RESUME
Name: Jim Reaves.
Title: Director of legislative and regulatory affairs.
Firm: Texas Nursery & Landscape Association, 7730 S. Interstate Highway 35, Austin, TX 78745-6698 (800) 880-0343; fax (512) 280-3012; jim@tnlaonline.org.

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Agricultural labor is in very short supply. Despite the industry's best lobbying efforts, no comprehensive immigration reform measures were passed prior to the November elections. In Texas, a coalition of business owners formed to help secure migrant workers. I learned more about this coalition from Texas Nursery & Landscape Association's Jim Reaves.

Q. When was the Texas Employers for Immigration Reform started, and how involved was TNLA in its formation?

A. TEIR was formed in August 2006, and TNLA was a large part of its formation. Currently, I serve on the TEIR board of directors and on the executive committee.

Prior to this coalition, TNLA was working with a diverse group of pro-immigration advocates that was not getting much traction due to the political nature of these groups. Since March of this year, TNLA contacted multiple business associations and individual businesses to garner a pro-business approach to comprehensive immigration reform.

Many groups were on the fence and did not want to stick their necks out because one small segment of Texas populous was making the most noise in the media.

With the assistance of the American Nursery & Landscape Association, their allies, and our persistence on this matter, we helped bring the business community out of the shadows and stand up for a legal, stable, reliable work force.

Q. What are the major goals of TEIR? What other groups are involved?

A. Our No. 1 goal is to obtain comprehensive immigration reform for the whole country. We strongly support a secure border and we believe the marketplace here in America should dictate the amount of legal immigrants allowed into this country.

I honestly feel that the most impact we can have in the near future is being able to defeat anti-business legislation on the state level. We have compiled the state's leading business groups and will have a strong voice in Austin next January when the Legislature convenes to protect our businesses from politically motivated legislation.

Q. What are Texas legislators' views on immigration? Are you facing an uphill battle?

A. It's very hard to judge the pulse of the whole Legislature right now since we are in the middle of the election cycle. I feel many members of the Legislature will file detrimental bills toward employers because they can show their constituents they are tough on immigration.

Yes, we are facing an uphill battle. Just last week, the Texas Conservative Coalition met to discuss the immigration issue. The bill discussed the most was a 10-percent tax on businesses' gross receipts if the employer hires undocumented workers.

The problem here is that the federal government prohibits employers from asking a person if they are legal or illegal. We must take the applicants' documents on face value and not discriminate. It's a catch 22, and the federal government needs to step up to the plate and solve our worker shortage and secure our borders.

Q. What is the agricultural labor situation like in Texas?

A. We are extremely short of workers. A few months ago, 40,000 cartons of cantaloupe rotted in the fields of South Texas because there was no work force to bring the crops in.

We are also seeing this problem in Washington state with apples rotting on trees. It's the basic law of supply and demand. The cost of these goods will increase without a stable work force.

Q. What are some of TEIR's latest accomplishments?

A. On Oct 25, we held a successful press conference in San Antonio prior to CNN's Lou Dobbs' staged live town hall meeting. We had four television stations, two radio stations and the San Antonio Express-News in attendance. The following day, our op-ed piece ran in the Express-News.

We had secured spots in the live town hall meeting for our supporters, so they could ask Mr. Dobbs the tough questions about our economy and the need for a work force. Much to our surprise, we were informed the day before that all the questions were prescreened, and our questions would not be allowed.

It's Mr. Dobbs' show, and I'm sure he didn't want to be shown up with the truths about our economy. I'm convinced he is doing this for high television ratings.

Q. Do you think groups like TEIR can get their messages out and change public opinion?

A. It will be easier once the November elections are over. Yes, we can change public opinion, and we are doing so right now.

A couple of Republican Texas congressmen are starting to understand the negative economic impact the lack of a work force will have on our economy. Most candidates are playing on the general public's lack of knowledge of the immigration issue.

All the public has been hearing is "secure the border," and nothing about how many American jobs are tied to each immigrant's job. Someone has to transport the product out of the fields, someone has to prepare that food in a restaurant and someone has to have a place to sell the product.

Many people don't connect the dots and they have no idea where the food they consume comes from.

Q. How can growers get involved in their states?

A. Growers need to obtain a clear line of communication with their elected officials. These elected officials need to know that we have to have a legal, stable and reliable work force.

Not just our industry, but all business. This is a global situation, and elected officials need to keep hearing from businesses in their districts.

Q. Do you predict the U.S. Congress will pass comprehensive immigration reform laws anytime soon?

A. TEIR and other groups have been pushing Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform in the lame-duck session starting Nov. 13, 2006. I feel that this will not happen, and we will have to concentrate our immediate efforts toward the state Legislature and defend business until Congress does act.

We do feel that comprehensive reform will happen, but it may be months from now.

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© 2006 Branch-Smith Publishing