Gov. Tony Evers on Monday vetoed a bill that would have allowed 14- and 15-year-olds in Wisconsin to work without getting consent from their parents or a state permit. The bill had passed the legislature along straight party lines, with all Republicans in support and Democrats against it. Republicans don’t have the votes to override the veto.
Supporters said the change would have eliminated red tape for employers and teenage job applicants and bolster the state’s workforce. Evers said he vetoed the bill for child safety reasons, echoing the sentiment of opponents that included organized labor.
Speaking Monday at the Wisconsin State Council of Machinists 2024 Spring Conference, Evers explained his veto of Senate Bill 436, which he called “not a serious proposal to address generational statewide issues.”
“I don’t have to tell the folks in this room that Wisconsin faces generational challenges retaining and recruiting talented workers,” Evers said. “In April last year, our state unemployment rate hit a historic-low of 2.4 percent. Last year, Wisconsin had the all-time lowest number of unemployed workers ever in modern history. And our state’s labor force participation rate also consistently remained above the national average throughout the year.
But, Evers said, “this bill is wrong for our kids and wrong for our state.”
Alex Hoekstra, Directing Business Representative of the Machinists Union District 10, applauded the governor’s action.
“Child labor safeguards are in place to protect the life, health, safety, and welfare of children,” he said. “Strong child labor laws are essential to keeping kids safe from injury or harm at work.”
In 2017, Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill that eliminated the work permit requirements for 16- and 17-year-olds. The bill Evers vetoed would have expanded the exemption to 14- and 15-year-olds.
