Idaho Legislature
State Licensing Bills
For being in a conservative state, our legislators are so eager to create artificial barriers to entry. As per usual we have a number of licensure bills this session. Even our “Liberty Legislators” are jumping on the band wagon.
HB3 Counselors, therapists, licensing
Voted into law, HB3 changes the requirement for receiving a certification in counseling from 60 graduate credits to a Master’s degree. Of course the MA must be from a state accredited school. So Idaho has now officially made it harder for a counselor to practice. On top of that it comes at a massive cost, most of which is collected by the government. You have to pay Idaho State upwards of $100,000 in order to become a counselor, a job that pays, on average not even half of that, and in most cases is funded through taxpayer dollars.
HB 144 & S1053 Barber, cosmetology services
We all remember the fight about licensing people to do hair, and how utterly dumb that was. Well, here we go again. Government takes a completely out of this world licensure, which has basically been an extortion act on the entrepreneur and furthering the paternalism of the government, and expanded it.
HB144 made the correction to include barber and barber-styling to those needing an apprenticeship. Also HB1053 adds in “persons who provide on-site personal care or hygiene services including shaving, trimming of hair, beard or mustache, washing, brushing, or combing hair, and basic skin care and nail care to residents at facilities licensed under the department of health and welfare division of licensing and certification” into the category of those needing a state issued license.
This means that all these people need to borrow money from the state… or take grants funded by the taxpayer, to pay government propped up schools, then test and pay for a certification issues from the government. This also isn’t even mentioning the excessive amount of business licensing and reporting that one must do, upkeep like continuing education units, and license renewals.
S1062 & S1129 Dental therapists
S1062 attempts to define “dental therapy,” which is a very vague term. Even by educational standards the profession is hard to describe. After that S1129 places requirements for this vague profession to undergo a school and a degree, and once again a license from the state.
HB 45 Driving businesses, apprenticeship
Now here is a much more interesting bill. This actually CUTS the requirements down for a licensure. I am still against the idea of a license, but I am also okay with taking inches where we can get them. HB 45 cuts class room hours in half, to 30 hours, and cuts behind the wheel training from 108 hours to 16!
S1035, S1138, & S1009 Electrical contractors
S1035 is another bill that holds mixed emotions. S1035 creates another path for electrician inspectors to gain licensure. If we are going to live in a world where we have licenses, then I would like the ability to get one to be easier to achieve and the fact that there is multiple paths to do so makes it easier.
S1138 lines out the parameters for a provisional journeyman’s permit, which is an awkward place between an installer and journeyman. This is probably set up to convolute the process even further.
S1009 doesn’t tell us a lot. More or less just some definitions added and makes a point that it is illegal for someone to be an electrical installer without a license.
HB 39 Building code, certification
Here is another interesting bill. HB39 eliminates one option for building inspectors to become certified, yet they balance this bill by also making it easier for someone to be hired as a building inspector. An individual under HB39 can be hired as a building inspector so long as they work under a licensed building inspector and get their certification within six months.
HB 151 Food establishment fees
HB151 is a much better bill. This bill cuts the fees for food establishments. There are a number of cuts and even a provision that prohibits further imposition of fees as well. These types of bills allow for people to be able to make a living easier then before. It is important that we make it as easy as possible, and with as little burden as possible, for people to open businesses and create a living for themselves and their families. While this isn’t the most ideal proposal, I would promote this as a step in the right direction.
HB 98 Marriage, age
A bill that passed and has left people furious. HB98 allows for the age of consent to marry to be lowered to 16. People miss the biggest issue here, and that is the fact that government has no business in marriage. Even from a religious stand point; if you believe that marriage is between man, woman, and god, then the only “G” in that equation is god… not government. I have just released an article dealing with the paternalism in government and how we as parents prolong it. I think that we need to take more responsibility for raising our children to make the right choices instead of depending on the state to “protect” us.
HB 7 Nursing home admin
HB7 makes adjustments for nursing home administrators. This bill does two great things. First it lowers the age of an individual to become a nursing home administrator and secondly places a limit on how long an in training program can be; two years.
HB 22 Licensing, speech, hearing services
This is a license that I have hated for a long time. A license for a sign language interpreter. Nevertheless, this bill is aimed at doing away with an age limit all together. Again, this is a step in the right direction. People may be concerned with minors getting licenses and how that might affect the quality, but that leaves out the important element that people have to hire them, and additionally leaves out the fact that you the consumer would purchases their services if they employed children, whether you found it morally repulsive or not finding children to be qualified for the job they are licensed for.
HB 6 Social work licensing, LBSW
This bill simply allows for a change in wording to allow for a licensed social worker at the bachelor level. Not sure if there was that availability before, but it would seem there wasn’t. Once again I don’t think there should be a licensure here, but since there is I am glad that those with a BA don’t have to go further into debt just to have the state bestow a license upon them.
HB 10 Pharmacy practice act
HB10 cuts a lot of jargon out, but in return makes the bill very vague. Instead of listing which people will be affected by the bill, it simply lists “practitioners licensed by the state.” This creates a broad umbrella and allows the state to manipulate this phrase at a later date.
People may ask, “But why are you so opposed to licensing?” The reason has to do with the government picking winners and losers. It has to do with the government fulfilling the role as a parent. I oppose licensing because it takes away the ability for us as consumers to choose and the ability for some one to make money harder. They carry this out under the guise of trying to protect citizens and the professionals, when in all actuality it is a conformist method of generating revenue.
If I choose to go to a hair cutter who burns my scalp, then I probably shouldn’t go back. I should probably do some research on dentists before I go to one. Especially in to day’s age of the internet and reviews, another free market innovation that has made people’s lives better, conducting these searches and reviews is easier than ever. We will read endless reviews on items that are so insignificant; a HDMI cable. Yet, we don’t think that we would do the same for a counselor? That’s just what the state would like you to think.
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