The shocking number of conservatives advocating the elimination of the minimum wage and child labor laws is growing. The corporate mind set being pushed by Republicans simply demands we do everything we can to help businesses create jobs. We must give up everything for the privilege of employment. Which leads me to MO State Sen. Cunningham. The one added wrinkle? Parents know best when it comes to making their kids work. Just like parents know what’s best when it comes to education, how that happens I don’t know, now we should let them put their kids to work at age 9 or 11. Heck, they just know.
St. Louis Beacon/Crooks and Liars: State Sen. Jane Cunningham says her quest to change Missouri's child labor laws is driven by her belief that the current restrictions are "implying that government can make a better decision than a parent."
But Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, takes exception to critics who contend that her proposed changes, contained in SB 222, would put children younger than 16 in danger. Cunningham cites a series of provisions in her bill that bar children younger than 16 from working in certain professions or workplaces deemed dangerous, such as mines, quarries, stone-cutting or plants manufacturing explosives.
As it stands, current Missouri law bars regular employment of children younger than 14 -- except in specific professions such as acting. Children age 14 and 15 must obtain signed permits from the school they attend. Cunningham said that she believes it's improper to saddle schools with the responsibility of deciding whether a child younger than 16 should be allowed to work. She also contends that many parents and their children already are violating the state's current labor laws, which she says are "so over the top'' and prevent parents from "teaching a work ethic to their children."
But Cunninghan's bill already is generating heavy criticism, particularly from labor unions and allied groups.
The critics point to the bill's official summary: "This act modifies the child labor laws. It eliminates the prohibition on employment of children under age 14. Restrictions on the number of hours and restrictions on when a child may work during the day are also removed. It also repeals the requirement that a child aged 14 or 15 obtain a work certificate or work permit in order to be employed. Children under 16 will also be allowed to work in any capacity in a motel, resort or hotel where sleeping accommodations are furnished. It also removes the authority of the director of the Division of Labor Standards to inspect employers who employ children and to require them to keep certain records for children they employ. It also repeals the presumption that the presence of a child in a workplace is evidence of employment."
Cunningham's objections extend to the current law's requirement that children 14 or 15 work no more than three hours a day on school days, no more than eight hours on a non-school day, and that they cannot work before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. "The hour restrictions are so tight,'' she said. "There are many jobs where you can work after 9 p.m.,'' such as restaurants.
She also objects to allowing the state's director of Labor Standards to walk into businesses to check on their employment of children.
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