Need for Legislative Day Participation Crucial: PLANET

The Professional Landcare Network's Legislative Day on the Hill, July 15–17, is even more crucial for the industry now that the Senate rejected the immigration bill, the organization says.

The vote was 53-46 against the motion for cloture for the comprehensive immigration bill - 14 votes short of the 60 votes needed. After the failed cloture motion, the bill was then pulled from consideration. It could be brought back to the floor at a later date, but the prospect of the legislation being resurrected in the near future seems unlikely after today’s vote.

PLANET will continue to be involved with comprehensive immigration reform efforts because of the significant impact of state and local laws and enforcement efforts on the industry. Immediate efforts, however, must now turn to promoting an H-2B fix similar to the repeat-worker exemption that Congress has passed for the past few years, PLANET says. The Sept. 30, 2007, expiration of the exemption is fast approaching. Efforts to pass an H-2B fix such as that provided in the Save Our Small and Seasonal Business Act of 2007 (S. 988 and H.R. 1843) may receive more scrutiny this year because of all of the media attention surrounding the comprehensive debate.

The best chance of addressing the looming cap problem is to better educate Congress on the significant negative impact of the repeat-worker expiration on your business and the local community. It is important to have our collective voices heard on July 17. Make a difference by attending Legislative Day.

If you have extenuating circumstances and cannot attend on July 17, PLANET urges you to call your Congressmen and Senators on that day to support the green industry and your own business on issues of health care, H-2B, and a Congressional Water Caucus to help on water issues.

For more information, please contact Tom Delaney, PLANET’s director of government affairs at 800/395-2522 or tomdelaney@landcarenetwork.org.