Republicans including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy are insisting on a “shield” to protect businesses from civil lawsuits in the next COVID-19 relief bill, but Democrats are pushing back hard.

State Department accelerates H-2A approvals * State auditor: CDFA ‘poorly managed’ license plate program

SGMA showing impacts on agricultural land values * Concerns rise over smallholder farmers during outbreak * Western Growers asks USDA to back claims on perishable commodities

Farmworker wages under the H-2A program will rise 6% nationally in 2020 to an average of $13.99 an hour, with farmers in some states seeing increases of up to 10%, the Labor Department says.