SB 5172 Deadline Pt 1

SB 5172 Deadline Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
I’m Bob Larson. With the clock ticking, a couple of changes are critical for SB 5172 in order to protect ag employers from having to pay seasonal overtime and from overtime lawsuits.

Breanne Elsey, with the Washington Farm Bureau, says the bill moved from the Senate to the House with the understanding that discussions about amending it would be forthcoming, but that has not happened so far …

ELSEY … “This bill is not worth moving forward in its current form. So many farms could go out of business and so many farmworkers could lose their jobs. But, unless these critical fixes are made, this bill is more dangerous in its current form alive than dead.”

Besides the seasonality amendment, Elsey says the language needs to be cleaned up…

ELSEY … “This bill was supposed to hold us 100% harmless. But, after looking at the language we don’t feel it does. We don’t feel it actually protects us from agency action or potential litigation.”

All we’re asking, Elsey says is for Dems to honor the deal …

ELSEY … “What we are saying to the Democrats right now, who are really in control of this ship, is that if you’re really going to hold to that deal that we made, we need that critical language amendment where it proves to us that you are honoring the deal we had, and that’s 100% coverage. And, until that happens, this bill is dangerous.”

In order for fixes to be made, Elsey says it’s going to take an Army of voices, so we need everybody’s help right away.

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