Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has rejected a bill that would have allowed 14- and 15-year-olds to work in Wisconsin without a permit.
Currently, workers younger than 16 need a permit from Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development to hold most types of jobs, with the exception of agriculture and domestic work. The application can be filled out online with the sign-off of a parent or guardian.
Republican backers say the bill would have sped up hiring by cutting red tape and making it easier for kids to work.
They noted the bill would not have repealed any workforce safety standards for children. Other regulations such as a limit on how many hours kids under 16 can work, a ban on minors working during school hours and a prohibition on children doing “hazardous” work would remain in place.
“This is a simple bill that takes away a bureaucratic step in our youth working,” Sponsor Rep. Amy Binsfeld, R-Sheboygan, said earlier this year, just before Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled Assembly voted to approve the proposal.
But, Democrats and union leaders have argued the change would take away oversight. Evers cited concerns about safety when he vetoed the bill Monday morning during a conference in Madison for Machinists Union District 10.
The proposal had the backing of the National Federation of Independent Business and Wisconsin Independent Businesses, Inc. The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO opposed it.
In 2017, then- Republican Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill into law that repealed work permit requirements for 16- and 17-year-olds.
A child work permit is $10, and the cost must be covered by an employer. Over the past five years, permit fees have brought in approximately in $288,000 in annual revenue, according to a nonpartisan fiscal analysis. Part of that revenue has paid for one full-time equal rights officer, tasked with investigating labor law violations.