10/24/05 R-CALF still confident in its court case

American Rancher October 24, 2005 The 9th U.S. Circuite Court of Appeals recently issued an order denying R-CALF USA's petition for a rehearing in the organization's efforts to force the USDA to withdraw its BSE Minimal-Risk Regions rule. That rule, re-established trade with Canada in live cattle under 30 months of age. R-CALF president Leo McDonnell says they are disappointed in that ruling but their original case will continue in the federal district court in Montana. McDonnell: "Basically the appeal process for the temporary injunction is over with. We won't be going any farther in that direction. What we will be doing is going back to district court for a permanent injunction." And McDonnell says that permanent injunction hearing will now be rescheduled in the District Court in Billings before Judge Richard Cebull who ruled in R-CALF's favor on the temporary injunction. McDonnell: "The appeals court was only on the temporary injunction. Obviously they will offer more discretion to a government agency on a temporary injunction than they will a permanent injunction. We may still be setting in a pretty good place on our permanent injunction. So we will see. I think one of the concerns is that we have had cattle rolling down here for nearly two months so that definitely makes it tougher." I'm Bob Hoff.