Continuance referendum

1. The secretary shall, upon the petition of producers, conduct a continuance referendum to determine whether a state assessment should be renewed. The secretary must receive the petition not less than one hundred fifty and not more than two hundred forty days before the four-year anniversary of a state assessment’s effective date. The petition must be signed within that period by a number of producers equal to or greater than two percent of the number of producers in this state reported in the most recent United States census of agriculture, requesting a referendum to determine whether to continue the state assessment. The referendum shall be conducted not earlier than thirty days before the four-year anniversary date of the state assessment. 2. If the secretary determines that a continuance referendum has passed, the state assessment shall continue in effect for four additional years from the anniversary of its effective date. 3. If the secretary determines that the referendum has not passed, the secretary and the executive committee shall terminate the assessment in an orderly manner as soon as practicable after the determination. Another referendum shall not be held for at least one hundred eighty days from the date that the assessment is terminated. 4. If no valid petition for a continuance referendum is received by the secretary within the time period provided in this section, the state assessment shall continue in effect for four additional years from the anniversary of its effective date.