Senators shoot at Checkoffs in farm legislation

by | Jun 28, 2018 | 5 Ag Stories, News

Commodity groups with a national checkoff are concerned about a bill discussed on the Senate floor on Wednesday afternoon. The bill would drastically limit who could perform work paid for by checkoff monies. The measure, promoted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is being sponsored by Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

A group that is urging Senators to not support the “Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act” is the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Radio Oklahoma Ag Network farm director Ron Hays talked with Colin Woodall about the bill (S. 741).

Woodall says the issue raised by the bill has no basis in fact – that multiple audits done through the years show that no checkoff money handled by the NCBA, the largest contractor for the Beef Board, has been used for lobbying issues.

AUDIO: Colin Woodall, National Cattlemen?s Beef Association