Supreme Court Rejects R-CALF Lawsuit

The Supreme Court this week denied R-CALF’s lawsuit against 13 state beef councils and the Beef Checkoff. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says the ruling effectively ends “yet another R-CALF attack on the Beef Checkoff and prevents the activist attorneys at Public Justice, from further diverting Checkoff and beef industry resources.” NCBA intervened in the lawsuit in its early days to help defend state beef councils from R-CALF, “who falsely attacked state beef councils.” NCBA says multiple court decisions rejected these allegations and reaffirmed the work and direction of the Beef Checkoff and those who guide it. NCBA CEO Colin Woodall says, “The Supreme Court’s rejection of R-CALF’s petition confirms the Beef Checkoff, and its overseers, are adhering to the letter and spirit of the laws that protect and guide producer investments in the program.” In the lawsuit, R-Calf claimed state beef checkoff organizations are private corporations and use half of the beef checkoff collection to fund private speech.