By Jalen Maki
Tomahawk Leader Editor
MADISON – Governor Tony Evers announced on Friday, Feb. 4 that he had vetoed a bill authored by State Senator Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) that sought to expand allowable work hours for minors ages 14 and 15.
The bill, which passed the State Senate in Oct. 2021, aimed to allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work between 6 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on days preceding school days, and between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. on days preceding non-school days.
Under current state law, minors ages 14 and 15 cannot work later than 7 p.m. from after Labor Day until May 31 and cannot work later than 9 p.m. during the summer months.
Felzkowski said the idea for the bill originated after she had spoken to a small business owner who “ran into staffing issues during summer hours due to their young employees not being able to work past 9 p.m.”
“Many other small businesses throughout Wisconsin rely on young people to fill out their workforce, especially within the tourism industry of the Northwoods,” Felzkowski said in a release after the legislation passed the State Senate.
Evers said he vetoed the bill in its entirety because he “(objects) to creating two separate systems of work requirements for employers, which would increase the amount of administrative work for businesses when determining the permissible hours and days they are allowed to employ minors.”
“By creating two legal frameworks on this topic, one for employers subject to the Federal Labor Standards Act and a different one for those that are not, the bill will increase complexity for employers, and could result in unintended consequences,” Evers stated.
In his veto message, Evers pointed to the Wisconsin’s 2.8% unemployment rate in December, the lowest in state history, as well as investments his administration has made into various workforce initiatives.
“By injecting funding into innovative solutions and providing economic relief to those struggling with the cost of childcare and caregiving, we can truly begin to address our workforce challenges, support working families, and get more people back into the workforce,” Evers stated. “This bill does not further those goals, and I hope the Legislature will join me in addressing this issue with real, meaningful solutions.”
“Not only would this bill have gone a long ways towards assisting many of the small businesses throughout the state, but it would have opened up more opportunities for these teens,” Felzkowski stated in a release from Monday, Feb. 7. “Extending the potential hours of work for these young employees would have given them a greater head start in earning money for the future, and a better chance to develop a strong work ethic. It’s incredibly unfortunate that Governor Evers did not consider the positive effect this would have had for both our small businesses, and the 14 and 15 year olds they hire.”