These are all local and state laws and regulations. These are the easiest kinds of laws to address and change by citizens wanting to make change. They are laws that can actually be addressed by collecting petitions in supermarket parking lots, holding bake sales, conducting local demonstrations, attending town meetings, knocking on doors, etc. If these laws are on the books it is because people don't really mind them or care about them. It could also indicate an understanding by the public that sometimes some stupid laws stay on the books, but overall they appreciate and support government regulations that protect health and safety.West continues to pillory big government, and it's failures....this one the insane level of regulation that government seems to find necessary.
9. "Occupational licensing is supposed to protect the public from unsafe and untrained operators, but in many professions, it is unnecessary and costly.
A prime example of overreach is the licensing and training requirements for hair braiders. Hair braiding is a common service in the African-American community, but in some states, braiders must complete at least 300 hours of training, or have three years of experience and complete 150 hours of training, similar to requirements of cosmetologists.
However, hair braiding does not involve handing potentially dangerous chemicals used on hair, so the thousands of dollars hair braiders must spend on licensing for the health and safety of the public makes no sense — and deters the entrepreneurial spirit."
ALLEN WEST AND PAMELA VILLARREAL Nanny state takes toll on black America - Washington Times
In "Race & Economics, Dr. Walter E. Williams continues on the theme of the damage big government does to the economy:
10. State and local government regulates business and entry into occupations through license laws, from medicine and law, to barbers, cosmetologists and plumbers.
a. “The Council of State Governments lists more than 800 occupations as licensed in at least one state, ranging from fortune-tellers in Maryland to rainmakers in Arizona (Council of State Governments, 1994).”
http://web.missouri.edu/~podgurskym/...es/kleiner.pdf
In many cases licensing requirements are highly questionable. In California, a would-be barber must receive instruction in bacteriology, histology, and diseases of skin, hair, glands and nails. In some cases, local residency is a requirement.
11. Why? The effect of licensing is to restrict the number of practitioners. A second effect is to raise the price of a good or service. Of course, it also has the effect of raising the incomes of incumbent practitioners, which explains why most licensure laws are the result of intense lobbying by incumbents demanding more protection from competition.
a. When an unlicensed trade lobbies for licensing, they always seek “grandfathering” from new requirement…leaving same for new entries.