California drives national regulation of natural resources. Vivid example from Washington Post editorial on why you need an advocacy voice:
“California was the first state to crack down on tailpipe emissions and the first to establish a comprehensive in-state greenhouse gas program. Now it is positioning itself as a national leader on animal rights — if, that is, its move to give hens more cage room survives a legal attack from other states. Unfortunately, California’s legal case isn’t as strong as its moral one.
“Congress could and should step in to establish more humane farming rules, or at least to grandfather California’s law. Federal lawmakers did something similar for the state’s tailpipe emissions program when they passed the Clean Air Act. “
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/californias-egg-law-faces-an-uphill-legal-fight–unless-congress-steps-in/2014/03/11/4a6933b2-a89c-11e3-b61e-8051b8b52d06_story.html