On Tuesday, former White House propagandist and current governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, signed into law the Youth Hiring Act of 2023. Under this new law children younger than 16 do not need permission from the Division of Labor to get a job or an employment certificate, which verified their age, described their work and work schedule, and included written consent from a parent or guardian. This is what the party that beats its chest about protecting children is up to. Yup.
Mind you, this bill was signed into law on the heels of the Department of Labor reporting widespread employment of children in at least eight states doing hazardous work involving caustic chemicals; and in Arkansas proper—as well as Texas—Chili’s restaurant has allegedly subjected teenage females to sexual harassment. (The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission is suing.) Perfect timing, Guv.
But let’s not put all the onus of evil on Huckabee Sanders and her ilk. No, there has to be a plurality of voters siding with them to be able to reach office and put laws like this one into effect. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again and I’ll probably keep saying it for a very long time: the GOPee are immoral hacks, but the people who vote for them and enable this sort of thing are the true demons.
