The Iowa legislature is currently working on a bill that is being described as “controversial” in the legacy media this week. The measure would allow children to work longer hours and take on roles that are currently prohibited in some cases. It’s already legal for minors to take jobs in the state, but the bill currently being considered would allow children younger than 16 to work up to six hours per day. They are currently limited to four hours. It would also allow 16 and 17-year-olds to serve alcohol in restaurants. Democrats voted against the bill, saying that it could cause some unspecified “harm” to children. (Associated Press)

Lawmakers in Iowa’s Senate passed a controversial bill Tuesday that would allow minors to work longer hours and work in currently banned roles, like serving alcohol at restaurants, the Des Moines Register reported.

Supporters of the bill — mainly Republicans — said it would give children valuable opportunities to work and get paid, whereas opponents — largely Democrats — said it would harm children.

Although two Republicans defied their party and voted against the bill with Democrats, the measure still passed 32-17 in the GOP-controlled Senate.

I’m not entirely sure where the opposition to this bill is coming from. It’s not as if it’s suddenly going to be mandatory for children to have jobs. Child labor is already legal in the state (as it is in every state under the Fair Labor Standards Act) so all this proposed law would do is offer kids the chance to earn a bit more money.  These rules only apply to children who are at least 14 and working in non-agricultural jobs.

I still remember my first non-farm job. When I was 14 I took a job at a local Chicago Markets outlet working in the stockroom. It paid $1.95 per hour, which sounds crazy today, but back in the early 70s, it wasn’t all that uncommon. (I didn’t stay with it very long because I was making more than that mowing lawns and shoveling snow.)

The whole concept of child labor is about more than just money, however. There is tremendous value in starting children early and getting them used to the idea of associating legal work with providing an income. That way, when they finish school, it doesn’t come as such a shock to the system when they have to begin earning a living. Also, studies have shown that adults who had a job as children wind up having higher mental health scores than those who did not.

Having more children take jobs might help reverse a disturbing trend that has been seen around the United States, particularly since the pandemic. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics has found that since the pandemic, more American workers are working fewer hours and increasing numbers aren’t looking for jobs at all. (How they manage to support themselves is a mystery to me.) Less reliance on people’s own productive labor leads to more reliance on the state. This is a destructive trend that doesn’t lead us to anything good.