Below is a letter being distributed to all members of the Oregon House of Representatives prior to their voting on House Bill 3337 in the 2017 Oregon Legislative Session, which would make it easier for individuals to enter into the landscaping business in this state.
April 20, 2017
Floor Letter in support of HB 3337
Cascade Policy Institute supports passage of HB 3337 which creates a limited landscape construction professional license. This bill is in line with the framework for policymakers on occupational licensing issued by the Obama White House in 2015 which found…
“…the current [occupational] licensing regime in the United States…creates substantial costs, and often the requirements for obtaining a license are not in sync with the skills needed for the job. There is evidence that licensing requirements raise the price of goods and services, restrict employment opportunities, and make it more difficult for workers to take their skills across state lines.” And…
“There is ample evidence that States and other jurisdictions should review current licensing practices with an aim toward rationalizing these regulations and lowering barriers to employment.”
The White House report also argues that reducing barriers to employment is especially helpful for “marginalized persons such as young people, minorities and individuals with felony convictions.” It notes a 2012 report by the Institute for Justice, License to Work, which found that Oregon is the third most broadly and onerously licensed state, placing it in the top tier just below Arizona and California. Oregon licenses 59 of the 102 low-to-moderate-income occupations studied. Surprisingly, only ten states even licensed landscape contractors. Oregon is one of them.
There is growing awareness on both ends of the political spectrum that many state occupational licensing laws actually stifle economic opportunity and make it particularly hard for lower-income people to move their way up the economic ladder and use their entrepreneurial talents for their own benefit and the benefit of all Oregonians. Licensing can also marginalize consumers who suffer the most when goods and services they need cost more by keeping more people from vying for their business.
HB 3337 is a step in the right direction for those Oregonians who want to work and start landscaping businesses without the burden of excessive occupational licensing restrictions. We urge its passage.
Sincerely,
Steve Buckstein, Senior Policy Analyst and Founder, Cascade Policy Institute
Steve Buckstein is Senior Policy Analyst and Founder of Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon’s free market public policy research organization.
