1.   Dairy farmers are protected through federally enforced regional compacts.

2.   Sixteen Southern states, including Texas, Florida and Georgia, would also be authorized to create a separate regional compact.

3.   The extension bill would also permit the establishment of regional compacts in other parts of the country that want to emulate New England.

4.   The governors of nine Southeastern states have already signed laws clearing the way for formation of a regional dairy compact.

5.   The fight pitted the Northeast against the Midwest, where there is widespread opposition to the regional compacts.