04/15/05 Wash Potato Commission bill update

Farm and Ranch April 15, 2005 Legislation creating a separate statute governing the Washington State Potato Commission passed the Senate unanimously last week and was sent back to the House of Representatives for concurrence on some minor amendments made to the bill. Pat Boss, executive director of the Potato Commission, says once the House does concur it will be on to the governor. Boss: "We would assume, and we shouldn't assume anything, but we would assume that with a 95-2 vote in the House already and a 45-0 in the Senate that the governor would sign it. Having said that though, the Department of Ag has some concerns and I know the Attorney General's office has been communicating with the governor's office and the Department of Ag. In the end we are hopeful that the bill will be signed." Boss says the legislation, Substitute House Bill 1608 does essentially two things. Boss: "And really the bill is designed to better protect the Commission from commercial speech liability. Secondly, it also preserves the Commission's ability to elect their commissioners." Boss says the bill greatly lowers the State's exposure to potential law suits over the commercial speech issue, like the challenge to the national beef checkoff, by eliminating the Potato Commission's authority to do generic advertising. Under the bill producers would have the right to elect nine of the Commission's 15 commissioners. Elected commissioners would appoint five more and the state ag director would appoint one commissioner. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today. Good health tomorrow. I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.