Supreme Court to Hear Beef Checkoff Case  The final Supreme
Court ruling is expected in the first half of 2005. Compiled by
staff  Published on: May 24, 2004  The U.S. Supreme Court today
released its decision to hear an appeal of an 8th Circuit
Appellate Court ruling that found the federal Beef Promotion and
Research Act in violation of the First Amendment. The decision
to hear the case will allow the beef checkoff program to
continue business as usual throughout the proceedings.  "This
decision was expected," says Bob Rolston, an Englewood, Colo.,
cattleman and chairman of the Federation of State Beef Councils
Division of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA).
"Throughout the lengthy litigation process, we anticipated that
the decision would ultimately be made by the U.S. Supreme Court.
What's more, we believe in the merits of the beef checkoff and
are confident that it eventually will prevail."  Thirty state
attorneys general, along with Puerto Rico, asked the Supreme
Court to hear the case and