House OKs minimum wage increase to $7.25
The House of Representatives passed a bill to increase the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 over 2 years. The wage would increase in three 70-cent increments over that time. The bill passed 315-116 and must now be passed by the Senate and signed by President Bush. It would be the first time the federal minimum wage has increased since 1997. To pass, the Senate bill will likely also include tax breaks for small businesses. Source: USA Today.
Congress reintroduces AgJOBS in House and Senate
The Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefit and Security Act (AgJOBS) was reintroduced last week by both houses of Congress. The bill would reform the H-2A immigrant ag. labor program and allow undocumented workers to earn citizenship through years of agricultural labor. "Our industry has been at the heart and soul of the AgJOBS effort, and will be a major beneficiary of its reforms when enacted," said Craig Regelbrugge, ANLA sr. dir. of gov't. relations. Senators co-sponsoring the bill are Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Larry Craig, R-Idaho, Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and George Voinovich, R-Ohio. There were 25 co-sponsors in the House.
2006 hottest on record, 2007 could be hotter
A federal agency reported that 2006 was the hottest year in U.S. history. The average annual temperature was 55 degrees F -- more than 2 degrees hotter than the 20th century mean, according to Nat'l. Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin. 2006 was also 0.07 degrees hotter than 1998, the previous hottest year. The average is calculated using a network of 1,200 U.S. weather stations. The British Meteorological Office reports that 2007 is likely to be the hottest year on record globally, topping 1998. Forecasters took into account factors including solar effect, El Niño and greenhouse gas concentrations.
Hot weather stresses Colorado trees
The combination of drought and hot summers during the past decade has stressed Colorado's forests, making trees more susceptible to insect attacks, according to university researchers. The primary insects: bark beetles and defoliators. These insects are Colorado natives and have coexisted with their host trees for thousands of years. But warm summers may have accelerated bark beetle numbers, and mild winters allowed the survival of beetle larvae. There is no evidence to support the idea that current levels of bark beetle or defoliator activity are unnaturally high, said Bill Romme, Colo. State Univ. professor.
PPA names 'Rozanne' Plant of the Year
Geranium 'Rozanne' is Perennial Plant Assoc.'s selection as 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year. The plant produces 2 1/2-inch, violet-blue summer flowers with white centers. Deep-green foliage is slightly marbled and the plant has a mounding habit, reaching 20 inches high. It's hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-8 and was discovered by Donald and Rozanne Waterer in Somerset, England, in 1989. It was introduced by Blooms of Bressingham in 2000.
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