Group IDs immigration-related policies
Nat'l. Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) reviewed state laws passed this year relating to immigrants and refugees. The top 3 areas of interest: law enforcement, employment and identification documents. As of March 31, at least 1,106 bills have been considered in 44 states. 26 states have enacted 44 laws and adopted 38 resolutions or memorials. This level of activity is comparable to last year, when 1,169 bills and resolutions had been introduced (as of April 13, 2007). At this time last year, 18 states had enacted 57 laws related to immigrants and immigration. NCSL's legislative tracking and reporting "is based on a comprehensive and inclusive methodology and captures all state legislation in which immigrants -- whether authorized or unauthorized, temporary migrants, aliens and refugees -- are affected. High-activity states: AL, AZ, CA, FL, GA, HI, IL, MD, MI, MN, MS, NJ, NY, OK, RI, TN, UT, VA WA & WV.
Ag Coalition chair testifies for H-2A, H-2B
John Young, co-chairman of the Ag. Coalition for Immigration Reform, testified before the House Education and Labor Committee on May 6. The committee was exploring whether the H-2A and H-2B guest-worker programs give Americans a fair shot at jobs. Here are a few highlights of his testimony. "I have used H-2 or H-2A labor for all of the 46 years that I have been in business." "New England Apple Council members try their very best to recruit US workers. The first reason is to meet their obligations under the H-2A regulations, but also because U.S. workers are less costly than foreign workers. The costs of transportation and housing add at least $2 per hour to the employer's costs, and for short term jobs the number can be in the neighborhood of $4 per hour. In an industry with very close profit margins employers do not bring in foreign workers unless they absolutely need to."
APHIS declares gladiolus rust quarantine
APHIS has quarantined the Clewiston, Fla., farm where gladiolus rust was discovered in March. All live, green and/or infected or exposed gladiolus plants and plant parts (including corms, stems, flowers and leaves) are restricted from moving interstate from the affected farm. The operation is located at Box 69 County Road 833 in Clewiston, Fla. For a full list of quarantine requirements, see the federal order. The March discovery was the 1st detection of the rust in Florida this year. It was found in 2006 and 2007 at the same operation.
Home Depot calls off 50 store openings
Home Depot (NYSE:HD) announced May 1 that it scrapped plans to open 50 stores and will close 15 underperforming stores in IN, KY, LA, MN, NJ, NY, ND, OH, VT and WI. The decision was made to improve free cash flow and invest in existing stores, according to company reports. Accordingly, it will record a charge of approximately $400 million related to capitalized development costs and ongoing obligations associated with those future store locations. But the company plans to open 55 new stores this year. Aggregate new store capital spending will be reduced by approximately $1 billion over the next 3 years.
APHIS pulls quarantine proposal
APHIS withdrew a proposed rule that would have reduced the post-entry quarantine growing period from 6 months to 2 months for Chrysanthemum spp., Leucanthemella serotina and Nipponanthemum nipponicum. The rule would have required growers implement "a systems approach to prevent the imported articles from being infected with chrysanthemum white rust." APHIS took this action based on comments received following the proposal's publication. State and local government representatives commented on the difficulty to conduct the required post-entry quarantine inspection and produce the appropriate documentation within the 2-month timeframe.
Discovering the world of sustainability
Sarah Martinez discovers time, money crunch thwarts her organic gardening efforts. Project: Green Industry
Worth a visit
The Combo Chef shows how to create an all-white planter and another that puts foliage front and center. Only on GreenBeamPro.com.
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