Louisiana lawmakers vote to remove lunch breaks for child workers, cut unemployment benefits.

[Pull Up the Roots]

A House committee approved the bill along with others to reduce unemployment benefits and workers' compensation wages.

A Louisiana House committee voted Thursday to repeal a law requiring employers to give child workers lunch breaks and to cut unemployment benefits — part of a push by Republicans to remove constraints on employers and reduce aid for injured and unemployed workers.

The House Labor and Industrial Relations panel advanced the child labor legislation, House Bill 156, along with House Bill 119, which would slash the amount of time for which people can collect unemployment aid. A third bill the committee approved, House Bill 529, would change how workers' compensation wages are calculated in ways that could reduce benefits received by some injured laborers.

The bills, which head to the full House, are part of a broad effort by Republicans to weaken labor unions and strengthen employers' hands in Louisiana. They are aligned with steps other Republican-led legislatures have taken in recent years, and on Thursday, GOP lawmakers attributed the moves to Gov. Jeff Landry's directive to "reform" the business environment and remove bureaucratic red tape.

First-term state Rep. Roger Wilder, R-Denham Springs, who sponsored the child labor measure and owns Smoothie King franchises across the Deep South, said he filed the bill in part because children want to work without having to take lunch breaks. He questioned why Louisiana has the requirement while other states where he owns Smoothie King locations, such as Mississippi, don't have them, and criticized people who have questioned the bill's purpose.

“The wording is ‘We’re here to harm children.’ Give me a break," he said. "These are young adults.”

The committee approved his bill 10-3.

 

[the cac mamba]

disgusting people

 

[ORDER_66]

States rights... Dems dont seem to care... IJS... you already had factories get caught using illegal underage child labor no one went to jail... it seems like the govt doesnt care...

 

[ADevilYouKhow]

disgusting people

I thought you supported removing bureaucratic red tape, Bro?

 

[ADevilYouKhow]

Reducing aid for injured workers deserves a special realm of hell granted the entire bill is atrocious

@the next guy you know the vibes

 

[bnew]

Labor and Industrial Relations Committee

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[Gritsngravy]

I wonder how them oil/petroleum industry workers feel about this?

 

[Robbie3000]

Do Republicans ever pass any laws that are not punitive to one group of people or another?

 

[Rarely-Wrong Liggins]

Do Republicans ever pass any laws that are not punitive to one group of people or another?

No.

 

[BigMoneyGrip]

 

[Objection]

Landry is a psycho with a super majority at his back. There are several gun bills that will probably pass including one to allow teachers to pack pistols at school.

The people he had appointed to hear agencies have little to no experience. It's gonna be a rough four years. Hopefully it won't be eight

 

[the next guy]

Reducing aid for injured workers deserves a special realm of hell granted the entire bill is atrocious

@the next guy you know the vibes

work until you die brehs!

minimum wage until the end of time brehs!

live down south brehs!

 

[Json]

Do Republicans ever pass any laws that are not punitive to one group of people or another?

Corporations are people (Imagine Clarence Thomas head on top)

 

[John Reena]

I hate that my home state is overrun by MAGA extremism in government and these nikkaz down here won’t show up to vote. Smh.

 

[ADevilYouKhow]

work until you die brehs!

minimum wage until the end of time brehs!

live down south brehs!

Have a feeling these kids won’t be living long. Pretty sure the studies they did in the 1800s showed hungry/starving children aren’t the most careful workers….

I guess the reduced benefits for injured workers sorts out the issues of the ones that don’t die. That’s pretty clever actually albeit completely evil.