State Association Works Toward Immigration Reform

The Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association has been working with several other business and agricultural organizations on a coalition to help change the tone of the immigration discussion in Minnesota.  MNLA Executive Director Bob Fitch said there is a long ways to go – but good progress has been made so far, including: 

• The state’s most powerful business organization – the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce – is taking an active leadership role.
• The other coalition members represent a broad spectrum of important Minnesota industries: restaurants, hotels, resorts, dairy farmers and other livestock producers, meat processors, food processors, and, of course, nursery, greenhouse and landscape.
• The coalition is going to hold joint meetings with Minnesota’s entire Congressional delegation to try to show them that “business has their back” when the next round of debate on comprehensive reform begins.
• The business coalition has held several meetings with social justice advocacy groups, finding common ground with them on several key principals without either group having to endorse the other’s complete agenda.  Several of the advocacy groups stepped up to lobby Congressman Ellison prior to the recent hearing on H-2B.
• The coalition has already spoken with a common voice on the governor’s e-verify rule and is prepared to counter-attack if some legislators introduce Minnesota-specific immigration employer-sanctions amendments. 
• Finally, the coalition will be presenting a series of town hall meetings for the members of all of our organizations to meet together. These meetings will be a chance for members to gather information and learn how to talk to colleagues, friends, relatives and the media about the reality of the need for guestworker programs and an immigration system that work.