GOP’s Labor Shortage Solution: Child Labor
Florida’s Republican-led legislature is considering a bill allowing 14-year-olds to work overnight shifts, driven by labor shortages exacerbated by anti-immigration policies. This follows a trend across several red states weakening child labor laws, ostensibly to address labor shortfalls but potentially exploiting vulnerable youth. The bill eliminates existing time restrictions for homeschooled or virtually schooled children, despite rising child labor violations in the state. Critics argue this action prioritizes business interests over child safety and reverses decades of protections.
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood