Farmworker Issues On Agenda

By MICHON ASHMORE mashmore@tampatrib.com

Published: Feb 7, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - A legislative commission said Monday that it will focus on four key migrant worker issues during this year's session and leave others for consideration next year.

Housing, health care, transportation, and safety and sanitation are among the areas of major concern that will receive legislative attention this year.

"We're incrementally stepping in the right direction," said Sen. Durell Peaden Jr., R-Crestview, a member of the Joint Legislative Commission on Migrant and Seasonal Labor.

Among the commission's recommendations were increasing safety and sanitation inspections of farm fields and farmworker housing and adding 10 positions in the Florida Department of Agriculture for more pesticide inspections.

The panel also endorsed spending $20 million for low-cost housing for workers and agreed to support a bill sponsored by Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Winter Haven, that would require seat belts in vans carrying workers to work sites.

Other benefit issues, including employment, education and disaster relief were left out of discussions because committee members said they first would like to see additional studies and recommendations.

Alexander, the commission's co-chairman, said he could not support using tax dollars to distribute benefits to people living in Florida illegally.

"On a human level, these folks are our brothers and sisters and we have a great responsibility to them," he said. "But politically, I'm sure a large part of my district would not approve of benefits for illegal immigrants."

Advocates for the state's migrant worker population said they were pleased with the commission's recommendations.

"I'm feeling like we're finally getting closer to fixing these situations we've been working on for years," said Margarita Romo, who represents farmworkers in Pasco County. "It's 25, 30 years of coming here, and for the first time I'm finally feeling good."