Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill on Friday, June 28th, 2024, that aimed to streamline the construction of housing for agricultural workers in the state. The bill, SB 1082, was backed by the agriculture industry and promised to address labor shortages by making it easier for farmers to provide housing for their workforce.
DeSantis, in his veto letter, expressed concerns that the bill lacked proper enforcement mechanisms to ensure housing was only provided to legal migrant workers.
He stated, “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.”
Read: Gov. DeSantis Signs Bill Reshaping Florida’s Consumer Finance Loan Landscape
The proposed legislation would have limited the ability of local governments to restrict the construction of farmworker housing on designated agricultural land, provided the housing met specific state-mandated criteria. Proponents of the bill, including members of the agriculture industry, argued that current regulations make it difficult and expensive to build adequate housing for farmworkers.
They say this contributes to labor shortages, as some farmers struggle to attract and retain workers due to a lack of safe and affordable housing options.
Opponents of the bill, including some local governments, raised concerns about potential negative impacts on communities, such as increased strain on infrastructure and a lack of local control over development.
The veto is a blow to the agriculture industry, which has been grappling with labor shortages for years. It remains to be seen how this issue will be addressed moving forward.
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