AED Organizes Successful Lobby Day in New York to Fight Right to Repair Legislation

May 08, 2025

Schaumburg, Ill. – On April 29, Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) hosted a Lobby Day at the State Capitol in Albany, New York, to educate lawmakers about the impact the Farm Equipment Fair Repair Act (S5771/A6601) will have on the state’s equipment dealers.

Several agriculture companies participated in 36 meetings with members of the New York State Assembly and Senate, and the Governor’s Office.

Participants delivered the message that the Farm Equipment Fair Repair Act is unnecessary and intrusive and threatens safety and the environment. An AED coordinated letter signed by 22 dealers operating in New York detailing the equipment industry’s serious concerns with legislation is available here.

“Thank you to all the equipment dealers that joined AED in Albany to battle against this misguided legislative proposal,” said AED’s Government Affairs Manager Jonathon Porter. “It was powerful to have both agriculture and construction equipment dealers united against this unnecessary legislation that is truly a solution in search of problem.”

AED is leading the charge advocating and organizing equipment dealers against detrimental right to repair proposals across the United States and Canada, and New York is just the latest example of our efforts.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.