http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nati ... gjobs.html

Industry sets hopes on AgJobs proposal

By Jerry Kammer
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

June 30, 2007

WASHINGTON – As agricultural lobbyist Craig Regelbrugge sorted through the rubble of Thursday's collapse of immigration legislation in the Senate, he clung to hope that his industry could salvage its effort to ensure itself a work force to harvest fruits and vegetables.

(photo) LAURA EMBRY / Union-Tribune
Although the immigration bill has unraveled, California's two senators and farm lobbyists hope to revive the AgJobs proposal, which provides for legalization and guest-worker programs tailored to the agriculture industry. "This is going to be a very difficult agricultural year without some methodology to legalize agriculture workers," Sen. Dianne Feinstein said.

He and other farm lobbyists, along with California's two senators, are hoping Congress might consider narrower legalization and guest-worker programs designed specifically to help the agriculture industry.

Given the decisiveness of the defeat of the broader bill, their battle appears uphill. However, they remain upbeat.

“Everybody understands that there isn't a domestic ag work force ready and willing to come in if only the immigrants would go away,â€