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submitted 10 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

A proposed Florida law seeking to roll back restrictions on teenage labor was drafted by a far-right conservative think tank pushing similar efforts nationwide

A new measure in Florida aims to allow 16-year-old kids to drop out of school and work full time.

An amendment to HB 49 — offered by the bill’s author, state Rep. Linda Chaney (R) — would eliminate laws that prevent 16 and 17-year-olds from working more than 30 hours a week, impose 8-hour workday restrictions, and guarantee mandated breaks every four hours.

The bill, introduced in September and now under review by the Florida House Regulatory Reform and Economic Development Subcommittee, would relegate 16 and 17-year-olds to virtually the same status as an employee who is over 18 years of age — provided that the teens have either formally dropped out of school or are taking classes online or at home. Furthermore, the bill would also severely curtail local municipalities’ ability to implement their own provisions to combat the workplace exploitation of minors.

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[-] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 35 points 10 months ago

Matt Gaetz was immediately on board after seeing the headline and then learned that it was about employment.

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 11 points 10 months ago

The one time Gaetz will agree with the left that sex work is work.

[-] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Once again, big bad government stands in the way of a job creator.

[-] Theprogressivist@lemmy.world 34 points 10 months ago

They clearly want a dumb youth. Funny that if they get their way, they won't even be around to see the state of the country by that point.

[-] DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

They clearly want slavery but can't get away with outright slavery rn, but once they can they will have their slaves again.

[-] Holyhandgrenade@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago

They certainly can get away with slavery, ever heard of the prison system?

[-] DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I hate when people like you get pendantic about slavery, sure of course I've heard of the prison system, like who tf hasn't? My asshole father is only a retired Riker's island guard.

So the vast majority of the prison system doesn't practice slavery/forced labor/indentured servitude. Also most labor in the prison system is voluntary, because sitting around a prison all day sucks and is boring as hell, and picking up litter is a chance to be outside of the walls while doing the community a service, yes I get not all of prison labor is litter work it's just an example, again I know about this too firsthand from some time spent in jail in my younger and dumber youth.

Sure i don't agree with every law on the books, especially every law that will land you in prison, especially stuff like marijuana laws, however with that said, also sure, most people in the prison system should be in a robust well regulated mental healthcare system instead, also sure a sizable portion of the prison system comes from poverty related crimes that could be better addressed with stronger safety nets and rehabilitation, but there are legit criminals in there too, people that prey on other people in one way or the other, and those people obviously deserve to be in prison or something prison adjacent that can help improve them or something.

So with that said the difference is there's prison and there's slavery, you can get out of prison through legal means, you cannot get out of slavery. Your life and physical well-being is in danger more in slavery than prison, there are no regulations, oversight, or watchdogs for slavery, yet ine the prison system when things aren't being hindered by conservative shitheads only interested in vengeance upon the "sinners" the system has these safeguards.

Overall there's a huge difference between being beaten, raped, and murdered for the various reasons that that will happen to slaves, as opposed to the same happening because the guard(s) are criminals, the prison leadership is abusive, neglectful, and/or corrupt, or that the criminal justice system is broken, and that difference is slavery is criminal, yet our criminal justice system is simply rife with systemic failures and human failures, we can fix the prison system, we have no power over criminals who enslave people, outside of imprisoning them after due process.

[-] stoly@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

That's because they don't actually WANT anything, they are just against everything. Consequences don't matter.

[-] BeanGoblin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 10 months ago

Of course they want something. They want money. They want power. They want to eliminate dissent. They want the people they don't like to be hurt.

[-] crypticthree@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago

They also want to curtail workers rights. Why pay an adult wage when you can pay a poor child who lives at home with momma

[-] frustratedphagocytosis@kbin.social 27 points 10 months ago

So how does a full time employee 16 year old protect their income from being taken by guardians? Can you get a checking account without a parent signing on? How does a 16 year old arrange for housing needs or set up accounts to pay utilities?

[-] bobs_monkey@lemm.ee 19 points 10 months ago

That's not their problem. These lawmaker's only concern is protecting the interests of the business owners they represent above their constituents, they couldn't care less what happens to the kids their stripping labor protections from.

[-] andros_rex@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

From what I understand, the only real way would be for the kid to protect their money is to put it in some sort of trust or custodial account (which they would likely need an adult to help set up) until they turn 18.

