KTTC

By Matt Rineer

WINONA, Minn. (KTTC) – Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar made a pit stop in Winona Friday, speaking with city officials on the latest work in the tourism industry.

During her press conference, Klobuchar touched on the topic of her proposed Seasonal Act, which would allow governors to have the authority to raise the cap on tourism and seasonal visas.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, this program gives employers the ability to hire non-immigrants to perform non-agricultural labor in a variety of different industries.

“It’s a really interesting concept,” Sen. Klobuchar said. “So, what it is, is we don’t have enough workers in tourism and many of them are seasonal, right? So, it allows for tourism visas for people who come and work from other countries. It has been very successful in Minnesota, but we don’t have enough of them.”

As part of today’s session, Klobuchar, along with Winona mayor Scott Sherman, visited several Winona businesses to hear their concerns and how tourism is impacting their businesses.