Washington Farm Bureau Asking Farmers To Voice Up on H2-A Legislation

Tuesday afternoon, The Senate Way and Means Committee in Olympia will discuss Senate Bill 5438.  The proposal would given the Employment Security Department the authority to create independent rules when it comes fee increases and uses associated with the H2-A program.

Bre Elsey with the Washington Farm Bureau said it is bad policy to allow those who are not elected this much control over the people’s every days lives, and she worries it is a removal of check and balances.  She adds since the proposal was first introduced in December, ESD has been very vague how additional fees would be used, or exactly from where they would come.

“They throw out terms that can’t really be tied to specific figures, like, they say ‘we would like to offer support’ what does that mean?  ‘we would like to have educational opportunities’ well, how much does that cost and what does that mean?  We think purposefully they’ve made it difficult to track what is their need, versus kind of what is their wish.”

Elsey noted farmers that used the H2-A program already pay a federal fee, so requiring a state fee would be a duplicate fee.  She noted some may question why they should get involved, especially since this rule would only impact 170 farms across Washington.

“If the [H2-A] program becomes to cost prohibitive to use, then all of the farmers will be scrambling around to compete for the workers that are available and what we know is, that is woefully under supplied.  So, many farmers will really lose when it happens because they’ll have no choice but to compete with each other.”

Elsey said they are asking all farmers, even those that don’t currently used the H2-A program, to contact Olympia and share their thoughts on how this legislation will impact the state’s Ag economy.  The Legislation will go before the Senate Way and Means Committee Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

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