Wes McKinley

WALSH, CO – State Representative Wes McKinley (D-Walsh) expressed support today for a “guest worker” proposal put forward by fellow Southern Colorado legislators Rep. Marsha Looper (R-Calhan) and Senator Abel Tapia (D-Pueblo).

Sen. Tapia and Rep. Looper want to work out a deal with Mexico to streamline the process for obtaining agricultural worker visas using an existing federal guest worker program called H-2A. The proposal could be introduced in the next legislative session beginning in January 2008.

Rep. McKinley said, “I’d like to see a system that makes it legal to do honest work. If we can get more legal workers to this country, and we know they are playing by the rules, I think the farmers of Southern Colorado would appreciate that."

"We sure need to cut through all this red-tape and delay," Rep. McKinley continued. “We’ve just got to help our farmers who can’t find enough laborers to work their fields and harvest their crops.”