Outlaw Manicurist Bill hearing Jan 11 (calendar entry)

[Dave Ridley]

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Of+health%2c+haircuts%3a+4%2c500+hours+of+makeup+training%3f&articleId=5d866abf-df2e-4661-9d80-c8c728b0c6b8

Manchester Union Leader Editorial

Of health, haircuts: 4,500 hours of makeup training?

THE STATE justifies its heavy regulation of barbers, cosmetologists, manicurists and estheticians by claiming that its stringent license requirements are needed to protect public health. Today we find out if public health is the real reason the state requires 1,500 hours of training and 3,000 hours of apprenticeship for barbers and cosmetologists, 600 hours of training for estheticians, and 300 hours of training for manicurists.

Today the House votes on House Bill 1559, which would slash the board of barbering, cosmetology, and esthetics? mandated training hours and require that training to center on public health only. The bill received a unanimous negative recommendation from the House Executive Departments and Administration Committee, which noted testimony from ?an overwhelming number of professionally licensed barbers, cosmetologists, manicurists, and estheticians who opposed this legislation.?

Well, of course they did. The bill would create more competition for them.

The state has an obligation to protect the public from some health risks. It has no obligation to protect people from bad haircuts or clumsy manicures.


LTE from me, confirmed as published around Feb. 1:

http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060112/NEWS0202/101120086

Wanted to thank your capitol reporter Colin Manning for his article on the "Outlaw
Manicurist" bill which came up for hearing at the State House Jan. 11.  This
bill came about in support of Mike Fisher's act of civil disobedience and would
reduce the number of training hours which our Board of Barbering may impose upon
a person entering the cosmetology field.   Despite being apparently dragged in several
different directions all morning Colin managed to deliver a piece that was generally
on the mark and interesting to read!

One correction:  The article gives the impression that advocates of this bill are against extensive training.  We are, rather against extensive *forced* training, imposed by the state on penalty of arrest.   If customers want a manicurist
or barber with fairly extensive medical knowledge who can check their head for suspicious
spots...and an entrepreneur wants to train for and provide that service...awesome!
But why force either into these state-approved roles?  What if I just want a haircut? 

I suspect this bill will, like most bills, die in committee.  But eventually we or others like us will be back in this quest to lower barriers for
new entrepreneurs and return our state to compliance with Article 83 of her Constitution.  However, it may be in a manner you would not expect, a manner which does not generate such fear among the vested business interests. 

In any case, if an industry uses government to arrest or harrass independent entrepreneurs like
Mike Fisher, to thwart by force even the most responsible of unlicensed competitors,
it is fitting and proper that its represenatives face their customers and
aspirants before that government.  It is their responsibility to decisively justify
the rules they impose, or stop delegating the arrest of people like Mike Fisher who defy them. 

---

Bill voted down as expected in the House: Feb 1, 2006...

Thanks again to all who supported this and supported Mike.  Would that all of our bills generated so much free publicity.  I think it goes to show what can happen when you tie a bill into a PR stunt or vice versa - the bill automatically draws more attention and seizes more control over the debate.  On to the next fight!

[CNHT]

What are we doing about repealing the law that prevents people from getting massages from the unlicensed?

[Bald Eagle]

Alex Jones is just picking this up now, but it's out there on his page:
"Man Jailed For Giving Manicure Without License"

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/february2008/270208Manicure.htm