ALBANY, NY (Erie News Now)-- This Saturday will mark this year's world honeybee day. In anticipation, this week some advocates and some New York State lawmakers urge Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign legislation intending to protect pollinators from harmful pesticides known as neonicotinoids or neonics. 

Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, sponsor of the legislation, said addressing the environmental harm caused by these pesticides is long overdue. 

“Our bill would eliminate eighty to ninety percent of neonics from entering New York’s environment by restricting their use in crops,” he said. 

Sen. Hoylman-Sigal added this legislation allows for a phase-in, which would give farmers and seed suppliers time to adjust. 

Some advocates said these pesticides, applied to plants roots or a crops seed, will not only have an impact on pollinators like honeybees but on human health. Dr. Kathleen Nolan, a pediatrician, said neonics are like nicotine compounds. 

“We can’t add nicotine like compounds to our food through using these seeds and have there be no effects,” she said. 

If Gov. Hochul signs this legislation, New York will be one of the first few states in the nation to ban this pesticide.