56°F
weather icon Clear

Editorial: Barriers to honest work

Count the state’s new prison chief among those who embrace easing Nevada’s occupational licensing barriers.

Gov. Brian Sandoval in April tapped James Dzurenda to run Nevada’s Department of Corrections, which is responsible for some 13,500 inmates in 18 prisons. Mr. Dzurenda, whose background includes prison administrative jobs in New Jersey and New York City, makes it clear that rehabilitation and fighting recidivism trump warehousing.

“If I don’t do something to try to change their behavior, whether it’s addiction, lack of education, anger management or anything like that, then I’m doing a bad job for the community,” he told the Review-Journal last week.

As part of that effort, Mr. Dzurenda noted that Nevada’s occupational licensing regime serves as an obstacle to transitioning back into the community those who have served their time.

“Right now we do a great job of training inmates to be barbers,” he said. “Everyone has to get haircuts. … However our state law won’t allow them to get a license when they’re released from prison. Ever.”

In its seminal 2012 national report “License to Work,” the Institute for Justice documented how “license requirements for 102 low- and moderate-income occupations … make it harder for people to find jobs and build new businesses that create jobs, particularly minorities, those of lesser means and those with less education.”

The Institute, a public-interest law firm in Arlington, Va., also found that many state licensing mandates amount to nothing more than rent seeking masquerading as consumer protection and are not only “overly burdensome” but “frequently irrational.” As Politico noted, the well-connected “can limit competition by increasing the barriers … to enter the industry.”

Nevada, which imposes licensing demands on more than 50 jobs — including landscaper, interior designer and barber — ranked among the top five most burdensome states, according to the Institute for Justice study. As an example, it takes more than two years to complete the necessary coursework to become a barber in Nevada.

The situation is even worse for those with criminal records. As Mr. Dzurenda pointed out, many of the jobs that require licenses are closed to those with felony records. This may be reasonable for a handful of occupations, but it makes little sense to stop an ex-con from making a living by cutting hair.

The issue resonates across the political spectrum among those seeking to increase economic opportunity, particularly in poorer communities. Dozens of states are re-evaluating the need for many licensing requirements — and Nevada should join the conversation when the Legislature convenes in Carson City next year.

Lawmakers would be wise to ask Mr. Dzurenda to offer his perspective.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
EDITORIAL: Blame Canada

Trudeau embraces widespread state censorship.