branstad is an influential figure in Iowa politics, and Christie was among the many politicians who flocked to his large birthday party and fundraiser in October.

But he's not the only person lobbying Christie on the bill. The Humane Society has recruited letters from celebrities including Danny DeVito, Bob Barker and Bill Maher to convince Christie that Iowa voters would laud him for not signing the bill into law. They also argue that the practice is cruel to animals and doesn't actually protect unborn piglets.

"It's time the pork industry join the 21st century and end this cruel and archaic practice of immobilizing pigs for their whole lives. The New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association supports this bill, and polling shows that so do 93 perecnt of New Jerseyans. Gov. Christie should do the right thing and prevent this abhorrent animal abuse," said Paul Shapiro, the vice president for farm animal protection at The Humane Society.

Christie decided to veto an earlier version of the bill last year, saying in his signing statement that it was best left up to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.