05/24/05 A timely decision for Wash Beef Comm.

05/24/05 A timely decision for Wash Beef Comm.

Washington Ag May 24, 2005 The outcome and the timing of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision yesterday upholding the constitutionality of the national Beef Check Off is working out well for the Washington State Beef Commission. Cattle producer and Beef Commission chairman Tom Beechinor, says the Commission had a meeting scheduled today to finalize a budget for the new fiscal year starting June 1st. Beechinor: "We have had a lot of uncertainty on how to put this all together and do a lot of what if's and this will make that job a whole lot easier." That's because even though Washington has its own state checkoff, Beechinor says no state alone has the funding and resources to develop the TV and radio advertising and other promotional materials, but relies upon the national program. And now that the Supreme Court has said the Beef Checkoff's advertising campaign is a form of government speech and immune to First Amendment challenge; Beechinor: "We just think this is going to give us the ability to go ahead and move forward and do some of those good things we have been able to do in the past and work to help the safety and wholesomeness of our beef supply." Beechinor says they believe the national Check Off program has had a large effect on the demand for beef which is up 25 percent since 1998. I'm Bob Hoff.
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