Rep. James F. Sensenbrenner

As the new-year begins, a call for stricter immigration laws was recently addressed in the U.S. House of Representatives. A bill, H.R. 4437, introduced by Senator James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives before their holiday recess in late December is designed to strengthen enforcement of the immigration laws already in place and enhance security along the Mexican boarder.

Some of the provisions in the legislation include: making it a federal crime to live in the United States illegally; broadening the existing immigrant smuggling statute to penalize those who shield or offer support to illegal immigrants; further restricting the eligibility of illegal immigrants to receive government benefits and increasing authority for local sheriffs in border states who must deal with illegal immigrants.

Rep. Sensenbrenner’s immigration bill covers several issues that are important to the National Grange, like stronger border patrol, detention of illegal immigrants and upgrading the potential charges against illegal residents from civil to criminal
violation of U.S. law. The bill also confronts the problem of illegal immigrants receiving benefits designated for U.S. citizens.

However, H.R. 4437 also fails to adequately provide for the agriculture community because of its detrimental stance on illegal immigrants working within U.S. borders. The bill lacks any kind of guest worker program, a measure championed by President W. Bush, and supported by Grange policy. Lack of a sensible guest worker program would effectively cut off access to a critical workforce that performs many jobs that Americans prefer not to take, at any wage level. Instead, the House legislation shifts its focus towards the increased responsibilities of the employer to screen the legal employment status of their employees. Under the House passed legislation, all U.S. employers would be required to participate in a verification system under which the government would confirm that a worker has the legal status to work in the United States. The penalties for not complying with this new law would be steep, and place many farmers and ranchers in difficult situations.

The establishment of an employee verification database creates another situation by generating a need to identify legal workers as well as illegal aliens in an efficient and effective manner. An obvious solution to this need is the implementation of a national identification card, a condition the National Grange is against. Policy adopted at the 139th annual convention of the National Grange opposes the establishment of national, federal identification programs. “The National Grange opposes federal standards for state programs for the issuance of driver’s licenses and identification cards.” Although the Grange strongly supports stricter control of illegal immigration, the establishment of a national worker identification and verification system is an even greater threat to personal freedom, liberty and privacy and is contrary to the common sense, grassroots, approach taken by our members. H.R. 4437 clearly moves towards the possibility of a national identification card, a possibility that cannot be accepted despite the other merits of the bill.

In addition, the upgrade from a civil to a criminal charge for residing in the US illegally in H.R. 4437 creates further problems for employers. Once again, the Grange delegates attending at the 139th National Grange convention addressed this issue when they adopted the following policy position on employer verification. “The National Grange opposes any regulation or legislation that would hold agricultural employers responsible for checking the authenticity of documentation provided by migrant and seasonal workers at the time of employment.”

The key word in this resolution is “responsible”. Increased employer responsibility for immigration enforcement, as outlined in H.R. 4437, could in fact, turn the nation’s employers into “de facto vigilantes” who would be expected to enforce a federal criminal statute without compensation, training, or the protection of sovereign immunity against lawsuits by employees claiming their constitutional rights to criminal due process had been violated by their employers. H.R. 4437 also creates an untenable situation for employers by shifting the weight of government enforcement activities against employers, who because they may be unsure or reluctant to affirmatively accept the role of vigilante enforcers of the nation’s new criminal immigration laws that are forced upon them by H.R. 4437, are in turn potentially faced with criminal sanctions against them that would be brought forth by real law enforcement agencies.

For nearly 220 years the US Constitution has recognized that one of the cornerstones of the rule of law requires that the government maintain a monopoly over the enforcement and prosecution of criminal offenses. That’s because dealing with the allegation of criminal activity can have devastating and lifelong consequences on an individual’s life. Our system of courts, law enforcement agencies and penal institutions are all carefully designed and administered to make appropriate decisions based on all available information and to balance the complicated sets of rights and due process necessary to both bring criminals to justice and protect the freedom of the members of our society.

The Founding Fathers clearly recognized that the type of “private, vigilante justice” proposed in H.R. 4437, while potentially popular in the short term, would in the long run be detrimental to a stable, healthy society. The Grange recognizes that designating the status of an illegal alien in the United States as a criminal activity is a necessary and prudent step that needs to be taken in order to regain control of our borders and immigration policies. However, the Grange also firmly believes that this step must also be accompanied with the appropriate expansion of law enforcement authorities and resources to enforce this law without resorting to “vigilante justice”. H.R 4437 fails to make this distinction and will require extensive additional review and amendment in the US Senate in order to add provisions to protect the rights of American citizens and employers before becoming law.