[-] Kepabar@startrek.website 1 points 10 months ago

A 16 year old can get emancipation from the court in Florida. Doing so would make it so parents or guardian would no longer have claim over any money earned.

That's the one decent argument for this law; an emancipated 16 year old needs the ability to work a full time job to support themselves as no one else is legally required to do so.

[-] pinkdrunkenelephants@lemmy.cafe 1 points 10 months ago

Give teenagers rights, but no one wants to do that. Adults like having an underclass they can exploit and abuse without consequence

[-] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 23 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

The children yearn for the mines

Why else do we call them ‘miners’?

[-] MaxVoltage@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

conservatives will post this on 4chan and have a genuine heart felt discussiin on how if they could put their NOTwelfare babies to work at wendys they can have a huge increase in WoW money

[-] Sanctus@lemmy.world 20 points 10 months ago

Can we fucking not? These laws were written in blood.

[-] stoly@lemmy.world 19 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

By boomers' parents. The narcissist boomers don't have the empathy for others.

[-] EmergMemeHologram@startrek.website 17 points 10 months ago

Now if only they could go after environmental laws too so we can go back to the good old days.

The great William Blake even wrote a poem immortalizing the joys of children working as chimney sweepers, and now we deny them of that.

Through hard labour and faith in Christianity, the children can reach their ultimate reward.

[-] DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago

"the children yearn for the mines"

[-] Theprogressivist@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Ultimate Reward

A good pat on the head for a job well done.

[-] EmergMemeHologram@startrek.website 7 points 10 months ago

In the poem it's a black coffin and green fields in heaven.

If you pay them it will only make it harder for them to get into heaven, and who would want to deprive the children of their best chances of eternal joy?

[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Silicosis, dismemberment, Death. Death like symptoms?

[-] Smokeless7048@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

Thanks for introducing me to that poem. Really drives home how you can make child labour sound positive, while driving home biting critisim "dont worry, you and your friends will soon be dead after a brutal short life, but HEAVEN!!!"

[-] EmergMemeHologram@startrek.website 4 points 10 months ago

I read a bunch of his poems growing up, but that one has always stuck with me.

The ending feels as true now as then, there're so many situations where people dismiss the suffering of others as "gods plan" when none of it has to happen.

[-] mastefetri@infosec.pub 15 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I bet none of the children of the people who wrote this law will end up working in a factory though. I think in every single story I've read about teenagers getting maimed or killed in a factory they were a migrant from Latin America. The same people Republicans demonize on a daily basis. It's disgusting.

[-] moon@lemmy.cafe 7 points 10 months ago

Can't run out of a supply of people to exploit. Who better then those who can't defend themselves and are extremely vulnerable?

[-] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social 6 points 10 months ago

The orphan-grinding machine demands cheap labor

[-] minibyte@sh.itjust.works 6 points 10 months ago

I wasn’t aware Florida had any remaining labor restrictions.

[-] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 6 points 10 months ago

Republicans have horrible ideas. Stop voting for them.

[-] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 5 points 10 months ago

Jbfc that is so cruel. This is capitalism. We work long hours to survive. If we need children to do this, we have fucked up.

[-] greenskye@lemm.ee 5 points 10 months ago

This is the party so concerned about children. Woo!

[-] MonsiuerPatEBrown@reddthat.com 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

As long as we lower the voting age to 16, too, then I am fine with that Republican gambit.

Taxation needs representation, like no duh.

[-] andros_rex@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

They’re already trying to raise the age… lots of conservatives who aren’t even that fringe have talked about wanting to eliminate the 19th amendment….

[-] TheMongoose@kbin.social 4 points 10 months ago

How can anyone put their name to that and still look themselves in the mirror in the morning? Jesus christ, that's ghoulish.

[-] ZILtoid1991@kbin.social 3 points 10 months ago

But at least they won't hear the word "gay"...

[-] A7thStone@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

They will everyday, as they and their ignorant co-workers use it as an insult towards each other.

[-] aew360@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago

It’s the only way they’ll make up the severe labor shortage when they scare off all the immigrants

[-] sleepdrifter@startrek.website 1 points 10 months ago

I feel like I've read the same story about another state today

this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2024
328 points (98.5% liked)

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