Sometimes, circumstances remind me of songs, and the John Lennon song "Imagine" came to mind as I was reading the articles I link to below. This article popped up in my Google alerts yesterday. It appears that a couple of legislators in Tennessee have decided to float a very bold idea: Tennessee lawmakers introduced two...
On Thursday, I testified on two bills before the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee of the Nebraska Legislature. The first one I testified on was Senator Andrew La Grone's (LD49) LB1187, which would provide for "universal recognition" of occupational licenses of people who move to Nebraska from other states. A nice write up of...
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks in Nebraska on the occupational licensing front. Yesterday was particularly interesting. My colleague, Laura Ebke, testified yesterday in support of LB1187 introduced by Sen. Andrew LaGrone to allow for universal recognition of occupational licenses held in good standing in other states for individuals coming to Nebraska to...
Legislative testimony in support of LB1068.
Testimony in support of LB1187.
This op-ed, posted recently in The Hill, suggests that licensing is not just about reducing “red tape”–it’s also about giving people real opportunities to lift themselves from poverty. Licensing laws are barriers that can put your dreams on hold for years. They also make us less safe. Individuals who have made mistakes in the past,...
Read the Omaha World-Herald's latest editorial on the Platte Institute's licensing reform efforts.
An article published by Reason Magazine today points out the insidious nature of many states’ occupational licensing frameworks. The Hillsbourough County Sheriff’s office conducted a 9-month “sting” operation, which resulted in the arrest of 118 men and women. The sting, according to Patch, saw sheriff’s deputies pose as homeowners seeking handymen on social media to do jobs...
A Nebraska transportation law is explicitly designed to strangle competition.
Testimony in support of LB857.
Testimony in support of LB834.
We have a right to earn an honest living. This right is protected by the U.S. Constitution. Entrepreneurship and good old-fashioned free market competition are playing a lot of defense nowadays. Protectionism has gone unchecked due to the significant increase in career paths subject to occupational licensing. These occupational licenses are often barriers to...
John Stossel describes some of the problems with occupational licensing and the opportunity to "make good" for those who have had problems with the law. Nebraska's Occupational Board Review Act (LB 299, 2018), did not totally eliminate restrictions for licensures, but it now gives potential license-seekers the ability to pre-inquire about whether anything in their...
While most of us wouldn’t argue that some occupations in the medical field shouldn’t be regulated in some way, one of the arguments that I often make when engaged in discussions about the need for occupational licensing is that in the 21st century, the more important consumer standard for whether you use a particular service...