Air Quality Report & House Jumps Into Immigration Reform

Air Quality Report & House Jumps Into Immigration Reform plus Buying Local. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

A group of prominent specialty crop producers are telling lawmakers about the urgent need for immigration reform including Oregon Farm Bureau’s Barry Bushue. The Senate’s immigration deal is about to get some competition according to Washington Congressman, Doc Hastings.

HASTINGS: Chairman Goodlatte has introduced several bills, not a comprehensive bill, but he’s doing this purposely so that they can have individual hearings on the various aspects of immigration reform. I’ve been in communication with him, my staff has been in communication with him and working on a workable guest worker bill and when that becomes public I think it’s a pretty good start - let’s put it that way. And Chairman Goodlatte understands the need for labor intensive agriculture to have a workable guest worker program.

The American Lung Association has issued its “State of the Air" report. Clackamas County in Oregon and King County in Washington both received a “C” grade for smog but all other audited counties got “A” or “B” grades. Overall, air quality is improving but the American Lung Association says there's still a lot of work we need to do. The Association is still urging people to cut down on pollution by not burning trash, walk or bike as much as possible, and take public transportation.

Now buy local this year. Susan Carter has more.

(USDA Report)

Thanks Susan. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.