Who Will Feed The Cows?

By Kevin Rogers, President of the Arizona Farm Bureau I am a farmer and I have employees. I make every effort to follow federal hiring laws. I do all of the paperwork, request the information I am supposed to and am careful to avoid those questions that are discriminatory. It is complicated and we have a proliferation of fraudulent documents as well as too many different documents that can be presented. It is a legal tight rope that I walk between fair hiring practices and discriminatory practices. HB2779 currently on the Governor's desk could put me out of business if I "knowingly" hire a worker who is not work authorized. The same thing can happen to my family farm if I don't discharge a worker, after hiring, and have "constructive knowledge" that they are illegal. I am a farmer not a lawyer. There are no new tools in this legislation that help me verify the legal status of employees. The federal verification system found in HB2779 that I am required to use is not accurate, does not identify fraud and will not be able to handle the work load of all the Arizona employers required to access it. If we want employers to police our immigration laws, government must provide adequate tools to do the job. If they do not, the words "knowingly" and "constructive knowledge" will not let me sleep at night. Difference of opinion and interpretation of these legal terms can shut my farm down for 10 days on the first offense and permanently on the second offense. How does a padlocked farm feed the animals and harvest crops? This bill goes well beyond agriculture in its impact. There are no exceptions for employers providing essential services. This bill can close hospitals, clinics, schools, utility providers and emergency government services. It has no provision to protect legal workers when a business is shut down and they loose their jobs. All legislation should focus on a problem. Good legislation takes an accounting of the consequences of a proposed solution before it is enacted into law. In our frustration to do something about illegal immigration, HB2779 has written a check on an account that has insufficient resources to cover the consequences that will be felt by the public, employees and employers. Reputable employers do not oppose employer sanctions. Let's go back to the drawing board and craft something that works. The Governor should veto HB2779. Kevin Rogers Mesa Farmer President, Arizona Farm Bureau kevinrogers@azfb.org About Arizona Farm Bureau The Arizona Farm Bureau is a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving and improving the Agriculture industry through member involvement in education, political activities, programs and services. As a member services organization, individuals can become a member by contacting the Farm Bureau. For information on member benefits call 480.635.3606. For more information about the Arizona Farm Bureau go to www.azfb.org.