The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association has joined over 140 farm, ranch and business groups backing Senate legislation to reform commodity checkoff programs. S.3201 introduced in the Senate would stop commodity checkoff program abuses. Stockgrowers President and Mud Butte Rancher Bill Kluck says the measure calls for an audit of checkoffs every five years.

He says it’s important checkoff programs be transparent and above board.

Kluck says the legislation would make checkoffs voluntary. He’s expecting some opposition to the measure from NCBA and other groups as it moves through Congress.

Kluck says the legislation also calls for enforcement of the prohibition of conflicts of interest in contracting and all other decision making operations of checkoff programs.