State Rep. Mary Murphy of Hermantown went right to work this session to "fix (a) glitch in the current law" after she was approached, she said, by a Proctor mother named Becky Brenna. While normally this would seem like the sort of responsiveness and attention to a constituent's concern that we want and can cheer in an elected official, in this instance, efforts are being misplaced.
Brenna's complaint was about her son and his part-time job at a Duluth-area retail store and how he was being scheduled to work past 12:30 a.m. several nights a week.
"They can't do that; you're in high school," she said to her son Cole, according to Murphy via a statement to the media, including to the News Tribune Opinion page, distributed by the House DFL caucus.
Except Cole Brenna's employer actually can do that. The store is well within its legal rights because Cole Brenna is 18 years old. He's an adult. He can expect to be treated as one under the law no matter where he is on his educational path. Changing that law could negatively impact other 18-year-old adults and their ability to work and earn money for their futures.
Child-labor statutes, as Murphy and her caucus correctly point out, apply to students 17 and younger, prohibiting them from working past 11 p.m. on school nights. It's a law that properly and effectively protects children from being exploited in a workplace.
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An 18-year-old, however, doesn't need such protecting. An adult can expect to be treated as a grownup, and that can mean, sometimes, being asked to work hours an employer needs covered.
If those hours don't work, being an adult also can mean making the hard decision to find a different job. Fortunately for Cole Brenna and other young people eager for some spending cash or to save for college, right now, with the economy strong, retail jobs like his are aplenty. There also is plenty of fast-food work and other entry-level positions. All shifts are available.
Disappointingly, Murphy's unnecessary "fix" already has passed out of a House committee and awaits a hearing with the House Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance Committee.
As well intentioned as Murphy no doubt is here, her efforts are concerning. Her "fix" actually would jeopardize the ability of Minnesota businesses to operate, to thrive and to provide employment at all. At the same time, it would infringe on the ability of adults to get and to enjoy gainful employment.