Registration for the National Grange’s Legislative Fly- In 2006 is currently under way. The Fly-In will take place from May 22nd through May 23rd, in Washington, DC. With 9-years of experience, the National Grange Legislative Department proudly invites you to the 2006 Legislative Fly-In program.

William Steel, President of the National Grange, explained the importance of the Fly-In when he stated, “Our legislative Fly-In is a demonstration of grassroots advocacy. We are proud that we are able to give our members a unique, behind the scenes, adventure into politics. We will continue to provide our members with as much knowledge as possible about political processes so that knowledge can better serve rural America”.

Fly-In 2006 will be an exciting two-day event. The 109th Congress will be in full political swing and a fertile place for Grange members from across the country to plant issues of concern in the minds of their Senator’s and Representative’s. As in the past, much of the conversation between members and their representatives will regard policy agenda for both Congress and the executive agencies of government, but other ideas for speaking points are encouraged.

A participant in last year’s Fly-In, Karen Heckman, described her experience when she wrote, “I felt the appointments with our legislative leaders were positive and they truly listened to what we were saying. Thank you for arranging those meetings for us. I feel the House and the Senate are aware that the Grange is still a very powerful voice in our society and we can make a difference”.

The 2006 Fly-In agenda includes informative workshops, congressional visits, and effective networking opportunities with Grange political activists from across the nation. In order to participate, you must register. Please read these instructions carefully.

Fly-In 2006 Conference Registration (required): All participants must complete a basic conference registration form to attend Fly-In 2006. Grange members who will be part of one of the organized bus group attending Fly-In 2006 may submit their conference registration information via their State Grange tour leaders. All other Fly-In 2006 participants must complete the basic conference registration form, including their congressional appointment requests and submit it directly to the National Grange legislative department via email, fax or regular mail by March 24, 2006.

Click here for Conference Registration Information | Microsoft Word File

Fly-In 2006 Hotel Registration (optional): For Grange members who will need a convenient place to stay while they are attending Fly-In 2006, the National Grange has reserved a block of rooms at the Club Quarters Hotel at 839 17 th Street, NW in Washington DC, just 1.5 blocks from the National Grange headquarters building. Please refer to the group code NG0521 when reserving your room. It is not necessary to stay at Club Quarters in order to attend Fly-In 2006. Grange members are free to make alternative lodging arrangements. Space at the Club Quarters is limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Grange members must contact Club Quarters Hotel directly to make their reservations. Reservations at the Club Quarters must be made by March 24, 2006.

Click here for Hotel Reservation Information | Microsoft Word File

Fly-In 2005 Scholarship Application (optional): Potomac Grange #1 in Washington, DC will once again be offering a limited number of scholarships for Grange members to attend the National Grange Legislative Fly-In. Any Grange member interested in attending Fly-In 2006 is eligible to apply, including participants in State Grange Fly-In 2006 bus tours. However, all Potomac Grange scholarship applications must be submitted by the individual Grange member is applying for the scholarship. Potomac Grange scholarship applications may not be submitted via State Grange tour leaders. Potomac Grange Fly-In 2006 scholarships will reimburse the scholarship recipients for their travel and lodging costs associated with attending Fly-In 2006. Additional meal costs, entertainment or sightseeing expenses will be the responsibility of the scholarship recipients.

Potomac Grange #1 Fly-In 2006 scholarship awards will be made on the basis of four priority criteria and an informative essay that each applicant must write and submit with their application. Potomac Grange #1, and not the National Grange, is solely responsible for evaluating the applications and awarding Fly-In 2006 scholarships. The decision of the Potomac Grange regarding the award of Fly-In 2006 scholarships is final. The deadline to apply is March 10, 2006.

Click here for Scholarship Application Information | Microsoft Word File

In their year end reports, State Grange Presidents and State Grange Legislative Directors have shared many inspiring stories about how the Grange legislative program in their individual states are meeting the needs of their members. Unfortunately, too many of these inspiring stories are not shared with other Grange leaders in the legislative field across the nation. We don’t have space to print all of these reports. However, below we are including some excerpts from these reports that demonstrate how State Grange legislative programs are
looking back on 2005 with a sense of accomplishment and looking forward to 2006 with a sense of anticipation for a successful year.

