State Sen. Jesse Green, a Republican who represents Boone and Greene County, stated that “the Left had fun twisting this bill and some of the words for use in the media to try to fearmonger and poke holes in this bill” when he described Senate File 542, the youth employment bill. Jesse Green went to Facebook to post after the debate “Adjourned at 5 AM….Time for bed.”
Here is what Republican Charlie McClintock (Linn County) said at 4:30 am when he made the choice to voice his opposition to the bill. “This is my third year with the Iowa legislature. I think I’ve spoke twice on the floor. This will be my first time speaking in the Senate. It will also be my first time I’ve ever spoke in opposition of a bill. The biggest issues that I have with this bill is that I believe that Iowa kids should be studying and preparing for their academic futures rather than be working if possible.
“I don’t think we should be utilizing kids for filling the workforce when they should be utilizing their time for other purposes. Participating in sports, or extracurricular activities, seems to be a better use of their time, especially at their younger ages. Or just simply spending time with their friends and families seems like a good use of it.
“We’ve passed several bills this year in the Senate, and they were in the name of protecting kids, right, young people I know, and we should do that, I know, because I’ve had different people throughout the year question me with emails or at forums, and ask ‘Why did you do that, why did you pass that?’ and I say ‘Well, these kids really don’t have the wisdom, at that age, or the experience in life to make some of those decisions, so we as lawmakers have to intervene and try to guide them or look out for them or pass laws to do that. And so, if we’re going to do that, and I’m going to vote for things like that, it just seems that how can I now support a bill that would potentially put those same kids into unsafe work environments?’
“And I know those work environments can be unsafe. Senator Taylor referred to an investigation going on in Linn County. I was at that work site. it was a tour that took place last weekend, and I know for a fact, that it was not a safe work environment because I saw it. And I don’t have the exact age of the young man, I should say the young boy, that was working there. Certainly it fit the criteria of what we are discussing here.
“I also had a strong issue with the idea of kids working in and around the service of alcohol. And that comes from a lengthy career in public safety. I just don’t think it is a good idea.
“Now let me just say this. I am not going to tell anyone how to vote, or suggest it, or ask it, or scold anyone on anything, right, everybody can vote the way they want, that’s fine. I know it’s going to pass tonight. I know that there is potential that this is going to go into law. I would ask that we be very thoughtful about this. If it has some bad application to it or something that isn’t working out, that we take the opportunity to revisit this. Thank you, Madam President.”
THANK YOU, elected Republican Charlie McClintock, for standing up for Iowa kids. As a parent, it is refreshing to see a legislator prioritize education over political posturing. We need more of it!
David Weaver, Rippey
