Rent Check
With bar examinations across the country being cancelled, held in unsafe conditions, or crashing online, it’s time to reexamine the need for the exam both during COVID-19 and going forward.
News and Commentary
Beth Mole writes in Ars Technica about how shortages of physicians and nurses are hampering the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Duke University Law School will hold a virtual event with Justin Pearson of the Institute for Justice about how occupational licensing laws punish formerly incarcerated individuals and contribute to recidivism in the U.S.
Monsy Alvarado reports for NorthJersey.com about a recent occupational licensing reform passed by the New Jersey General Assembly that would allow immigrants to receive occupational licensure in the state, regardless of their status.
An article in JD Supra examines Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D-MI) recent reinstatement of occupational licensing regulations that she suspended to aid the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kevin B. O’Reilly writes in a blog post for the American Medical Association (AMA) about why the AMA is urging Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) to veto a new bill that would allow advanced practice registered nurses to order diagnostic imaging. The AMA contends that allowing non-physicians to order diagnostic imaging would increase health care overuse, raise costs, and threaten patients’ health and safety.
Nick Sibilla writes in Forbes about a new law signed by Gov. Mike Parsons (R-MO) that eases restrictions on formerly incarcerated individuals from receiving professional licensure in Missouri. The law bars licensing boards in the state from denying licensure because of a previous criminal conviction unless the conviction was violent, sexual, or related to the profession that the applicant is seeking licensure in. Nevertheless, the law does have its limitations as it allows licensing boards to deny applicants based on arrest and expunged records. The law also is limited as it doesn’t apply to the vast majority of white collar and medical professions.
Nick Sibila writes in an opinion piece for The Detroit News about why Michigan needs occupational licensing reform. Sibila argues that licensing restrictions hamper the state’s ability to recover from the COVID-19 recession and exacerbate recidivism.
Christian Britschgi writes in Reason about how Charles Marohn, the head of an urban policy non-profit organization in Minnesota, recently had a complaint filed against him at the Minnesota engineering licensing board for using the term “engineer” to describe himself even though his engineer license has expired. As Britschgi puts it, “the case is the latest example of how licensing laws can be weaponized to chill speech.”
A new report from the National Conference of State Legislatures examines the five different kinds of regulatory structures that states have adopted to regulate and license occupations.
Madeleine List reports for The Providence Journal about a new bill passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly that would expand occupational licensing options for people who were formally incarcerated in the state. The bill would bar licensing agencies from outright denying applicants with previous criminal convictions, at least for some professions. The bill would also disallow licensing agencies from using arrest records, juvenile detention records, and expunged records to deny applicants.
Matt Fair writes in Law360 about the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s recent recommendation to grant diploma privilege to this year’s class of law school graduates, with some restrictions.
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