Since 2021, lawmakers in 31 states have introduced bills that would weaken child labor protections, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a think tank that examines how policies affect low- and middle-income workers. This year, EPI tracked bills weakening child labor protections that passed in eight red states: Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma and West Virginia.
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Jennifer Sherer, an EPI researcher who tracks the issue, said federal and state governments had for decades embraced protecting the youngest workers after eradicating the worst child labor abuses. But legislatures, backed by business groups, have recently sought to loosen standards, leading to heightened tensions over federal rules, she said.
“What we’re seeing is this pretty bold and alarming all-out assault on that consensus,” Sherer said.