The North Dakota House of Representatives voted against a bill to make the $1 paid to the state Beef Commission voluntary for local producers.
Producers can request a refund for the state checkoff dollars by filling out a form within 60 days of payment and remit the form with the appropriate additional paperwork required. Rep. Dennis Johnson (R-Devils Lake), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said when the checkoff program was approved in 2015, language was put in the bill for producers to get a refund.
Rep. Sebastian Ertelt (R-Lisbon), the bill’s sponsor, argued that the checkoff is another tax for producers from a non-elected board. The Bismarck Tribune reported lawmakers said changes need to be made in the future.
