Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has expressed opposition to federal proposals that would raise wages for agricultural employers, asserting that such measures could impact Georgia’s farming practices. “We won’t let D.C. dictate how we farm,” he said.
“We won’t let D.C. dictate how we farm here in Georgia – and that includes any attempts to impose ridiculous wage increases on our agricultural employers,” said General Chris Carr.
According to Carr, he has urged Congress to pass the “Supporting Farm Operations Act of 2025,” which aims to reduce labor costs for farmers utilizing the H-2A guest worker program. He said that current federal wage rules have resulted in repeated increases in the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), including a projected 9.5% hike in 2025. The proposed legislation seeks to revert AEWR rates to 2023 levels and freeze them through the end of 2026 to help offset costs for agricultural employers.
“Farmers drive our state’s No. 1 industry and ensuring they’re able to operate efficiently and effectively will always be my top priority. I’m proud to stand with our farm families, and I’ll keep fighting until this problem is fixed, no matter how long it takes,” Carr said.
Carr has also taken additional steps against federal policies he claims affect Georgia agriculture. In recent years, he filed suit to stop a unionization rule for H-2A workers, opposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pollution limits for meat processors, and helped block an expanded federal water rule. He has written to federal officials about wage concerns and assisted in approving disaster relief for farmers and timber producers following Hurricane Helene.
Chris Carr was appointed as Georgia’s attorney general by then-Governor Nathan Deal in 2016 and was re-elected in November 2022. Since taking office, he has focused on addressing issues such as human trafficking, gang activity, and opioid misuse. This includes establishing the state’s first Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Gang Prosecution Unit. Previously, Carr served as the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development under Governor Deal from November 2013 to November 2016.
