Assemblyman Chris Tague (R,C,I-Schoharie) today slammed Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon for her decision to lower the farm laborer overtime threshold from 60 hours to 40. With this decision, you will see more and more staple products imported from other states and countries. This will make already high food prices rise even further as experts predict a 40-50% increase from what the prices are currently. For months, Tague has joined farmers, farm workers, advocates and his fellow lawmakers in opposing the threshold’s reduction. Now, farmers will have to pay 40% more in labor costs after further regulation.

“Today is a dark day for this state. In an already-faltering economy, Commissioner Reardon and downstate liberals added crippling restrictions that will force hundreds of family farms out of business. This decision will hurt our farms, our farm workers and our rural economies and jeopardizes the continued existence of farming as we know it here in New York state.

“This decision is not supported by the main stakeholders involved; farmers and farm laborers, and out-of-touch politicians are the reason the economy continues to flounder. We need new leaders who will fight for the backbone of this state and country; the hardworking farmers who continue to put food on all of our tables,” said Tague.