EDITORIAL: Jailed for doggy massages

These pages have long argued against overly burdensome occupational licensing regulations. But when even The New York Times weighs in on such restrictions, you know there’s a problem. And when it brings together the Koch brothers and the Obama administration — akin to seeing a leprechaun and a unicorn on the same day, just before recording a hole-in-one — it’s clearly time to get something done.

Patricia Cohen of the Times reported recently that states across the country have dramatically expanded licensing requirements for a bewildering variety of jobs. The rules demand that potential workers endure months or years of educational expenses, along with costly fees to complete and retain licensing.

Rather than promote public safety, these restrictions often protect entrenched interests at the expense of innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation.

Ms. Cohen highlights the plight of Grace Granatelli, an animal masseuse in Scottsdale, Ariz. She started her business amid the recession after taking several courses and workshops. Ms. Cohen noted that Ms. Granatelli’s primary form of advertising was her car — bearing the license plate “K9 RUBS” — and her Pawsitive Touch website stenciled onto the back window.

Of course, the last thing this country needs are innovative, entrepreneurial people using their own abilities and resources to rise from the recession, while also providing a service people are willing to pay for. So in stepped Arizona’s Veterinary Medical Examining Board, in 2013, with a cease-and-desist letter, demanding that Ms. Granatelli shut down her business, because she was “medically” treating animals without a veterinary degree. Each Swedish doggy massage from that point forward would result in a $1,000 fine.

The fine pales, however, when compared with the cost of bringing Ms. Granatelli’s business into compliance: four years at an accredited veterinary school — none of which, Ms. Cohen wrote, require courses in massage technique, and many of which don’t even offer such a course — at a price tag of $250,000. For doggy back rubs. Seriously.

The Institute for Justice, a public-interest law firm in Arlington, Va., and a trailblazer in challenging this kind of nonsense, has filed suit in Arizona on behalf of Ms. Granatelli and others. That case is pending — and it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Nevada is among the states with the most burdensome licensing obstacles. We’ve previously noted the 2½-year requirement to become a barber in Nevada, along with overbearing regulations for cosmetologists, interior designers, Uber/Lyft drivers and a host of other occupations. Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison told Ms. Cohen, “Why in the world do we regulate barbers? A bad haircut is the last thing that a person is going to put up with and return to. It is the ultimate example of self-regulating industry.”

Exactly.

On the bright side, the Obama administration and the Koch brothers have collaborated with like-minded organizations and political leaders in an effort to roll back licensing rules, arguing that many licensing boards unconstitutionally interfere with the right to earn a living.

Nevada lawmakers should take Lt. Gov. Hutchison’s comments to heart and work toward aggressive occupational licensing reform, which is a sure-fire jobs creator and economic booster.

The president and the Koch brothers agree. You can’t get much more bipartisan than that.