“With New Yorkers already struggling to afford groceries and gas with the rising costs of inflation, it is unfathomable that non-elected bureaucrats at the Farm Labor Wage Board are going to make it harder and more expensive to feed a family in our state. This ill-conceived plan to lower the overtime threshold for farm workers not only hurts New York households, but cripples our small family farms and agricultural industry as it drives-up costs and will make it more difficult to secure and retain much needed labor as these workers currently understand that their work is seasonal and unpredictable due to weather and want to farm as much as possible during the planting and harvest times. Now, these workers will just move on to other states to work. Sadly, this decision is just another example on how Albany seems intent on pushing everyone out of our state with burdensome mandates. I implore state Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon and Governor Kathy Hochul to reject this recommendation.”