Court Strikes Down Beef Promotion Effort
A federal appeals court struck down as unconstitutional a beef industry program that collects funds from cattle sales, raising money for such promotional efforts as the “Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner” television ads.
The ruling by the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a South Dakota district court finding that beef program was unconstitutional on 1st Amendment grounds.
The appeals court said the program was identical to a mushroom program that the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled against.
Many small farmers have said that the programs favor large corporate producers. But the Bush administration and the livestock industry contend that the promotional arrangements help boost consumer demand.
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