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Dairy leader supports state worker visa legislation

A dairy leader is optimistic about new legislation that has been introduced which would allow states to create their own worker visa programs.

The bill, introduced by Wisconsin Senator and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, would let states manage their own immigrant workforce.  Johnson says, “This piece of legislation is targeted on making sure that American businesses have the labor they need to compete effectively throughout the world and is premised on the fact that the federal government is not capable of coming up with a one-size-fits-all that addresses all of the specific issues in individual states.”

American Dairy Coalition CEO Laurie Fischer says she supports the bill.  Fischer tells Brownfield existing visa programs don’t help the year-round need for dairy workers.  “Those jobs are going unfilled and we’re not able to understand where our workforce is going to come from.”

American Farm Bureau Federation’s Paul Schlegel says he is still evaluating the Johnson bill.  “We welcome any member, Senator Feinstein, Senator Johnson, who wants to grapple with our issues and that’s important.  The question of whether or not a state can put in for visas, I’m not sure we have really evaluated how workable that is.  I don’t want to say we’d be against it, but I can’t say off-hand that we can say that it would work.”

A companion bill is expected to be introduced in the House by Colorado Republican Congressman Ken Buck.