January 17, 2020
By Heather Curry
This week, state
legislatures across the country opened their 2020 legislative sessions. From
coast to coast, liberty-minded legislators have introduced bills designed to empower
students and their families, preserve property rights, and eliminate barriers
to work. Many of these reforms find their origin in legislative models and
principles long advocated for and defended by the Goldwater Institute.
In 2019, legislators in
Arizona worked together to pass landmark
legislation to make it easier for licensed workers to continue working when
they relocate into the state. Rather than ask trained professionals to disrupt
their careers with duplicative testing and training, Arizona now recognizes
out-of-state occupational licenses. Pennsylvania quickly followed Arizona’s
lead, passing
a version of the same reform with bipartisan support.
This session, there is
a groundswell of support for this critical reform. In Ohio, licensing
reciprocity for military families awaits
the Governor’s signature, while an effort
to extend recognition to all is currently underway. Along with the state of Virginia,
legislators from Georgia
to Indiana
have introduced their own versions of this pro-growth economic policy in a
total of seven states. Just this week, Missouri’s House
Bill 2046 cleared its first hurdle on the way to becoming a law, passing
out of committee on a vote of 12-1. Testifying on behalf of the Show-Me
Institute, Missouri’s leading free-market think tank, Patrick Ishmael explained
that licensing reform not only benefits workers and their families but is a
boon for employers and consumers in the state who will benefit from the
increased options and price competition that accompany an influx of skilled
labor.
Legislators have also
looked to the Goldwater Institute for reform ideas that will benefit students
and their families. First established in Arizona, Empowerment Scholarship
Accounts or Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) continue to grow in popularity in
response to one-size-fits-all state public education systems. Under the ESA
model, the state deposits part of a student’s funds from the state education
formula into a private account which parents can then use to select from a
restricted but large list of options. By allowing parents to access funds to
pay for resources like specialized learning materials and private tutoring, ESAs
can provide an educational lifeline for students whose needs are not being met
by traditional systems. This session, ESA bills have been proposed in South
Carolina, Missouri,
and West
Virginia, demonstrating that legislators agree with the Goldwater Institute
that parents are the best equipped to make educational choices for their
children.
Last fall, Nebraska
became the latest state to pass a bill modeled on Goldwater’s Home-Sharing
Act. This bill empowers individuals to embrace the economic opportunity
that comes with home-sharing while allowing local governments to address issues
like noise and parking so long as they do not discriminate against vacation
rentals or ban home-sharing. This session, legislators in South
Carolina and Florida
have already introduced similar measures. In Florida, a state known for its
vibrant tourism economy, home-sharing has become an increasingly popular way
for families and business travelers to stay in the state. Unfortunately, some
cities in Florida have acted to restrict short-term rentals by way of zoning
restrictions or through astronomical fines, leading the Goldwater Institute to challenge
these regulations in court. Passage of a Home-Sharing Act bill in Florida would
bring regulatory clarity and consistency for homeowners across the state, as
well as help set the standard for reasonable regulation in the region.
While the state
legislative sessions of 2020 have only just begun, the influence of the
Goldwater Institute’s model policies and reform ideas are already visible
across the country. Alongside coalition partners at the state and national
level, the Institute continues to work in courts, capitols, and communities to
empower all Americans to live freer, happier lives.
Heather
Curry is the Director of Strategic Engagement at the Goldwater Institute.
