Beginning on August 1, children in Arkansas under the age of 16 will no longer need employment certificates to work, thanks to a law passed in the last legislative session.

  • jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    Am Arkansan. Sarah Schmuckabee Slanders made the case to the public that this would return control [of child employment] back to parents. The actual law passed does the opposite by removing the requirement for parents to give written consent. Naturally, the sales pitch was a bald faced lie. The fact that more Arkansan’s aren’t upset about that aspect alone tells you all you really need to know about the current state of politics in this state.

    • Glimpythegoblin @lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Also from Arkansas. I’m upset. I haven’t heard anything about this outside my friend group though.

  • danhasnolife@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It continues to baffle me that when addressing an employment gap, instead of improving working life for parents, that stepped is skipped entirely and instead we reduce barriers for the children themselves to work.

  • claycle@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    How do you square “think of the children” and “let children have a childhood” ideas and “children under 18 can’t make rational, adult decisions” laws with this?

    I can’t. I guess that makes me a stinking communist now…

  • Kraven_the_Hunter@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Thank God they’re fixing the big problems

    They’ve solved the “too much screen time” and “poor exercise habits” with one ruling. Shoot, some of these jobs might even require light reading!

  • Hogger85b@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Time for all filming with children to move out there. Friend of mine works as a “guardian” in a Broadway production company and sole job is ensuring the children are not going outside the laws to protect the company from lawsuits and lessor so protect the children.

  • paddirn@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    “Hey kids, I got you a summer gig.”

    “You mean summer camp, right?”

    “You mean summer camp, right?”

  • Chickenstalker@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The US regularly ban products from 3rd world countries for “child labour”. Looks like we thirdies should return the favour.

  • hark@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    “We are the protectors of children!” voice getting louder to talk over the sound of children falling into the meat grinder in the background

  • ShooBoo@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Wasn’t to long ago that kids were considered property along with women and their owners, men, could make them do whatever they wanted. This is what some want to go back to.

  • cultsuperstar@lemmy.mlB
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    1 year ago

    Republicans have been complaining about the dwindling workforce for years. Lower the working age and start getting more kids in sooner and get 4-5 more years out of them, extend the retirement age (most people can’t afford to retire anyway), and cut Medicare/Medicaid and force people to buy private insurance.

  • Galluf@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m not seeing the issue here. The protections for approrptate child working conditions remain in place. It just eliminates the need to make a special application for every single worker.

    I started refereeing soccer games at age 14 and didn’t have to go through any of that process. It was a great learning experience for me and gave me some spending money. I’m all for reducing the burden of hiring kids so that they can get exposure to the working world.

    To be clear, I still very much think that there need to be strong protections for work hours, working conditions, and not being permitted to work in certain industries.

    • steakmeout@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It must be nice to see children as an exploitable resource. And in classic conservative posturing you equate child labour with refereeing soccer games at age 14. Must be nice to look back and have such pleasant memories. I doubt these kids will be so wistful about industrialised farming, chicken preparation or other sweatshop jobs. I’m pretty certain you don’t even see these kids.

      At 14 you had the support of your parents and a safety net of laws that made it so their oversight was baked into your employment. Lots of kids are poor and have families who can’t offer the sort of support and financial security you enjoyed.

      • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Children are not just an exploitable resource, they are a renewable one!

        But yeah. I was one of those 14 year olds working jobs that were meant for adults. I don’t really have strong opinions about this law change but I am in the position that my kids will never have to do what I had to do as a teen.