Every Democrat in Iowa's Senate, as well as two Republicans, voted nay on a controversial bill early Tuesday that would allow teens to work longer hours in currently banned jobs, including in roles that serve booze. But the rest of the body's GOP pushed the legislation through by a vote of 32-17, raising concerns about the safety of young employees in the state, per the Des Moines Register. The bill gives the Iowa Department of Education or Iowa Workforce Development agency the ability to issue exceptions to certain jobs that 14- to 17-year-olds in the state aren't permitted at the moment to work. For instance, the bill would permit teens to serve alcohol in restaurants only (no bars or strip clubs), as long as the teen is at least 16 and has a written OK from a parent or guardian.
The new law would allow teens to perform in other currently restricted roles—including dangerous jobs like excavation, roofing, and demolition, per the Iowa Capital Dispatch—as long as they underwent special training. Young employees' workdays also get longer under the legislation: Those under 16 can now work up to six hours daily, up from four, and until 9pm during the school year and 11pm over summer break. Kids who are at least 16 could work the same number of hours as adults. In addition to giving kids the chance to earn spending money or save for big-ticket items like a car, GOP lawmakers say Senate File 542 would teach minors valuable workplace skills.
They also argue that the decision on...
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