NYS Food Recovery and Recycling Act
12/19/2017
“Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and hungry”
Pope Francis
Poor People’s Campaign for Moral Revival
12/19/2017
Wage Theft on the Rise
12/19/2017
Wage theft is epidemic, and low-wage workers are more likely than others to be victims. Wage theft happens when, for example, employers refuse to pay promised wages or pay employees for only some of the hours worked. A new EPI report finds that at least $2 billion in stolen wages were recovered for workers in 2015 and 2016. But the report notes that the wages recovered represent only a fraction of total wages stolen from workers—the authors estimate that low-wage workers in the United States lost more than $50 billion to all forms of wage theft in 2016.
NYS Budget Includes Farm To Food Bank Bill
08/08/2017
The Farm to Food Bank bill gives tax credits of up to $5,000 to New York farmers who donate fresh produce to emergency food programs. Executive Director of Hunger Action Network of New York state Susan Zimet has been working to get the bill included.
Wage Theft Legislation – see you in January 2018
06/27/2017
ALBANY – A wage theft law is on the books in New York State, but there is an effort to close a loophole that allows guilty businesses to hide assets and avoid paying what is owed.
Susan Zimet of Greene County, executive director of the Hunger Action Network of New York State, is lobbying to have to close that loophole in the next several days.
“We are trying to do what is called the ‘SWEAT’ legislation, which is ‘Securing Wages Earned Against Theft’ to basically put a lien on the business at the very beginning of the lawsuit so the assets can’t be moved around and if somebody wins, they can end up actually getting the back wages,” she said.
The measure passed in the Assembly last year and Zimet expects it to be approved again this year.
She is pushing to have the bill, which is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by John Bonacic (R, Mt. Hope), approved before lawmakers adjourn in about one week
Legislation would allow leftover school food to donated to emergency feeding programs
06/27/2017
| Seen in: Mid-Hudson News | ||
| ALBANY – Legislation that would create guidelines for school districts to donate unused food to food pantries, soup kitchens and other community organizations is on its way to the governor’s desk.
The proposal would authorize the state education department to establish guidelines for districts to voluntarily offer unused food to those organizations and Susan Zimet, executive director of the Hunger Action Network of New York State, hailed the effort to make sure children’s bellies are full. “Those that are hungry and in need of the food will be able to get this food and eat this food,” Zimet said. “Many of the kids that would probably have eaten in their own school will now be able to eat the meal at the local soup kitchen or food pantry without having to go without eating.” The legislation has been before state lawmakers for eight years. “Allowing schools to donate unused food from cafeterias presents a great opportunity to help feed those in need,” said State Senator Jeffrey Klein (D, Bronx), a sponsor of the measure. “This legislation is a common sense solution to do just that while at the same time preventing food from going to waste.” Zimet also noted the bill also benefits the environment as food waste decomposing in landfills contributes 90 percent of landfill methane emissions, a greenhouse gas 25 times […] |
Cuts to SNAP spell danger
When gas prices ticked up in 2008, the lines at the food pantries he supplies through the Albany-based Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York were out the door. And then came the Great Recession and even longer lines. Now Quandt has his radar on standby for a new thunderhead approaching: Trump administration budget cuts for food stamps amounting to $193 billion over 10 years.
FARM TO FOOD BANK BILL ADVOCATES PRAISE LEGISLATURE, GOVERNOR, FOR INCLUDING FARM TO FOOD BANK TAX CREDIT IN NYS FY 2017-2018 FINAL BUDGET
04/10/2017
NY Farmers Who Donate Farm-Fresh Produce to Emergency Food Programs Serving 2.7 Million Food-Insecure New Yorkers Now Eligible for Tax Credit
Statewide Coalition of Anti-Hunger, Agricultural, and Environmental Organizations Win 2-Year Fight to Incentivize Farmers to Donate More Food
ALBANY, NY ─ After being passed unanimously by the Legislature in 2015 and 2016 but twice vetoed by Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Farm to Food Bank bill has finally become reality.
