Measure puts growers on firm ground

Holmquist-sponsored bill preserves potato growers' right to elect majority of commissioners

MOSES LAKE — The ground the state's potatoes are planted in is a little more solid.

The House of Representatives approved a measure Tuesday securing the role of the Washington State Potato Commission, including the right of producers to elect nine of its 15 commissioners. The vote was 95-2.

Co-sponsored by Rep. Janea Holmquist, R-Moses Lake, Substitute House Bill 1608 reestablishes the WSPC in a new section of law and specifies its duties.

"There was a question of whether or not we could still elect our commissioners, meaning whether commissioners should be elected by growers," explained WSPC Executive Director Pat Boss. "We wanted to clarify that issue and make sure that in the future, growers could still elect the commissioners on the Potato Commission."

Holmquist said that the WSPC, formed in 1956, has been a useful tool for growers to promote their own products, including trade, grading and standardization of potatoes.

"One of the reasons it was so important to get (the bill) through this session is some current legal battles going on that are going to have repercussions on all commissions in Washington state," Holmquist said. "Our ability to get this measure through this session is vitally important to protect the integrity of the Potato Commission."

Those legal battles include a change under a different statute that would affect commissions' ability to advertise their products.

Boss explained that, as was previously changed with regards to generic advertising after the Washington State Apple Commission faced legal complications for similar advertising, advertising has to be based on fact and science and not "wild statements" or subjective messages.

The House bill eliminates generic advertising from the Potato Commission's statute.

"Frankly, it's our old statutes with some minor revisions," Boss said of the bill.

In addition, "we wanted to be able to protect the ability of potato growers to elect the majority of their own commissioners," Holmquist said, adding that a decision by the Department of Agriculture director to give the director the authority to elect all commissioners is akin to a school board being elected by those in Olympia rather than elected locally, she said as an example.

Under the bill, 15 commissioners would continue to serve. Nine would be elected by producers. Five would be appointed by the elected commissioners. One would be appointed by the director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

Commission duties specified in the bill include prevention or elimination of unfair trade and regulatory barriers and practices, research studies, information on production, irrigation, processing, export and use of potatoes.

An assessment of 4 cents per hundredweight of potatoes would still be collected from growers.

The new law would exclude the authority to engage in marketing or advertising programs.

The measure now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

"It's a huge win for our local area, our local economy and our local growers," Holmquist said of the bill. "I was really glad to see that it got almost unanimous support off of the House floor. It's going to help promote the general welfare of the state."