NEWS

Agribusiness Give 80% More Money to Republicans Voting No on SB 1121

Emily Calhoun | June 04, 2010

June 4, 2010 - On Thursday, the California State Senate voted 23-12 to end an exemption for agriculture employers from overtime wage laws. In a strictly party-line vote, all Democrats voted to give farmworkers the right to overtime pay, while all Republicans voted to maintain the 69-year-old exemption. The opposition - a wide range of agriculture industry associations and the Chamber of Commerce - gave 80% more money to the Senators that voted in their interest than to Senators who voted to end the exemption.

Over the last four years, the 12 Senate Republicans voting No on SB 1121 received an average of $9,632 in campaign contributions from the opposition, 80% more than the average $5,339 received by the 23 Senate Dems voting Yes.

Opposing organization Contributions
CALIFORNIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE$73,597
WESTERN UNITED DAIRYMEN$57,650
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF WINEGRAPE GROWERS$29,538
CALIFORNIA GRAIN & FEED ASSOCIATION$20,954
AGRICULTURAL COUNCIL OF CALIFORNIA$19,350
CALIFORNIA SEED ASSOCIATION$17,750
CALIFORNIA CITRUS MUTUAL$16,600
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF NURSERIES & GARDEN CENTERS$10,750
CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION$9,100
FAMILY WINEMAKERS OF CALIFORNIA$3,441
VENTURA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION$2,500
ALLIED GRAPE GROWERS$1,730
CALIFORNIA STATE FLORAL ASSOCIATION$500