Ways and Means committee introduces multiple draft bills, including state guest-worker plan and divestment language

The Ways and Means Committee introduced a series of requests (RS) to draft legislation covering investment divestment, a state agricultural guest‑worker program, procurement timelines, education graduation requirements and other measures during a committee meeting.

Representative Jaren Crane introduced a proposal to create a state-level, year‑round agricultural guest‑worker program administered by the Idaho Department of Labor, saying the measure is intended to address worker shortages in farming, ranching, dairy operations and processing. "The federal government's failure to find a resolution to this issue requires that states are going to seek state based solutions," Crane said. The proposal would limit eligibility to Idaho residents who have not previously been deported or refused admission, require background checks and fingerprints, bar permitted workers from driving on public roadways, and require payment of state and federal income taxes.

Representative Ted Hill presented RS32399C1, described as legislation to direct divestment of state…