Committee advances continuity of Arizona Beef Council and veterinary board for eight years

The committee returned SB 11 98 with a do-pass recommendation after adopting an amendment that continued both the Arizona Beef Council and the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board for eight years.

Senator Tim Dunn, sponsor, said the measure merges two continuations to streamline government and preserve industry-funded checkoff dollars that promote Arizona beef. “Those are beef council dollars…they are actually something that they can do to help promote, American grown beef, Arizona grown beef,” the sponsor said.

Victoria Whitmore, executive director of the Arizona Veterinary Medical Board, testified the board’s statutes date back more than 100 years and that continuation will allow the board to continue its mission to protect Arizona animals. Lauren Maling, executive director of the Arizona Beef Council, described the council’s structure and said $1 per head is collected on bovine sales, with half retained for Arizona programs and half forwarded to the federal program.

Some members objected to combining continuations into one bill and to an eight-year review interval; others said eight years was chosen to reduce audit frequency and cost to the state. After member explanations the chair announced the committee vote as 4 ayes, 3 nays and 1 present and returned SB 11 98 with a do-pass recommendation.