Lower Barriers to Employment to Give Workers a Fighting Chance

• Nathan Benefield
• March 26, 2019

People make mistakes; sometimes life-altering ones that harm the entire community.  But when they seek to get their life back on track and pay their debt to society, we should…

Media

Criminal Justice Reform

Punitive Occupational Licensing Laws Bar Pennsylvanians from Work

• Jessica Barnett
• January 11, 2019

Pennsylvania’s occupational licensing laws are keeping two Philadelphia women out of work. Courtney Haveman and Amanda Spillane have sued the commonwealth after the Pennsylvania Cosmetology Board denied their cosmetology licenses…

Media

Pennsylvanians Need Permission to Work

• November 30, 2017

Great news! Pennsylvania has the least burdensome licensing laws in the nation. The bad news? Pennsylvania frequently licensees occupations that are not licensed by other states. Want to be a…

Media

Regulation

Who Should Need the Government’s Permission to Work?

• Elizabeth Stelle
• May 16, 2012

What's more dangerous, an incompetent barber or incompetent emergency medical worker? Most people would say and EMT, but a barber has to undergo almost nine times the hours of training…

Media

Regulation

Which is more destructive – high taxes or occupational licensing

• Nathan Benefield
• October 17, 2008

“Joe the Plumber” has made lots of headlines – since he put the screws to Barack Obama about how Obama’s tax increases might affect him – but this…

Media

Regulation

Hair Braiding Drama

• Nathan Benefield
• September 6, 2006

Patriot News article on the fear of unlicensed hair-braiders vs. the danger in regulatory professions (though they emphasize the former). Read Stephen Albert’s commentary on the burdens of…

Media

Regulation

The Burden of Over-Regulation

• August 28, 2006

Summer’s Best Two Weeks (SB2W) is a non-profit summer camp located in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Laurel Mountains for children ages 8 to 18. SB2W counselors have led campers on…

Commentary