CalWatchdog Morning Read – October 18

by CalWatchdog Staff | October 18, 2016 9:16 am

Good morning. Since it’s only Tuesday, we’ll start with a dose of bipartisanship to inch us closer to the weekend.

One of the rare issues where politicians on the left and right increasingly agree involves occupational-licensing[1] requirements – the oftentimes cumbersome government-approval processes that many workers must go through to become certified to work legally in their profession.

Both sides have come to recognize that excessive rules limit employment opportunities for the poor, quash economic development and force people into the underground economy.

Advocates for reform don’t argue against training and regulations per se, but they recognize that it’s unnecessary to, say, force African-style hair braiders to spend thousands of dollars and go through hundreds of hours of traditional barbershop training when the hair treatment they provide has nothing to do with the certification they receive.

There’s broad understanding that people within existing professions often impose unnecessary barriers to entry as a way to reduce competition and artificially inflate wages. Defenders of the system say the rules are needed, however, to protect health and safety.

California’s independent state oversight agency, the Little Hoover Commission, this month released a report on licensing barriers that could serve as a blueprint for the state Legislature when it returns to session in January.

CalWatchdog[2] has more.

In other news:

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Endnotes:
  1. occupational-licensing: http://www.lhc.ca.gov/studies/234/PressRelease234.pdf
  2. CalWatchdog: http://calwatchdog.com/2016/10/18/state-watchdog-agency-pushes-licensing-reform/
  3. The San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/sd-me-sexual-harass-20161017-story.html
  4. Politico: http://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2016/10/gavin-newsom-says-steyer-106467
  5. The San Jose Mercury News: http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/10/17/election-stress-its-a-real-thing-now/
  6. 11 a.m. memorial service: https://www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=19584

Source URL: https://calwatchdog.com/2016/10/18/calwatchdog-morning-read-october-18/