Most California voters back coronavirus protections for undocumented farmworkers, poll finds [Los Angeles Times]
A substantial majority of California voters support work protections for farmworkers — including undocumented immigrants — such as paid sick leave, medical benefits and replacement wages if they contract the coronavirus, a new statewide poll finds. Some 80% of state voters support employers providing full replacement wages to farmworkers to stay home when sick with COVID-19, while 79% back equitable pay for such workers regardless of legal or guest worker status, according to a survey from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies released Friday.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-08/coronavirus-farmworkers-benefits-protections
Fight brewing over aid, protections for the San Joaquin Valley’s undocumented workers [Fresno Bee]
… The rise in positive coronavirus cases in rural Fresno-area towns concerns town leaders who say farmworkers and rural low-income residents remain particularly vulnerable to the virus. … But the fight for worker protections, advocates say, goes beyond short-term needs like masks and testings. Many of the Latino elected officials representing the rural-area communities are former farmworkers themselves who say their constituents, some of whom are undocumented, have long sought permanent labor protections. Getting those protections — paid sick leave, medical coverage, federal aid — has become critical, they say.
https://www.fresnobee.com/news/coronavirus/article242332131.html
GOP senators ask Trump to restrict guest worker visas amid coronavirus pandemic [USA Today]
Four Republican senators asked President Donald Trump to suspend issuance of guest worker visas until next year or “until employment has returned to normal levels” because of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the economy. … They requested a halt to all nonimmigrant guest worker visas for 60 days, with exceptions granted for agriculture and other critical industries. … Trump signed an executive order creating immigration restrictions in late April, but the executive order provided exemptions for agriculture, health care, public safety and other industries.
Time will tell if Solano ag missed worst of Covid impacts on farmers, ranchers [Fairfield Daily Republic]
A survey of California farmers and ranchers shows that the Covid-19 pandemic has hit agriculture from many directions – and most critically, the loss of domestic and foreign markets. “Just as in the rest of society, the effects of the pandemic have reverberated throughout rural California,” Jamie Johansson, president of the California Farm Bureau Federation, said in a statement announcing the survey results. … Lisa Shipley, the Solano County Farm Bureau manager, said if the tone of recent Farm Bureau meetings is any indication, the worst of the Covid-19 impacts on agriculture seem to have missed Solano County.
Napa Valley wineries plan for tasting room reopenings [Napa Valley Register]
Anticipating the day when winery tasting rooms can reopen, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) this week submitted its proposed guidelines for tasting room operations in a COVID-19 world. … Separately, the Wine Institute, which deals with wineries statewide, released guidelines it said it would submit to the governor’s office Thursday. The timetable for tasting rooms reopening is uncertain. Much of the loosening of regulations has been left to individual counties, which must to submit a readiness plan to the state government for approval.
Judge throws water on California bid to slow delta pumping [Courthouse News Service]
… The Trump administration is defending guidelines passed in 2019 that gave it more leeway in deciding how much water it can safely take from California’s largest estuary and sell to farmers. … On Thursday, California and an assortment of fishing and environmental groups urged a judge to require the feds to abide by the old limits for the remainder of the month while the case continues. … During the marathon hearing, U.S. District Judge Dale Drozd hinted the plaintiffs’ requests for a ruling by May 11 will be a tall task. … The dispute over the delta’s future is playing out on several fronts outside of Drozd’s courtroom and is becoming more complicated by the minute.
https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-throws-water-on-california-bid-to-slow-delta-pumping/
Editorial: Point Reyes ranches are important to Marin’s agricultural economy [Marin Independent Journal]
… The park service’s response to public comments, which is being prepared as part of the approval of a plan, needs to be fair and based on facts and science; not based on an orchestrated nationwide popularity campaign. … Advocates in favor of improving the conditions for the park’s elk population and concerns about ranches’ environmental impacts are being heard and many of their concerns are already reflected in the park service’s plan. But so is the importance of historic ranches and what they mean to West Marin’s agricultural industry.
