Commission districts and boundaries.

The commission shall delete, combine, revise, amend, or modify in any manner commission districts and boundaries by regulation as required and in accordance with the intent and provisions of this section. Commission districts established by statute prior to September 8, 1975 shall remain in effect until superseded by such regulations.

     The boundaries of the commission districts shall be maintained in a manner that assures each producer a representation in the commission which is reasonably equal with the representation afforded all other producers by their commission members.

     The commission shall, when requested in accordance with the provisions of the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW as enacted or hereafter amended, or on its own initiative, hold hearings to determine if new boundaries for each commission district should be established in order to afford each producer a reasonably equal representation in the commission, and if the commission so finds it shall change the boundaries of said commission districts to carry out the proper reapportionment of producer representation on the commission: PROVIDED, That the requirement of this section for reasonable equal representation of each producer on the commission need not require an equality of representation when the commission districts east of the crest of the Cascade mountains are compared to the commission districts west of the crest of the Cascade mountains: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the area east of the crest of the Cascade mountains shall comprise not less than two commission districts.

     The commission may in carrying out this reapportionment directive reduce the number of districts presently provided by prior law, whenever it is in the best interest of the producers and if such change would maintain reasonable apportionment for each historical production or marketing area: PROVIDED, That each elected commission member whose district may be consolidated with another district shall be allowed to serve out his or her term of office.

     If the commission fails to carry out its directive as set forth herein for equal representation of each producer on the commission the director of agriculture may upon request by ten producers institute a hearing to determine if there is reasonably equal representation for each producer on the commission. If the director of agriculture finds that such reasonably equal representation is lacking, he or she then shall realign the district boundaries in a manner which will provide proper representation on the commission for each producer.

[2010 c 8 § 6057; 1975 1st ex.s. c 136 § 7.]

Commission districts and boundaries.