Kansas officials oppose proposed federal restrictions on children working on farms

[proud2BlibKansan]

Gov. Sam Brownback, Attorney General Derek Schmidt and other Kansas officials said Thursday proposed federal restrictions aimed at increasing safety for children working on farms go too far.

“The learning opportunities provided by working in agriculture are second to none,” Brownback said. “Spending time on a farm or ranch teaches young people the value of hard work and instills in them a respect for land and animals,” he said.

Schmidt said, “This proposed regulation is a one-size-fits-all bureaucratic assault on rural culture. If this had been the law when I was a kid working on my grandpa’s farm, a formative part of my childhood would have been illegal.”

The officials were criticizing a move by the U.S. Department of Labor to update child labor regulations in agriculture.

more . . . http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/dec/01/kansas-officials-oppose-proposed-federal-restricti/