Brief Fact Summary. A California avocado oil law differed from a Federal avocado law. Florida Lime and Avocado Farmers sued because of the stricter California law precluded them from the Florida markets.
Synopsis of Rule of Law. When a state and federal law exist with different standards, as long as they can coexist, the Supreme Court of the United States (Supreme Court) will not decide which one preempts the other one.
Congressional regulation of one end of the stream of commerce does not, ipso facto, oust all state regulation at the other end.
View Full Point of LawIssue. When a state statute is different than a federal statute, which should apply?
Held. It does not matter because the two laws can co-exist.
Discussion. There is no need to look into Congressional intent if “compliance with both federal and state regulations is a physical impossibility for one engaged in interstate commerce.” There is no present record, which demonstrates an inevitable collision between the two schemes of regulation, despite the dissimilarity of the standards.