Relief for Farmers and Apple Growers in H.B 1912 and H.B 1597

New legislation introduced in Washington's House of Representatives would allow farmers an exemption under the Climate Commitment Act.

13th District Rep. Tom Dent says H.B. 1912 would provide much needed financial relief for farmers using fuel to harvest their crop in Washington.

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"These are the folks that take care of us," Representative Dent said. "Farmer's and ranchers are the orignial environmentalists and we should remember that."

Former Governor Jay Inslee signed the Climate Committment Act in 2021 with the intention of lowering carbon emissions in the state.

In other agriculture news, the Labor and Workplace Standards Committee did not allow a public hearing on Rep. Dent's H.B. 1597, which would authorize agricultural employers to select 12 weeks a year to employ a special overtime requirement period.

This would raise the requirement for overtime to go into effect from 40-hours per week tp 50-hours per week.

Rep. Dent says both agricultural employers and workers desire this change.

"Our producers, especially in the orchard country, they get into harvest and they have hundreds of people out there working and that overtime is a huge expense for them," Rep. Dent said. "Our commodity prices are so low that it's just not working... they lose money to pick the crop."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates there are between 40,000 to 50,000 apple farm workers in the state of Washington.

Washington apple growers are responsible for 10 to 12 billion apples harvested each year.

Rep. Dent appeared on the KPQ Legislative Hotline which you can hear Thursday and Friday Mornings at 8 o'clock throughout the legislative session.