Virginia Should Take Its Boot Off These Blue-Collar Necks
A recent report by the Arlington-based Institute for Justice ranks Virginia as the seventh worst offender in the nation "when it comes to licensing burdens for lower-income occupations."
A. Barton Hinkle writes:
Earlier this year you might have heard the name Juan Carlos Montesdeoca mentioned. For a short while he was History's Greatest Monster—at least in the eyes of the state of Arizona.
His crime? He offered free haircuts to the homeless. This prompted an anonymous complaint to the state's cosmetology board, which investigated Montesdeoca for barbering without a license. Fortunately, Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey interceded on Montesdeoca's behalf. Then Ducey launched a fine-grained review of the state's occupational licensing laws.
Democrat Ralph Northam, Virginia's next governor, should do the same. Because while Arizona imposes some awful restrictions, Virginia follows closely behind.