Senator Johnson working for state

Sen. Ron Johnson is proving once again that he puts Wisconsinites first.

On May 3, Johnson introduced legislation to address Wisconsin’s dairy farm labor shortage. Johnson is helping these farmers by doing exactly what conservatives should do: getting the federal government out of the way and letting states figure out what works best for them.

In the bill Johnson introduced, states would have the ability to set up state-based non-immigrant visa programs. These visas would allow immigrant farm workers to come to Wisconsin to help farmers do the work Americans truly won’t do.

With a state unemployment rate at a 16-year low of 3.4%, the reality is there are less glamorous, yet important, jobs that go unfilled.

This bill is supported by groups like the Wisconsin Independent Business Agri-Business Coalition, the Cooperative Network and the American Dairy Coalition. Johnson’s bill prohibits these visa holders from having access to welfare benefits, sets caps on the number per state and requires that each state legislature approves its state’s program.

All in all, Johnson’s bill is a win for dairy farmers and Wisconsin.

Kim Travis

Chairman, 1st Congressional District Republican Party of Wisconsin Williams Bay