R-CALF wins a legal round against beef checkoff

A U.S. magistrate judge recommended that the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana grant R-CALF USA’s request for a preliminary injunction in a case involving the beef checkoff.  The injunction would stop USDA from continuing to allow the Montana State Beef Council to use checkoff dollars to fund its advertising campaigns unless a cattle producer provides prior affirmative consent that his/her checkoff dollars may be retained by the council for that purpose.The ruling relates to a lawsuit R-CALF filed against the national beef checkoff program in May.