MOSES LAKE — Senators Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, and Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, will be hosting town hall meeting today to reintroduce a bill to increase the beef checkoff in Washington state.

The bill to increase the beef checkoff to $2.50 from $1.50 failed to pass Feb, 19, before the deadline for legislation to clear at least one chamber. The beef industry wasn’t united behind raising the per-head fee paid by cattle sellers to support the commission and that’s what the senators, who represent the 13th District, want to gather information.

The meeting is from 6 to 8 p.m. at the at the Moses Lake Fire Station.

“It looks like Mr. Dent wants to discuss the topic once again. We are obviously not in favor of it,” said Kent Wright, president of the Northwest Farmer’s Union. “We’d like them not to raise the price per head. We’re hoping they make the effort to reach out to the public and we’re able to voice our concerns.

“I’m a sixth generation cattle producer and we’re not comfortable with the increase and where the money’s going.”

The Cattle Producers of Washington questioned whether it was worth cattlemen sending another $1.1 million to the commission. Stevens County Sen. Brian Dansel said in early February that he heard from hundreds of ranchers opposed to the increase.

The $1 national beef checkoff was set in 1985 and made mandatory in 1998. The Beef Board collected $40.3 million in assessments in 2015. Some 43 states collect an additional amount for state commissions.

“I’m confident if people have the chance to see and hear all the information, they’ll be impressed by what the checkoff is doing now and will want to see it increased,” Washington Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Jack Field said. “I can’t say enough good things about what the checkoff does.”

Several producer groups backed upping the assessment to bolster the commission’s promotion and defense of the beef industry.

Grant County cattlemen have an opportunity to weigh in on the discussion at the Moses Lake Fire Station from 6 to 8 p.m.