Senators Dean Florez and Darrell Steinberg are high on their soapboxes this week, slamming Governor Schwarzenegger for not signing SB 1121, a bill that would have extended the state’s overtime labor laws to California farmworkers, who currently do not fall squarely under the standard system due to the seasonal nature of their work.
As Schwarzenegger spelled out in his veto message, Florez’s bill would have been bad for both businesses and farmworkers. Since other states do not have these wage requirements, the businesses here in California would just have made more crews work shorter shifts, which would have resulted in lower pay for everyone. And let’s also recognize that California, unlike other states, currently does provide for overtime benefits for farmworkers once they hit 10 hour days or 60 hour weeks.
According to Florez and Steinberg (or more likely the flacks who write their press releases), the Governor’s decision was an act of “sid[ing] with the shameful” or maintaining “discrimination.” Yet before these two finish crucifying Arnold, they should save a few nails for themselves.
That’s right, as this 1999 L.A. Times article shows, the Legislature passed the state’s current overtime regulations into law while specifically exempting “agricultural workers.”
Voting “Aye”? You guessed it, Florez and Steinberg. (See vote here.)
Just like every Republican legislator was correct in refusing to vote for this bad legislation, Governor Schwarzenegger did the right thing by terminating it with his veto pen.
A LOT of bad bills like this will rain down on Governor Schwarzenegger as the last legislative session during his tenure comes to a close. Hopefully this veto is a sign of a lot more to come!
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