April 25, 2024 01:56 PM UTC
0 Feedback- by: Colorado Pols
Yesterday the Colorado Home handed Home Invoice 24-1095, laws to extend penalties on employers who violate little one labor regulation. From a Home Democratic majority press launch:
“Through the years, Colorado has made necessary progress to enhance little one labor legal guidelines – however we should guarantee violators are held accountable for his or her actions,” mentioned Rep. Sheila Lieder, D-Littleton. “Underneath present regulation, companies face small or non-existent fines for little one labor violations that may very well be placing our youth in danger. Our invoice would considerably enhance monetary penalties to carry unhealthy actors accountable, and importantly, preserve our youth protected. We’re additionally dedicated to defending those that converse out about little one labor violations from retaliation, and this invoice units up pointers to make sure these whistleblowers are protected.”
“We have to guarantee our state’s little one labor legal guidelines are working as meant – the well being and security of our youth depends upon it,” mentioned Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder. “This invoice encourages violation reporting, improves transparency round enforcement measures, and will increase penalties for violations of those frequent sense protections. Outlined within the invoice are further whistleblower protections to maintain those that report little one labor violations protected from retaliation. On the finish of the day, we have to guarantee our companies are working lawfully and our youth is protected, and this invoice brings us nearer to that necessary aim.”
HB24-1095 would replace the Colorado Youth Employment Alternative Act of 1971 and strengthen the penalty construction. Underneath present regulation, first-time little one labor regulation violators face no fines or fines of just a few hundred {dollars}. This invoice would increase complete employer legal responsibility to $750 for first-time offenses and $10,000 for willful or repeated offenses. HB24-1095 would additionally take away authorized disincentives that preserve victims of kid labor violations from reporting and shield little one staff from employer retaliation.
Looks like a reasonably uncontroversial thought, doesn’t it? You wouldn’t understand it from the party-line vote on the invoice yesterday morning:
There reportedly wasn’t a lot debate over this invoice in comparison with so many others this session that Republicans haven’t simply voted towards however vociferously objected to till being lastly gaveled down, however the Colorado Home GOP’s unanimous stand towards this invoice to extend penalties for little one labor violations is per Republican makes an attempt throughout the nation to weaken little one labor legal guidelines over the previous few years. ABC Information reported on the development in February:
In keeping with the left-leaning assume tank Financial Coverage Institute, no less than 30 states have launched or handed payments to weaken little one labor protections since 2021 — and in 9 of these states, laws has been launched to increase youth employment in hazardous occupations or workplaces.
On this 12 months alone, 11 states have launched or taken new motion on payments to roll again little one labor protections in 2024, based on EPI.
“It’s immoral and inappropriate and totally the fallacious resolution to roll again little one labor regulation,” mentioned Terri Gerstein, the director of a labor initiative at New York College. “All that weakening and rolling again little one labor legal guidelines goes to do is create extra youngsters whose fingers and palms, legs are amputated who’re killed on the job.”
Republicans with no majority energy in our state can’t hope to roll again little one labor legal guidelines right here like their colleagues are doing elsewhere, however by voting towards more and more little one labor regulation violation penalties they’re signaling what they might do if that they had management of the legislature and governor’s mansion. Like abortion rights till this 12 months’s constitutional protections cross, it’s one other challenge the place Democrats can present plausibly that the state is just one election away from disaster.
It undeniably places another spin on the “celebration of household values.”