At This Hour…

Lawmakers in several states are embracing legislation…to let children work in more hazardous occupations, for more hours on school nights and in expanded roles…including serving alcohol in bars and restaurants…as young as 14. The efforts to significantly roll back labor rules are largely led by Republican lawmakers to address worker shortages. Child welfare advocates worry the measures represent a coordinated push to scale back hard-won protections for minors. Lawmakers proposed loosening child labor laws in at least 10 states over the past two years, according to a report published last month by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. Legislators in Wisconsin, Ohio and Iowa are actively considering relaxing child labor laws…as employers struggle…to fill open positions after a spike in retirements, deaths and illnesses from COVID-19, decreases in legal immigration and more.