Section 78302 Of Article 8. Continuation Or Suspension And Termination From California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 22. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 21. >> Article 8.
78302
. (a) Upon a finding by a two-thirds vote of the membership of
the commission that the operation of this chapter has not tended to
effectuate its declared purposes, the commission may recommend to the
secretary that the operation of this chapter be suspended. However,
any suspension shall not become effective until the expiration of the
current marketing year.
(b) The secretary shall, upon receipt of the recommendation, or
may, after a public hearing to review a petition filed with the
secretary requesting a suspension signed by not less than 20 percent
of the producers by number who produced not less than 20 percent of
the volume of asparagus in the immediately preceding marketing year,
hold a referendum among the producers to determine if the operations
of the commission shall be suspended. However, the secretary shall
not hold a referendum as a result of the petition unless the
petitioner shows, by a preponderance of evidence, that the operation
of this chapter has not tended to effectuate its declared purposes.
(c) The secretary shall establish a referendum period that shall
not be less than 10 days nor more than 60 days in duration. The
secretary may prescribe additional procedures necessary to conduct
the referendum. At the close of the established referendum period,
the secretary shall tabulate the ballots filed during the period. The
secretary shall suspend the operation of this chapter if the
secretary finds that at least 40 percent of the total number of
producers from the list established by the secretary have
participated in the referendum and either one of the following has
occurred:
(1) Sixty-five percent or more of the producers who voted in the
referendum voted in favor of suspension, and the producers so voting
marketed a majority of the total quantity of asparagus in the
preceding marketing year by all of the producers who voted in the
referendum.
(2) A majority of the producers who voted in the referendum voted
in favor of suspension, and the producers so voting marketed 65
percent or more of the total quantity of asparagus in the preceding
marketing year by all of the producers who voted in the referendum.