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House clears bill allowing Alabama Cotton Commission to raise checkoff up to $1.30 per bale
Summary
HB352, sponsored by Representative Crawford, passed the House to permit the Alabama Cotton Commission to increase the per‑bale checkoff up to $1.30 (from $1.00) following a referendum; supporters said higher revenue will fund research and promotion.
House Bill 352 passed the House to update the Alabama Cotton Commission's checkoff authority, allowing the commission to set a per‑bale checkoff up to $1.30, up from a long‑standing $1.00 rate, subject to the commission's decision and periodic referenda.
Representative Crawford said the Alabama Cotton Commission, established in 1982, conducts research and promotion and periodically offers a referendum on the checkoff. "The cotton board wanted to be able to look at the price of cotton and things like that and determine if they could raise that check off. It's been a dollar a bail. This would give them the opportunity to go up to a dollar 30, bail," Crawford said on the House floor.
Representative Hall (Madison) said her district has both urban and rural areas and noted that she had a commission member in her district (Mike Tate of Tate Farms) who serves on the board and would be part of annual decisions. Crawford said the board would determine the checkoff amount each year and that the increase would fund research and promotion at a time when costs have risen.
The House adopted the bill's BR and then passed HB352 on final passage in recorded roll calls cited on the floor. The clerk recorded adoption and final passage with unanimous votes in the transcript.
