Noah Berry, Edward Timmons: Gov. Ron DeSantis misses the mark with licensing reform veto

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Despite Florida’s labor shortage and its consequences, Gov. Ron DeSantis recently acted to continue one barrier to employment by vetoing House Bill 133. The bill was proposed earlier this year and saw wide bipartisan support. It would have made entry into the workforce easier for those leaving prison in two ways.

First, the bill would have shrunk the years from a conviction after a person could get a license as a barber or cosmetologist from five years to three. Second, it would have allowed licensing board to count training earned in prison toward the hours needed to earn a barber or cosmetologist license.

Florida, like the rest of the country, is experiencing a serious labor shortage. From the beginning of July, there have been only 53 workers for every 100 jobs in the state.

Sadly, what this means for Floridians is a lower average income as well as fewer goods and services at increasingly high prices.

The number of those living below the poverty line in Florida has steadily increased to more than 12% over the last few years. Similarly, the average debt across the state rose to nearly 14%. These problems are symptoms of an overall increased cost of living, especially in food and housing. Of course, the labor shortage is only one part of the problem; however, its role cannot be ignored.

Licensing requirements do much to keep people out of the workforce. This is especially true for those without high levels of education. For many living in poverty, providing haircuts is a quick and accessible route to a steady income — helping them overcome the high cost of living. Florida requires aspiring barbers and cosmetologists to complete 602 and 1200 hours of education and training, respectively.

It is unclear why aspiring cosmetologists must complete twice as much education as barbers. Even more confusing is why cosmetologists must complete more than 11 times as much education and training as emergency medical technicians.

Putting the need for further licensing reform aside for the moment, forbidding those leaving prison from pursuing barber and cosmetology licenses for five years and ignoring the training they earned while behind bars leads to serious problems.

For one, it makes it harder for them to find jobs despite the massive demand for workers. The sheer amount of time required by Florida’s licensing laws is a serious cost for those already struggling to make ends meet. This difficulty can push them back into crime as they struggle to find gainful employment.

Thus, Florida citizens are not only suffering the continuing consequences of labor shortages but are also less safe from eliminating opportunities for individuals to re-engage with the workforce.

It should be highlighted that Florida policymakers generally have made significant strides in paring back licensing requirements in recent years.

In 2020, Gov. DeSantis signed HB 1193 — a sweeping licensing reform bill that eliminated several licenses, such as requirements for interior designers, and significantly reduced licensing requirements for barbers. This year, Florida also became the 26^th state to enact some form of universal recognition with the passage of SB 1600 — making it easier for new residents of the Sunshine State to begin working without the typical bureaucratic delay.

Blocking a reform like HB 133 is inconsistent with this prior record of important and historic reforms. In short, Gov. DeSantis missed a golden opportunity to lessen the burden on citizens in Florida who could least afford it.

Getting smarter on crime can make Florida a safer and more prosperous place than it already is.

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Noah Berry is a student intern; Edward Timmons is the Knee Regulatory Research Center director at West Virginia University.