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New Arkansas law removes work permit requirement for children under 16

https://katv.com/news/local/new-arkansas-law-removes-work-permit-requirement-for-children-under-16-department-of-labor-and-licensing-employment-certificate-fredrick-love-clint-penzo-child-labor-trafficking-youth-hiring-act-of-2023-act-195-act-687-protections-parental-consent

Beginning on August 1, children in Arkansas under the age of 16 will no longer need employment certificates to work.

Beginning on August 1, children in Arkansas under the age of 16 will no longer need employment certificates to work, thanks to a law passed in the last legislative session.

44 comments

jubilationtcornpone

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Am Arkansan. Sarah Schmuckabee Slanders made the case to the public that this would return control [of child employment] back to parents. The actual law passed does the opposite by removing the requirement for parents to give written consent. Naturally, the sales pitch was a bald faced lie. The fact that more Arkansan's aren't upset about that aspect alone tells you all you really need to know about the current state of politics in this state.

Glimpythegoblin

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Also from Arkansas. I'm upset. I haven't heard anything about this outside my friend group though.

danhasnolife

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It continues to baffle me that when addressing an employment gap, instead of improving working life for parents, that stepped is skipped entirely and instead we reduce barriers for the children themselves to work.

TwoGems

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Yep. So many abusive parents will abuse these laws.

claycle

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How do you square "think of the children" and "let children have a childhood" ideas and "children under 18 can't make rational, adult decisions" laws with this?

I can't. I guess that makes me a stinking communist now...

LinusWorks4Mo

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together with anti abortion laws i wonder what the long term play is here

Kbobabob

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A bunch of poor uneducated people to always vote R.

MercuryUprising

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Remember how in every show that features a slave owner on a plantation, the gang of enforcers tend to be these redneck hillbilly types? That's the long term play.

AA5B

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Cheap labor with no environmental protection or human rights that we can outsource to

4am

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Feudalism.

jubilationtcornpone

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There isn't one. It's all short term thinking about what's going to rile the base for 2024 and SHS really, really wants to be VP (although in my opinion, DeSantis would have to be the Republican nominee for that to happen).

FlyingSquid

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It's all about immigration.

paddirn

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"Hey kids, I got you a summer gig."

"You mean summer camp, right?"

...

"You mean summer camp, right?"

ChaoticEntropy

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Yeah, summer camp. You're the counsellor.

Chickenstalker

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The US regularly ban products from 3rd world countries for "child labour". Looks like we thirdies should return the favour.

afraid_of_zombies

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What country and when?

hark

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"We are the protectors of children!" voice getting louder to talk over the sound of children falling into the meat grinder in the background

ShooBoo

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Wasn't to long ago that kids were considered property along with women and their owners, men, could make them do whatever they wanted. This is what some want to go back to.

Hogger85b

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Time for all filming with children to move out there. Friend of mine works as a "guardian" in a Broadway production company and sole job is ensuring the children are not going outside the laws to protect the company from lawsuits and lessor so protect the children.

Kraven_the_Hunter

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Thank God they're fixing the big problems

They've solved the "too much screen time" and "poor exercise habits" with one ruling. Shoot, some of these jobs might even require light reading!

doppelgangmember

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Welp not moving to Arkansas anymore..

BettyWhiteInHD

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Awthatsnotright

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But the CHILDREN

cultsuperstar

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Republicans have been complaining about the dwindling workforce for years. Lower the working age and start getting more kids in sooner and get 4-5 more years out of them, extend the retirement age (most people can't afford to retire anyway), and cut Medicare/Medicaid and force people to buy private insurance.

Galluf

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Galluf

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I'm not seeing the issue here. The protections for approrptate child working conditions remain in place. It just eliminates the need to make a special application for every single worker.

I started refereeing soccer games at age 14 and didn't have to go through any of that process. It was a great learning experience for me and gave me some spending money. I'm all for reducing the burden of hiring kids so that they can get exposure to the working world.

To be clear, I still very much think that there need to be strong protections for work hours, working conditions, and not being permitted to work in certain industries.

steakmeout

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It must be nice to see children as an exploitable resource. And in classic conservative posturing you equate child labour with refereeing soccer games at age 14. Must be nice to look back and have such pleasant memories. I doubt these kids will be so wistful about industrialised farming, chicken preparation or other sweatshop jobs. I'm pretty certain you don't even see these kids.

At 14 you had the support of your parents and a safety net of laws that made it so their oversight was baked into your employment. Lots of kids are poor and have families who can't offer the sort of support and financial security you enjoyed.

afraid_of_zombies

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Children are not just an exploitable resource, they are a renewable one!

But yeah. I was one of those 14 year olds working jobs that were meant for adults. I don't really have strong opinions about this law change but I am in the position that my kids will never have to do what I had to do as a teen.

steakmeout

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Ah the classic "fuck you, got mine".

Galluf

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Not at all. It's the exact opposite.

I want other kids to be able to have similar experiences with working and earning money.

steakmeout

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Experiences like this?

Galluf

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What do you mean by this?

steakmeout

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Either you are responding in error or the person I replied to is your alt. Please clarify.

Galluf

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That is not an accurate characterization of my view.

steakmeout

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You're free to clarify at any point.

afraid_of_zombies

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Looks to me like you strawmanned them.

steakmeout

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Looks to me like you agree with them.

afraid_of_zombies

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Agree or not won't change the logic of what you said.

Galluf

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Are you open to changing your view on aspects of this and discussing this topic with nuance?

steakmeout

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You proferred the opinion so you need to clarify. I don't need to be open to what you consider nuance.

Galluf

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Thank you for your acknowledgement that you're unwilling to look at this situation with the level of nuance required.

steakmeout

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That isn't what I said and you know it. If you feel misunderstood the onus is solely on you to clarify any misunderstanding. Pretending that you're making this about me isn't going to change your bad take or initial downvotes.

tallwookie

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good for that small % that wants to work prior to 16. less bureaucracy too, which is an overall cost savings to the taxpayers.