Proposed honey regulation panel

This is from the Federal Register, describing a proposal to create a U.S Honey Producer Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Order. It's about halfway down the page. The plan is up for referendum among qualified honey producers.
This is where to go to examine the referendum procedures.
Here is the release from American Bee Journal news source:

WASHINGTON D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that it will conduct a referendum May 17 to June 4, 2010, for eligible producers of U.S. honey to determine whether a new national U.S Honey Producer Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Order should be established.

The program will be implemented if approved by a majority of producers voting who also represent a majority of the volume of U.S. honey produced during the representative period. To be eligible to vote in the referendum, producers must have produced 100,000 or more pounds of honey from Jan. 1, 2008 through Dec. 31, 2008.

If implemented, the program would be administered by a seven-member board and its alternates – from seven regions – who will be responsible for carrying out activities intended to strengthen the position of the U.S. honey industry in the marketplace. In addition, the board will work to develop, maintain and expand domestic markets for U.S. honey.

The national coordinated generic program would be financed by a mandatory assessment of two cents per pound paid by U.S. honey producers; a U.S. producer who produces less than 100,000 pounds would be exempt from paying assessments.

The proposed order, referendum order, and referendum procedures for the program were published in the April 12, 2010, Federal Register, and posted on the Internet at http://www.ams.usda.gov/FVPromotion and http://www.regulations.gov.

Wisconsin sets honey standards

Gov. Jim Doyle has signed into law a measure that sets new standards for honey produced in Wisconsin, and allows for voluntary labeling of honey that is certified organic.
Here is The Progressive Mind's take on the matter.
This is the account from the American Bee Journal.
And here is an article from the Kenosha News about one of the beekeepers behind the move.

Illinois considers honey regulations, but ...

While the Illinois Department of Public Health contends that unregulated honey is a health risk, lawmakers are considering a bill to exempt small beekeeping and honey-producing operations in the state, saying that large-scale regulations would hurt small business.