Thanks to the efforts of bill sponsors Senator Rich Funke and Assemblymember Francisco Moya, along with the support of their colleagues Assemblymembers Marcos Crespo and Philip Palmesano and Senators Pat Ritchie and Tom O’Mara – and backed by the relentless force of a tenacious statewide coalition — the Farm to Food Bank tax credit was included in the 2017-2018 Final Budget.
“I’m proud the new state budget will make our Farm to Food Bank program a reality and help farmers move even more fresh produce to those in need. By extending a modest credit to help farmers cover the cost of processing and transporting excess produce, we will simultaneously put more food into the emergency food stream and reduce unnecessary waste in landfills along the way. I thank Assemblyman Moya, our partners in government, and advocates from across the state for helping us to secure this win-win for at-risk families,” said Senator Rich Funke.
“I’m proud to announce that the […]
COALITION ASKS GOVERNOR CUOMO TO FUND FARM TO FOOD BANK BILL
03/22/2017
Contact: Steve Ammerman, New York Farm Bureau Manager of Public Affairs
518-431-5643 (office) 518-573-3617 (cell), sammerman@nyfb.org
COALITION ASKS GOVERNOR CUOMO TO FUND FARM TO FOOD BANK BILL
The bill would encourage greater donations of fresh, local food to New Yorkers in need across the state
A broad coalition of New York legislators, farmers, anti-hunger and environmental advocates asked Governor Cuomo today to step up to the dinner plate and fund the Farm to Food Bank bill (S.1606/A.6192) in the final New York State budget. The group held a joint press conference on the bill at the Capitol in Albany. The bipartisan legislation, which has tremendous support in the legislature, would provide a refundable tax credit to farmers of 25% of the wholesale value of donated food up to $5,000 annually. The money would partially offset the costs of labor, packaging and transportation needed to get fresh food from the fields to regional food banks and pantries across the state to benefit New Yorkers in need.
The legislation has twice passed both chambers of the legislature, led by the bill’s sponsors, Senator Funke and Assemblyman Moya, only to see it vetoed by the Governor. While he expressed support for the intent of the bill, the Governor’s main objection was that it was passed outside of the budget process. This year, the bill has once again passed the Senate in a bipartisan fashion, and it was included in both […]
Without Cuomo support, NY farmers push food bank credit in budget
03/22/2017
Story by:
Featured in: The Times Union
Despite alleged and recurring pushback from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the New York Farm Bureau said Tuesday it hopes a long-sought, twice-vetoed tax credit for food donations will pass with the state budget next month.
The Farm to Food Bank credit would give farmers an exemption of 25 percent of the cost of donations to food banks and emergency food programs, up to $5,000. Previous versions of the bill had been vetoed as recently as November by Cuomo, who said at the time the bill would duplicate tax benefits already offered to farmers for their donations. Further, he said last year amid a 70-bill veto session, it “is nearly impossible to establish an accurate value for donated food,” and recommended that the bill be passed during budget sessions.
The credit goes into the April 1 deadline for the at-large state budget with support from both chambers of the Legislature for the first time. If passed, it would give significant monetary help to New York farmers, who last year donated a combined 13.2 million pounds of food — the second highest amount for any state in the country — according to the American Farm Bureau. But a state Farm Bureau official said Tuesday the credit is still being opposed by Cuomo for non-disclosed reasons.
“I’m not entirely sure why the […]
GOP unveils Obamacare replacement amid sharp party divide
03/06/2017
House GOP leaders have also yet to release the official budget score that details the cost of the plan and how many people could lose insurance, a huge issue for moderates who fear blowback in their swing districts.
House GOP leaders have also yet to release the official budget score that details the cost of the plan and how many people could lose insurance, a huge issue for moderates who fear blowback in their swing districts.
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