STATEMENT: Farm Workers Lawsuit; Ortt Stands Up For Our Farms

State Senator Rob Ortt (R,C,I-North Tonawanda) today issued the following statement regarding the lawsuit filed by New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) against Gov. Cuomo and the state.

“This lawsuit is nothing more than politically-driven theater from New York City radicals. Anyone who knows anything about farming, or about New York State north of the Bronx or East of Queens, knows how vital agriculture is to our economy and to our communities. And, they know a measure such as this would be the final nail in the coffin for many of our small family farms and result in dramatic price increases for nearly all of our foods. Efforts to apply certain labor practices from other industries to the agriculture industry ignores the realities facing our farms. We have a very short growing season in New York with many specific crops that demand intensive labor or specific skill sets. Our farms aren’t giant corporations, they’re universally small family operations that require flexibility. They already face one of the nation’s worst tax and regulatory climates and yet they persist because farming is in their blood and it’s in their hearts. It’d be a shame if our Governor and our state turned our backs on them to appease the swelling influence of liberal New York City interest groups.”