Beef Checkoff                                ...

Beef Checkoff                                                                           

Supreme Court Upholds The Beef Checkoff

By a comfortable 6-3 margin the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today (May 23) that the Beef Checkoff program is constitutional. The court rejected the argument of the program’s detractors that the checkoff violated the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and found that “because the beef checkoff funds the Government’s own speech, it is not susceptible to a First Amendment compelled-subsidy challenge.”

“We’re delighted that the Supreme Court has upheld the Beef Checkoff,” commented President & CEO Philip Seng. “For many years it has given cattlemen an opportunity to expand their international markets for beef. It is especially important at a time like this, when several significant beef markets remain closed, that checkoff dollars are available to help rebuild a market worth more than $3.8 billion.”

The beef checkoff was created by Congress by the 1985 Farm Bill and approved by 79 percent of U.S. beef producers in a 1988 referendum. The $1-per-head collected on all cattle sold goes toward beef promotion, research and consumer education.

Beef Checkoff                                                                           

Supreme Court Upholds The Beef Checkoff

By a comfortable 6-3 margin the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today (May 23) that the Beef Checkoff program is constitutional. The court rejected the argument of the program’s detractors that the checkoff violated the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and found that “because the beef checkoff funds the Government’s own speech, it is not susceptible to a First Amendment compelled-subsidy challenge.”

“We’re delighted that the Supreme Court has upheld the Beef Checkoff,” commented President & CEO Philip Seng. “For many years it has given cattlemen an opportunity to expand their international markets for beef. It is especially important at a time like this, when several significant beef markets remain closed, that checkoff dollars are available to help rebuild a market worth more than $3.8 billion.”

The beef checkoff was created by Congress by the 1985 Farm Bill and approved by 79 percent of U.S. beef producers in a 1988 referendum. The $1-per-head collected on all cattle sold goes toward beef promotion, research and consumer education.