BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 735|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 735
Author: Assembly Agriculture Committee
Amended: 4/21/09 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE : 5-0, 7/7/09
AYES: Florez, Maldonado, Hancock, Hollingsworth, Pavley
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 5/11/09 (Consent) - See last page
for vote
SUBJECT : California Wheat Commission
SOURCE : California Wheat Commission
DIGEST : This bill makes various changes to the
California Wheat Commission including the restructuring of
its membership, requiring a two-thirds vote and the
Secretarys concurrence to change the number of districts,
and providing that a quorum shall be a majority of the
commissioners.
ANALYSIS : The California Wheat Commission was
established by a referendum vote of wheat growers in 1983,
expressly to develop and maintain domestic and
international markets for California wheat and support
research that improves California wheat quality and
marketability. The Commission has a board of 15 wheat
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farmers and two handlers, each with an alternate member,
and one public member. Each of the 15 wheat farmers comes
from one of the 15 districts across the state. The
Commission may change the boundaries of the 15 districts
with a two-thirds vote of the commissioners. A quorum of
the Commission board requires 10 voting commissioners.
The Commission may implement an assessment on the wheat
industry producers, not to exceed one percent of the total
gross dollar value of the year's sale of wheat by all
producers and handlers.
This bill:
1. Consolidates the current 15 producer districts into 13
districts.
2. Changes the Commission board from 15 to 13 producer
members, one from each district, adds two at-large
members, and maintains two handler members and one
public member.
3. Defines "at-large member" as a person with knowledge,
expertise, and interest in wheat production, handling,
and research and deemed by the Department of Food and
Agriculture to be of value to the Commission.
4. Authorizes the Commission to change the number of
producer districts with a two-thirds vote of the
Commission board.
5. Changes the quorum from 10 voting members to a majority
of voting members.
Comments
Proponents state the changes to the California Wheat
Commission in this bill reflect the changes in California's
wheat industry. Wheat production in counties like
Sacramento and El Dorado has dropped by as much as 60
percent due to development activities in those areas.
Changing the Commission's geographical requirements allows
it to better reflect the current California wheat industry.
Further, proponents state that the Commission has
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historically struggled to keep a quorum of 10 members.
Changing it to a majority of the Commission will allow
smooth operation.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 7/20/09)
California Wheat Commission (source)
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield,
Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,
DeVore, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong,
Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu,
Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning,
Nava, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel
Perez, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva,
Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson,
Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, Bass
NO VOTE RECORDED: Duvall, Yamada
TSM:mw 7/20/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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