Connecticut State Grange
Legislative Director: Gordon Gibson

“(In Kelo vs New London) the (U.S) Supreme Court made it very clear in their decision that the states have the right to limit the purposes for which a municipality can take private property by eminent domain, and the Connecticut General Assembly will consider several bills on this subject next year (2006). The General Assembly’s Planning and Development Committee held a public hearing in August where I testified about our concerns. My testimony was picked up by the media, and we have since had several inquiries about the Grange’s position on the taking of interests in private property for economic development.

The Legislative Committee has always encouraged our Pomona and Subordinate Granges to become active in legislative affairs, and the Kelo case is a good example of how this can be accomplished. North Stonington Community Grange held an open meeting at which Suzette Kelo, the lead plaintiff in Kelo v. New London, explained what had happened and why the residents were fighting so vigorously to preserve their property. The media covered the meeting, which resulted in significant publicity for North Stonington Community Grange even though there was no proposal to take any property in North Stonington.”

Washington State Grange
Legislative Director: Toni McKinley

“Since our departure last June, the legislative department has been busy at work drafting legislation and communicating with elected officials about the many issues of interest to our members. We successfully passed Initiative 872 in November (2004), defeated the much talked about change to the constitution to allow a simple majority for school levies, secured funding for the Alternative Dispute Resolution program that the legislation from passing this year, we were on record opposing some very controversial issues such as the gas tax, the inheritance tax and the California Vehicle Emissions Standards (greenhouse gases) bill. “

Vermont State Grange
Legislative Director: Jim Ballard

“Governor Douglas and Lieutenant Governor Dubie attended and spoke briefly during the (Annual Vermont State Grange Legislative Day) luncheon. Brian Dubie was very thankful and supportive of the Grange and did a very nice job. Senator Sarah Kittell, Rep. David Zuckerman, and Rep. Harvey Smith were the main speakers. Many of us really enjoyed David Zuckerman’s comments because he strongly supports the dairy farmers, as well as many other types of agriculture. He made a strong case for Vermont farmers selling their crops to the large metropolitan areas in the East. He is seeking ways for Vermont products to be used in Vermont instead of importing from elsewhere. David said he and his wife plan on joining the Grange. Kurt Reichelt, a new representative from the Farm Bureau, also attended the luncheon…..”

NC State Grange
Legislative Director: David Meredith

“This year in March we had another successful legislative trip with 48 NC Grangers visiting Philadelphia, PA, where we learned about the founding principals of democracy in our country.

Next, we traveled on to Washington, DC, where we networked and attended workshops with other Grange members from across the nation. We also visited with and distributed the updated NC State Grange Policy Book to all of North Carolina’s Congressional delegation. This year we again partnered with the North Carolina Agribusiness Council in AG Day at the General Assembly on June 15th with nearly one hundred Grange members from across the state taking part in the day’s activities. I also traveled to different areas of North Carolina to organize
and promote Grange membership rallies.”

Colorado State Grange
Master: John Hagen

“Our Legislative Director, Jeanne Davies, held two legislative workshops, in January and March, to guide members through the process of the Senate and House chambers. Several Senators and Representatives met the groups to discuss the legislation they were promoting."

Massachusetts State Grange
Master: Calvin Chase

‘We are taking a new direction on legislative issues in our State Grange. The Agriculture and Environment Committee and the Community Action Committee have been charged with developing a Legislative Policy Book, to be brought back to the next State Session for approval. This policy book will be patterned after the National Policy but geared for Massachusetts. Toward this goal, I have created advisory groups toeach committee that are experienced in their fields. This policy book, backed up by expert witnesses, should have an impact on our legislators and return our Grange to the forefront of legislative action.”

New Hampshire State Grange
Legislative Director: Wilber Heath

During the State Grange Session past State Grange Legislative Director James Tetreault presented the annual Clesson “Junie” Blaisdell Award for Excellence in Government to Ray Buckley, former Legislator and current Co-Chair of the NH
Democratic Party.

“Outstanding Legislator Awards” were presented to Representative Mary Jane Wallner of Concord and Representative Derek Owen of Hopkinton. State Master John H. West will present a third “Outstanding Legislator Award” to Barbara Hull Richardson of Richmond, who was unable to attend the convention.