DENVER—A proposal aimed at making it easier for farmers to legally hire foreign workers is advancing at the Capitol.
The Senate Agriculture, Natural Resources & Energy Committee unanimously voted 5-0 to back the proposal (House Bill 1325) on Thursday.
It’s the same bill that was being debated in the House this week when Rep. Douglas Bruce referred to such workers as “illiterate peasants.”
Most of those opposed to the bill at Thursday’s hearing were people worried that foreign workers can be exploited under the current H2-A visa system run by the federal government. Under the bill, the state would step in and serve as a middleman to help connect farmers with workers in Mexico or other countries who would then apply for the visas.
But Bogdan Migurski of Lakewood, a Polish immigrant, came to oppose the bill because he thought immigrants were unfairly taking jobs away from Americans. Republican Sen. Greg Brophy, a farmer, pointed out that these workers would have a visa and wouldn’t be illegal.
Migurski, a U.S. citizen, said he was upset with the way Bruce was treated. When he contacted Bruce, Migurski said Bruce encouraged him to come to Thursday’s hearing.
