Committee preserves wage parity for goat and sheep herders as part of trailer‑bill package

The committee advanced AB 187, a labor trailer bill that keeps an alternative minimum wage carve‑out for goat and sheep herders through January 1, 2029 — a provision supporters said is essential to preserve grazing operations used for wildfire mitigation.

Senator Blake Spear thanked colleagues for protecting the provision and warned of potential operational collapse if herders could not be employed: “A goat herder would make more than what the governor makes. And the grazing operations in California threatened to shut down completely,” he said, arguing that the short extension preserves critical grazing services used to reduce wildfire risk. Agricultural groups and grazing associations testified in support of the language. The committee voted to pass AB 187 and reported it to the Senate floor.