This new year has brought along many choices and laws that have impacted those living in America. Consumers are still struggling with the cost of living pressures and the housing market. Adding to that problem is the changing prices of everyday household expenses. Specifically in Kansas, the rising cost of groceries has had a big impact, especially when it comes to the prices of eggs.

     There are plenty of reasons as to why eggs have gotten so much more expensive over the first few weeks of this year. Some of these reasons include egg shortages, labor shortages, labor costs and a few other factors.

     When it comes to the egg shortages, an Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak, also known as the bird flu, has affected egg and poultry production, meaning that there is less available to the market. When there is less on the market but a lot of demand for the product, the price ends up increasing because the people’s demand outlasts the supply.

     When it comes to labor shortages, there have been less and less workers on farms since the start of this year. This is due to the mass deportations set in place by President Donald Trump. With there being less workers to collect the eggs from the hens, the entire process gets delayed, which then affects the overall supply. Moreover, there has also been a shortage of truck delivery workers that transport the eggs from the farms to the retail stores. This goes hand in hand with labor costs. The people that Trump has been deporting have been working for a cheaper wage. However, now that a lot of these workers are gone, the people in America that are left will only work these hard labor jobs for a higher wage that some farms are not willing to pay.

     However, there is one person who has stepped up to try to combat the rising prices on groceries in Kansas. Ever since President Trump backed away from his campaign promise of bringing down grocery prices for Americans, Kansas governor Laura Kelly decided to take action. Kelly has “axed the tax” on most groceries in Kansas, meaning that she has the percentage of taxes on most groceries in Kansas almost zeroed out. Though some grocery stores will still charge a person for the products they are buying, Kelly deserves recognition for helping lower the taxes on the items so that the prices will become a bit cheaper.