Wisconsin GOP Bill To Allow Child Labor Without Work Permits Vetoed By Democratic Gov. Tony Evers: ‘It’s Absolutely Wrong’

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) vetoed Republican Senate Bill 436, which would have allowed 14- and 15-year-old Wisconsin teenagers to work without permits.

Evers vetoed this bill during the Wisconsin State Council of Machinists Conference, which was held at a Capitol Square hotel alongside members of the labor group Wisconsin AFL-CIO.

“Growing up, it shouldn’t be worrying about getting injured on the job, or receiving a fair wage for their work, or being taken advantage of,” he stated shortly before issuing the veto. “It’s time that Republicans get real about the real pressing challenges, and I’ve put them on notice.”

The bill would effectively abolish work permits for 14- and 15-year-olds in Wisconsin, as state law changed in 2017 to remove this prerequisite for 16- and 17-year-olds. This law replaced references to “child labor” in state statutes with the “employment of minors.”

“Parents should have the right to deal with this issue,” the Wisconsin governor declared while vetoing the legislation. “[The bill] sends a message that 14- and 15-year-olds can do anything. They can go into the most dangerous places without any ok . And that is just absolutely wrong.”

State Sen. Cory Tomczyk (R-Mosinee), Rep. Clint Moses (R-Menomonie) and Rep. Amy Binsfeld (R-Sheboygan), who introduced this bill in 2023, said that it would eliminate unnecessary administrative barriers that slow down the hiring process.

Currently, work permits are required for 14- and 15-year-olds unless they have careers in the agriculture or domestic service sectors. Parents or guardians must apply for their child’s work permit, and the employers reimburse the $10 fee.

The bill would have also removed street trade permits for this age group, which are necessary for delivering newspapers or selling products door-to-door. These permits are not required when fundraising for nonprofits or schools.

Individuals who opposed the bill argued that removing the permit system might take away the method of telling employers about child labor laws and the Department of Workforce Development’s (DWD) system for collecting data to assist efforts to reduce violations, which would be terminated without funding to cover the agency’s $169,000 growth in costs.

“The bill is anticipated to reduce education and outreach interactions with employers, employees and their guardians, which would increase the number of [Equal Rights Division] investigations,” the department mentioned in a testimony during a hearing on the bill in late 2023.

Child labor violations, which are tracked by the federal government, have increased nationally, especially in investigations connected to Wisconsin.

A federal investigation into the death of a 16-year-old boy at a Florence, Wisconsin, sawmill in the summer of 2023 found the company employed children as young as 14 years old to operate machinery and work outside of authorized hours unlawfully. 

Three children, ages 15 to 16, had been injured at the mill in the last two years, and the company paid nearly $191,000 in fines.

Labor groups such as the Wisconsin AFL-CIO were against that effort, claiming that permits protect young workers from exploitation and grant parents a say in their child’s employment.

Repealing child labor laws has become a significant issue for Republicans at the state level.

In March 2023, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed a bill into law that eliminated a measure requiring employers to procure work certificates for children under 16.

Minors who are under 16 need to verify their age and get their parents’ or guardians’ written consent before the state’s Division of Labor sends out a work certificate.

House Bill 1410, the Youth Hiring Act of 2023, passed the Arkansas state legislature in early March 2023. It required children under 16 to have a work certificate as a necessity of employment.

Supporters of the legislation argued that removing this certificate would also remove a step that kept minors from receiving a job in Arkansas.