184A.1A  Referendum conducted to establish an Iowa turkey marketing council and impose an assessment.
  1.  The department shall call and conduct a referendum upon the department’s receipt of a petition which is signed by at least twenty eligible voters requesting a referendum to determine whether to establish an Iowa turkey marketing council as provided in section 184A.1B and impose an assessment as provided in section 184A.2. In order to be an eligible voter under this section, a petitioner must be a qualified producer. The referendum shall be conducted by election within sixty days following receipt of the petition. The petitioners shall guarantee payment of the cost of the referendum by providing evidence of financial security as required by the department.
  2.  The department shall give notice of the referendum on the question whether to establish a council and to impose an assessment by publishing the notice for a period of not less than five days in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the state, and for a similar period in other newspapers as prescribed by the department. The notice shall state the voting places, period of time for voting, the manner of voting, the amount of the assessment, and other information deemed necessary by the department. A referendum shall not be commenced until five days after the last date of publication.
  3.  a.  Each eligible voter who signs a statement certifying that the eligible voter is a qualified producer shall be an eligible voter under this section. An eligible voter is entitled to cast one vote in each referendum conducted under this section. The department may conduct the referendum by mail, electronic means, or a general meeting of eligible voters.
  b.  At the close of the referendum, the department shall count and tabulate the ballots cast.
  (1)  If a majority of eligible voters who vote in the referendum approve establishing the council and imposing an assessment, a council shall be established, and an assessment shall be imposed commencing not more than sixty days following the referendum as determined by the council. The council and assessment shall continue for five years as provided in section 184A.12.
  (2)  If a majority of eligible voters who vote in the referendum do not approve establishing the council and imposing the assessment, the council shall not be established and an assessment shall not be imposed until another referendum is held under this section and a majority of the eligible voters voting approve establishing a council and imposing the assessment. If a referendum should fail, another referendum shall not be held within one hundred eighty days from the date of the last referendum.
  4.  Within thirty days after approval at the referendum to establish a council and to impose an assessment, the department shall organize the council as provided in section 184A.1B.
99 Acts, ch 158, §2, 18, 19; 2000 Acts, ch 1058, §22
Referred to in §184A.1, 184A.2, 184A.12, 184A.12A