EDITORIAL: Economic liberty

This past Labor Day, America once again celebrated the people and businesses that help to strengthen our economy. And while millions of workers keep the economic engines humming, others struggle to join the work-force, shut out by excessive regulations that make obtaining various occupational licenses exceedingly difficult.

Now, the Institute for Justice — which has long led the charge against needless regulatory barriers to employment — has launched “IJ Asks Why” to urge entrepreneurs, policymakers and others to rethink the underlying justification for “laws that stand between entrepreneurs of modest means and their ability to climb the economic ladder.”

The effort deserves national support — and Nevada pols at the state and local level should jump on board.

Consider just one example highlighting the absurd and arbitrary nature of some such restrictions. According to a 2012 IJ estimate, the typical EMT license costs $85 and requires 33 days of education and training. At the same time, cosmetologists must be licensed in all 50 states at an average cost of $142, and after more than a year of education and training.

As part of its initiative, the Institute for Justice proposes seven easy steps jurisdictions should take to move away from these oppressive types of laws and, instead, use the power of economic liberty to boost growth. Those steps include: streamlining business licensing, relaxing restrictions on street vendors and food trucks, allowing for more competition in transportation markets, relieving the burden of stifling zoning codes, and removing unnecessary regulations for food businesses.

“By reducing the barriers to entrepreneurship and eliminating unjustifiable economic regulations, local governments can unleash the creative potential of their citizens and empower individuals to put themselves to work,” the report suggests.

Nevada features some of the most onerous occupational licensing laws in the nation. State lawmakers, along with members of the governing bodies in Las Vegas and Clark County, should embrace the Institute’s suggested reforms.