Ohio lawmakers are considering a bill to allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work longer hours on school nights. Senate Bill 30 passed a House committee in May opening it up for a final floor vote. Cincinnati Edition reached out to the bill's sponsor, Sen. Tim Schaffer, and he did not respond to repeated requests to join the program.
The measure comes as other states are considering similar changes and as child labor violations are on the rise across the U.S. On Cincinnati Edition, we'll discuss the arguments for and against the proposal and look at the state of child labor nationwide.
Plus, migrant children find themselves at the center of this issue. Too often, they're alone and exploited, facing dangerous working conditions in violation of child labor laws. We'll talk about the impact this push for looser labor laws could have on them.
Guests:
- Catherine Ingram, Ohio State senator, D-Cincinnati
- John Barker, president and CEO, Ohio Restaurant Association
- Reid Maki, director of Child Labor Advocacy, National Consumers League and the Child Labor Coalition
- Jessica Ramos, senior attorney, Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati
The Legal Aid Society is a financial supporter of Cincinnati Public Radio.
Listen to Cincinnati Edition live at noon M-F. Audio for this segment will be uploaded after 4 p.m. ET.
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