The threat of a national economic recession hangs over the United States as a result of the health emergency caused by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. While much attention has been paid to what lawmakers in Washington D.C. have done, states and localities are also bracing for an economic recession. A …
By Matthew D. Mitchell, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center COVID-19 presents a challenge of extraordinary scale and complexity. State policymakers across the country, like so many of us, want to know what they can do to help our nation’s healthcare professionals rise to this challenge. Their first task should …
States Lead The Way in Coronavirus Crisis With Emergency Removal of Occupational Licensing Obstacles—Why Not Make Them Permanent? Today, Vice President Mike Pence announced that the Department of Health and Human Services is considering a national emergency order that would allow doctors throughout the country to practice across state …
Iowa, along with several other states, is considering occupational licensing reform. Reducing occupational licensing barriers will provide new opportunities for workers, attract new people to Iowa, and create a more competitive business environment. One aspect of occupational licensing reform is establishing reciprocity, or a universal licensing recognition, for out-of-state licensees. …
A Legislative Year for Smaller Government and Smarter Solutions Iowa is in an exciting place as we start a new decade of the 21st century. Iowa’s economy is strong and our state budget has an estimated $470 million budget surplus. This does not mean that we do not have …
Iowa needs more workers. Changing our burdensome occupational licenses would help Iowans climb the employment ladder and open the door to new residents. Occupational licensing can be both excessive and expensive. This past spring Arizona became the first state in the nation to pass a universal licensing recognition for …
Protecting the safety and health of citizens is a legitimate function of government. Occupational licensing is not necessarily the only way to do that, and a balance must be struck between regulation and liberty. Iowa’s policymakers and business leaders agree: The state’s economy needs more skilled workers. One area …
Barbers and hairstylists in Iowa must cut through massive amounts of red tape before they can cut hair. Red tape, in the form of excessive regulations, makes it harder for Iowa to attract new residents and create new opportunities for current workers. Sadly, these burdensome regulations are not only cost-prohibitive …
Two states take a bite out of occupational licensing by allowing reciprocity. Arizona has led the way by granting reciprocity for out-of-state licenses. Arizona will grant a license “to new residents who were licensed for at least one year in another state, so long as their credentials haven’t been …
Continue reading “Occupational Licensing Made Easier for New Residents”
Arizona is a national leader in occupational licensing reform and creating an environment where everyone can work and earn a living. States are in fierce competition to attract new citizens. Those with low tax rates are already proving that tax rates matter, while states with higher rates are experiencing an …
Continue reading “Why Are Hair Salons and Ice Cream Shops Overregulated?”
The Right to Earn a Living Act, along with additional occupational licensing reform, will reduce barriers to the workforce and create economic opportunity and liberty. “Just because somebody packs up that moving van in Chicago, Illinois, they don’t lose their skills on the way to the state of Arizona. …
Continue reading “Arizona is Promoting Economic Liberty Through Occupational Licensing Reform”
