Jay Evensen
  • Front Page
  • Opinions
  • Second Thoughts
  • Portfolio
  • Awards
  • About

Utah lawmakers apparently like playing big brother

3/7/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Utah lawmakers like to talk about the need to get government out of the lives of average citizens, but they just whiffed on a great opportunity to take a step in that direction.

Rep. Brian Greene, R-Pleasant Grove, sponsored a resolution that would have asked Utah voters to approve a simple amendment to the state constitution. It would have protected Utahns against government infringement “on the individual, inalienable right of the people pursue 
an honest trade, vocation, occupation, or career…”

The only exceptions would be for narrow requirements that directly protect public health and safety.

It failed miserably in the House Judiciary Committee, rejected by a 7-3 vote after a lot of blather from opponents about the harm it would do.

Some lawmakers, Rep. Greene told me afterward, “like to say they’re for limited government and less regulation, but when you present them with (a way to make that happen) they get a little bit squeamish.”

If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, especially in a state where unemployment is at a scant 3.1 percent, you should consider how much better things could be.

The Institute for Justice ranks Utah as the 15th “most extensively and onerously licensed state for moderate-income occupations,” and the state with the 13th “most burdensome licensing laws for moderate-income occupations.”

What this means is that if you want to provide for your family in any of a variety of moderate-income professions, from upholsterer to commercial paint contractor, big brother will force you to meet a list of requirements before you may receive a license to work.

And the thing is, most other states don’t even license upholsterers and commercial painters, nor a list of other occupations Utah government feels the need to get its hands on. Nearly 30 percent Utah’s workforce is required to have a license of certificate of one sort or the other, with an average of 504 hours of education and experience and at an average cost of $367 in fees.

Many of these requirements exist specifically to keep the people currently in those professions from facing too much competition, which effectively makes it harder for people to find work, just as it limits innovations and raises consumer prices.

Lee McGrath, Senior Legislative Counsel in the Minnesota office of the Institute for Justice, which focuses on limiting government power and promoting personal freedoms, told me, “No evidence exists that these government requirements protect consumers.” In the age of the smart phone, anyone can research a contractor’s reputation in a matter of seconds.

How does a state like Utah become mired in such regulation? That’s easy to answer.  People already working in professions approach legislators and request laws that set licensing standards. Because the only opponents are people who some time in the future may want to enter the field, lawmakers find it easy to comply.

“Consumers rationally do not climb the steps of the Capitol in Salt Lake City to lobby against these bills,” McGrath said, adding, “One of the great failures of democracy is that it gives rise to factions and special interests.”

Perhaps not all Utah lawmakers are insincere when they rail against big government, but sometimes it sure seems like it.

This year, Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake, succeeded in passing a bill that would reduce the hours it takes to train for a private investigator’s license from 10,000 to 5,000, and lower the minimum age. Turns out it takes 10 years on average to earn that many hours, and few people were making it.

But even that barely passed the House, 38-30.

Utah made headlines six years ago when an immigrant from Sierra Leone challenged the requirement of 2,000 hours training to become a hair braider. She won, leading some to believe the days of onerous licensing were numbered.

That was premature, apparently.

Nationally, this issue is gaining more traction than in Utah. Some, including George Mason University economics professor Tyler Cowen, are calling on Washington to take licensing power away from the states.
​
Meanwhile, Greene says he’s not giving up. Maybe next year he can persuade enough of his conservative colleagues that the state would have much to gain by allowing more competition. 
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Search this site


    Like what you read here?

      Please subscribe below, and we'll let you know when there is a new opinion.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Picture

    The author

    Jay Evensen is the Senior Editorial Columnist of the Deseret News. He has nearly 40 years experience as a reporter, editor and editorial writer in Oklahoma, New York City, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. He also has been an adjunct journalism professor at Brigham Young and Weber State universities.

    Archives

    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All
    Campaign 2012
    Congress
    Crime
    Culture
    Iran
    Oil And Gas
    Poverty
    Steroids
    Taxes
    Utah
    Washington
    World Events
    World Events

    Links

    Deseret News
    Newslink
    Marianne Evensen's blog

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.