The Maddow Blog - Maine pol: Put those kids to work

Maine pol: Put those kids to work

Child labor panels in Judy Taylor's mural.

A Maine Republican lawmaker's proposal to roll back the state's child labor laws turns out to be surprisingly readable. The official summary for "An Act To Enhance Access to the Workplace for Minors" is below. The rest is readily apparent, like the part where they cross out a prohibition on kids working more than 50 hours on school breaks. Go read it.

This bill amends the laws governing employment practices in the following ways:

1. It establishes a training wage for trainees or secondary students under 20 years of age at $5.25 per hour for their first 180 days of employment;

2. It eliminates the maximum number of hours a minor 16 years of age or older can work during school days;

3. It allows a minor under 16 years of age to work up to 4 hours on a school day during hours when school is not in session;

4. It allows a home-schooled student to work during regular public school hours, but not during regularly scheduled home school hours;

5. It exempts a minor under 16 years of age who is enrolled in school from the maximum hour requirements to work in an agricultural setting as long as the minor has written permission from the minor's parent or guardian; and

6. It allows a parent or guardian of a minor who is home schooled to sign a work permit instead of the superintendent of the school administrative unit where the homeschooled minor lives.