Agricultural needs

KREM news recently focused on Washington State’s immigration and agricultural needs by asking the two Congressional candidates, Lisa Brown and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, their views on the subject.

Last October, an Agriculture Guest-Worker Act was introduced in the House of Representatives (HR 4092), but there has been little action since its introduction. Washington State is the third-largest agricultural state of our fifty states, and the Washington State Farm Bill committee said Washington state is in its the fifth year of a severe recession in farm country, with no end in sight.

Jobs are getting harder to fill. McMorris Rodgers stated the Guest-Worker Act would allow 80,000-100,000 people to have work; however, since there is no Act, we currently have a mere 5,000 to 8,000 workers.

No representative from Washington State sits on the House Agricultural Committee, but McMorris Rodgers looked into the camera and told us it was a “big priority” and that she is “a part of a group that is focused on making sure we get a workable agricultural program.” No policy, no action, just words from our representative.

Lisa Brown, candidate for the House of Representatives, shared her ideas for helping our state that included the continuation of temporary workers programs, giving people paths to becoming legal citizens, and working to embrace them as part of our communities, not a segregated group.

We desperately need leadership and action for our state. Lisa Brown desires to get things done in Washington, D.C.

--Pat Bates, Clarkston