10/14/05 Governor`s endorsement of AgJOBS

10/14/05 Governor`s endorsement of AgJOBS

Farm and Ranch October 14, 2005 Governor Christine Gregoire this week announced her support of federal legislation that strengthens protections for farm workers and cuts through red tape for growers. Mike Gempler, Executive Director of the Washington Growers League was on hand for the governor's endorsement of the AgJOBS bill and he says it kind of lights a fire under the proposal and the ideas in it. Gempler; "There has been so much noise about some of the other bills that have been proposed that focus pretty exclusively on enforcement and guest worker programs that aren't really well crafted. And we need to get noise and attention paid to what we believe is the most reasonable and the most politically viable idea out there for immigration reform and her endorsement really does that." Afterall Gempler says Washington is the 3rd highest state in agricultural employment in the U.S. and 40% of all farmer workers in the country work in the three western states. The United Farm Workers also support AgJObs. The American Farm Bureau did, but recently dropped its support because it no longer contains certain reforms. I'm Bob Hoff.
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