Iowa to roll back curbs on hiring young people

Republican Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says she will sign a bill to roll back labor protections for children, allowing minors to work longer hours and take jobs that had been prohibited.

The bill lifts "unnecessary restrictions" on young people who wish to work and creates new work opportunities for them "to get ahead in life or save money for college", Reynolds said in a statement to The Washington Post.

"Iowans are proud to be known for our strong work ethic, and we want to instill those same values in the next generation," she said.

The bill would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9 pm any time of the year if they have permission from a legal guardian. Existing law prohibits children under 16 from working late during the school year.

The legislation also eliminates state regulations on the number of hours 16- and 17-year-olds can work and allows them to serve alcohol in restaurants, with parental permission.

Children under 16 will still be limited to working no more than three hours a day on a school day and no more than 18 hours a week during the school year.

However, the measures permit children as young as 14 to work in roofing, construction and demolition, provided they are part of educational or apprenticeship programs and a guardian has granted permission. They will also be allowed to do light assembly work and assist customers in businesses that sell fireworks, provided no machines are present.

In the state Senate, two Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the bill. The legislation has the support of conservative lobbying groups, the state restaurant association, and the state industry group for home builders, among others.

Debbie Berkowitz, a fellow in the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown University in Washington, described the Iowa legislation as "the most anti-child, anti-family bill that I've seen" regarding child labor.

"This law is an ideological solution when there is no problem," she said.

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