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Workers inside the nation’s top agricultural state are in line for more overtime pay under a bill passed this week. On Monday, Lawmakers in Sacramento sent legislation to Governor Jerry Brown mandating overtime pay after eight hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. Under current law, California employers must pay time-and-a-half to farm laborers after they work 10 hours in a day or 60 hours in a week. State Sen. Kevin de Leon, D - Los Angeles, CA: “Today colleagues, we have the opportunity here in California to erase the inequality over agricultural OT laws that was born out shameful racism.” California’s bill is the first of its kind and would end the 80-year-old exemption field hands have from wage rules. Farms with fewer than 25 workers would have six years to begin the rate change, double the time period for larger operations. Business groups, like the California Farm Bureau Federation, said the provisions will further burden owners dealing with the ongoing water crisis and expanded regulations. The Western Growers Association called the bill “short-sighted policy.” Other opponents, mostly Republican legislators, cited farm work is inherently seasonal and shouldn’t be subjected to the same rules as traditional labor. The United Farm Workers are backing the legislation. However, some supporters contend the OT pay will prompt bosses to hire more workers to avoid doling out the extra income. State Sen. Jeff Stone – R, Temecula, CA: “Many have talked about tearing out labor intensive crops. I spoke with a table grape grower in the county and said if this bill passes and signed into law, that they will pull out all the table grapes and they will plant crops like carrots that can be harvested and packaged by machines.” Most farmers have yet to be sold on the plan, but workers believe threats to leave the Golden State are muted because, as one farm laborer put it, “they can’t take the dirt with them.” An estimated 829,000 people work on California farms – many going beyond harvesting fruits and vegetables. Those employed by dairies and livestock facilities, along with irrigators and equipment operators, stand to benefit the most as much of the seasonal harvesting force picks for less than eight hours a day. Governor Brown has yet to indicate if he’ll sign the landmark legislation. For Market to Market, I’m Paul Yeager.