Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) recently expressed his displeasure with Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon’s decision to lower the farm overtime threshold from 60 to 40 hours. With inflation and minimum wage set to rise again, this decision could force hundreds of farms out of business in the very near future.

“This decision is going to have grave consequences for all New Yorkers because without farms, our state has no food,” Hawley said. “Farmers provide one of the most important services to our state and many of our farmers and farm laborers rely on the current 60-hour overtime threshold to ensure profits. Farmers face challenges unlike any other business and that last thing Albany should be doing from their ivory towers is telling our local farmers how to run their businesses. I will continue to lead the charge toward overturning this terrible ruling to protect our local agriculture operations.”