Governor Scott Walker has signed a Wisconsin Farm Bureau-backed bill that allows farmers additional time to operate at increased weight limits during the fall harvest. Senate Bill 509, authored by State Senator Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon), changes the start date for the weight exemption from September 1 to August 1. It passed both houses of the Legislature in February and was signed into law on March 1. This legislation is now formally known as Act 235.
Certain agricultural vehicles are now allowed to exceed weight limits, without a permit, by 15 percent between August 1 and December 31 of each year. Commonly referred to as the ‘fall harvest exemption,’ it allows farmers to transport larger loads of harvested crops from the field to the farm or storage facilities during crucial harvest times.
“The Wisconsin Farm Bureau wishes to thank Senator Petrowski for hearing the concerns of farmers who grow early-maturing crops like potatoes, peas and beans,” said Rob Richard, WFBF’s Senior Director of Governmental Relations. “For those farmers who need to get their crops off the fields in August, this law change can make their harvest more efficient.”
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