As affordable housing continues to challenge policymakers, Gov. Ron DeSantis has nixed a push for agriculture employers to house workers.
The Republican Governor vetoed legislation (SB 1082) that would have preempted any local restrictions that would inhibit construction of housing for workers on agricultural land. DeSantis in a veto letter signaled a concern that the policy would spur hiring undocumented workers at Florida farms.
“The bill’s terms apply to legal migrant farm workers, but the bill does not include the means to enforce this limitation and could pave the way for housing of illegal alien workers,” DeSantis wrote. “Additionally, local governments have the ability to establish uniform guidelines and standards through their zoning ordinances which best suit each agricultural community.”
The Legislature the past few years has approved a number of preemptions on local development standards, much of that in the Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s priority Live Local Act last year.
But lawmakers this year looked toward allowing employers to have more tools to house workers directly.
Agriculture leaders through the Associated Industries of Florida heavily supported this bill, while local government groups consistently pushed back on pre-emption.
Florida farmers said the legislation would help curtail a labor shortage in the agriculture industry. The industry argued if workforce housing is constructed, farms would be able to build housing more quickly for foreign workers with federal H-2A visas.
“The bill lessens the burdensome process for Florida farmers to construct or install safe housing for seasonal agricultural workers – who are legal and verified – on agricultural properties,” wrote Jim Spratt, chairman of the Florida Ag Coalition, in a letter published by the News-Press after the measure passed.
Federal law requires employers to meet housing requirements to employ those workers, who many agricultural operations rely on during planting and harvest seasons. Florida under DeSantis has also cracked down on employers with requirements to verify the immigration status of workers, including strict E-Verify mandates put in place last year. He also signed legislation in March prohibiting state IDs for undocumented individuals.
The legislation was supported by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and championed in the Legislature by state Sen. Jay Collins and state Rep. Kaylee Tuck. It passed without any ‘nay’ votes in either chamber of the Legislature.
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