Baucus: families, Not Feds Should Decide Farm Chores

Senator Max Baucus is urging the Department of Labor to stop the proposed expansion of labor rules that would adversely affect Montana farming and ranching families. In a letter to Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Baucus outlined the real world challenges additional regulations would impose on family farms.  He also reiterated his call to make sure that any regulation that impacts rural families must be designed with their needs in mind. Baucus says "I support efforts to protect the health and safety of workers and children, but this proposed rule-making would result in uncertainty and over-regulation, and would unjustifiably intervene in family decisions.  I cannot support unnecessary regulations on family farmers. "

Baucus successfully pressed the Department of Labor to extend comment period on the proposed rule-making from November 1, 2011 to December 1, 2011 in recognition of the busy harvest season.

Text of letter below and available online HERE.