Nebraska Just Passed a Major Occupational Licensing Reform Measure. Here's Why It Matters.
Libertarian state Sen. Laura Ebke's bill triggers a review of state licensing laws, opens more opportunities for individuals with criminal histories.
Occupational Licensing
Michigan Requires More Training for Makeup Artists Than Car Mechanics
And that's just one of many oddities in the state's licensing laws.
Displaced by Hurricane Maria, Fully Trained Massage Therapists Can't Work Because They Lack Licenses
Blocked from jobs because they lack occupational licenses, they're turning to welfare instead.
Worried About Economic Inequality? Get Rid of Occupational Licensing
State licensing laws for low-income professions limit access to jobs and restrict mobility for those who have them. That's a recipe for economic inequality.
Libertarian State Senator Wants to Make it Easier for People With Criminal Records (And Everyone Else) to Work
Laura Ebke's attempt to rationalize Nebraska's occupational licensing laws gets praised in The Wall Street Journal.
Reason Readers and Ajit Pai Helped Memphis Barber Pay His Absurd Licensing Fine
But sadly Elias Zarate is no closer to being a barber, because he still doesn't have a high school diploma. And, yes, that matters for some reason.
Louisiana Is the Only State to License Florists. Gov. Edwards Says It Should Stop.
Justice for Sandy Meadows.
Fearful Frenzy in a World of Unlikely Doom
These days, death lurks behind gas pumps, inside water bottles, and under throw pillows.
Cancer Survivor Fined $2,260 for Providing Rides to Hospital Patients
Hospital describes her services as "invaluable."
Massachusetts Salon Owner Says He Wants to Hire More Workers. Licensing Is the Reason He Can't.
Even entry-level jobs that allow someone to test out the profession have to be filled by licensed professionals.
Even in Health Care, Immigrants Do Jobs Americans Won't
If we want to solve the doctor shortage, we should import more foreign physicians.
Tennessee Bill Would Make It Easier for Ex-Convicts to Get Jobs
Lawmakers are right to seek occupational licensing reform.
New Mexico Considers Forcing High-School Students into State-Approved Post-Graduation Plans
Want to go straight into the job market? No diploma for you.
Government-Approved Workouts? The Fight Against Fitness Licensing.
Crossfit is fighting to keep the government from regulating how Americans are taught to exercise. The health of the nation may be at stake.
Tennessee's Haircut Cops Bust Barbers Who Lack High School Diplomas
Elias Zarate found out the hard way that it's illegal to cut hair in Tennessee, and some other states, without having graduated from high school.
Florida Lawmakers Are Fast-Tracking Licensing Reforms
Florida House passes bill slashing licensing requirements for barbers, manicurists, hair-braiders, geologists, and boxing timekeepers.
Cato Unbound Symposium on "The Captured Economy"
The symposium focuses on Brink Lindsey and Steve Teles' important new book describing how several forms of government regulation slow economic growth, increase inequality, and reduce opportunities for the poor.
How the Supreme Court Is Aiding and Abetting Occupational Licensing Abuse
Williamson v. Lee Optical of Oklahoma, Inc. should be overruled.
Everybody Hates DC's Proposal Forcing Daycare Workers to Get College Degrees
And with good reason, since it would drive up costs and limit access to child care by requiring daycare workers to get a college degree.
New York Gov. Cuomo Proposes Positive Criminal Justice Reforms
Less pretrial jail, more forfeiture restrictions
The Five Most Outrageous Licensing Stories of 2017
Don't give diet tips or haircuts without the government's permission. And don't even think about doing basic math, either.
Why Does Blow-Drying Hair in Arizona Require 1,000 Hours of Training?
State lawmaker says that makes no sense, plans to introduce bill repealing requirement.
Occupational Licensing Locks Workers in Place. Here's One Idea for Fixing That.
Workers in professions requiring state-issued licenses are 36 percent less likely to move across state lines than workers in other jobs.
Tampa Bathhouses Become Latest Target of Sex-Trafficking Panic
The city council is considering a mammoth package of new rules that threaten Tampa bathhouses and those who visit them.
Should an Old Larceny Conviction Keep a Man from Working as a Nurse?
A court rules that Michigan can't block a New York nurse from holding the same job in his new state.
Licensing Board Admits It Can't Silence Red Light Camera Critic
The Oregon engineering board fined Mats Järlström for exercising his First Amendment rights. Now, finally, it admits it's not allowed to do that.
Virginia Should Take Its Boot Off These Blue-Collar Necks
Occupational licensing makes it more difficult to work.
Goat Yoga Gets Baaaaaa-nned
The D.C. Department of Health wants to protect farm animals from the ancient Hindu practice.
Can't Pay Your Student Loans? In Some States, That Means You Can't Work Either.
Taking away someone's ability to earn money seems like a shortsighted way to get loans repaid.
Why Does Hawaii Hate American Workers?
With occupational licensing rules that benefit favored friends, state governments raise barriers to prosperity for millions and raise costs for the rest of us.
Getting Veterans Back to Work
Occupational licensing laws are keeping returning servicemen and their families out of their chosen fields.
Loosening Looney Licensing Laws Likely to Lift Labor Force
New report says states could see 4.5 percent job growth by cutting red tape in 10 oft-licensed professions.
Relax, Unlicensed Nurses Aren't Going to Roam Wisconsin Looking for Victims
And if they were, state licensing laws probably wouldn't be the best way to stop them.
Florida Threatens Woman with Fines, Jail for Giving Diet Tips
Occupational licensing runs amok in a familiar story.
Head of Arizona's Cosmetology Board Used Public Funds for Food, Holiday Decorations, Gifts, and More
The same board investigated a student for giving free haircuts and a cancer survivor for giving beauty treatments to the terminally ill.
Florida Town Booted Food Truck Offering Meals to Hurricane Survivors After Nearby Restaurant Complained
Mayor says the town doesn't ban food trucks, but only allows them on certain days. And that's one rule that can't bend even in the wake of a major hurricane.
Unlicensed Tour Guides Not Allowed in Savannah
Institute for Justice working to change that.
Stossel: Tour Guides Under Attack
Want to give people a tour? It might not be as easy as you think.
Yes, Licensing Boards Are Cartels
The case for why Congress should get involved.
Forget the Violent Campus Protests—This College Cop Is Gunning for Unlicensed Hot Dog Vendors
Watch a Berkeley officer seize the cash out of the wallet of a street merchant.
Eye Doctors Don't Like Seeing Alternatives
The internet can increase options for consumers, but interest groups look for government restrictions to protect them from competition.
Many Poor Communities Lack Adequate Dental Care; Here's an Easy Way to Fix That
Alaska allowed dental therapists to practice within Native American communities. Ten years later the evidence is pretty clear.
Does the Federal Government Have a Role to Play in Combatting Bad State Licensing Laws?
Yes, but only because states have abdicated the responsibility themselves.
Chicago to Businesses: Did Licensed Contractors Hang Those Window Signs?
Classic protection racket enforced by city fines.
Stossel: Stop! You Need a License To Do that Job!
"Bottleneckers" use occupational licensing to screw competitors and innovation in the name of keeping us safe.
