LANSING, Mich. — A bill moving through the Michigan State Capitol could change how teens get hired for summer jobs.
For teens looking for a job, getting a work permit is the first step.
"It's just something that the kid's gotta bring in, fill out and turn in," said Shawn Sodman, owner of The Daily Scoop in Mason.
Sodman said even though work permits are required, they don't affect his business. Instead, they feel like "a needles bureaucracy."
A bill proposal in Lansing is stirring up debate with conversation over eliminating work permits as a whole.
The bill sponsor, Rep. Mike Hoadley, said his goal is making the process to get that first job easier.
"A permit process, particularly when it's centralized at the state, could deter that hiring process in getting into that entry level employment," said Hoadley. "What this bill does is eliminate state government from that process by eliminating the work permit itself."
The largest labor federation in Michigan, the Michigan AFL-CIO, is against the plan, saying the permit process is more than just paperwork.
"I don't think that it's a significant barrier, and I think that the risk by losing that oversight can put a lot more teens in danger than it's potentially helping," said Ryan Sebolt, director of government affairs for the Michigan AFL-CIO. "I think we are missing a critical component of oversight that's important for safety."
As far as changes for The Daily Scoop, Sodman said there would be none.
"It would just be one less thing I gotta fill out, sign and send back," said Sodman.
The bill was approved by the House Economic Competitiveness Committee and now heads to the Rules Committee for referral.
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