DES MOINES, Iowa – Over the objection of educators, the Republican controlled Iowa Senate voted 32-17 to relax child labor restrictions. The restaurant and other labor-short industries had lobbied for allowing kids under 16 to work up to six hours a day — two hours longer than currently. The bill also would allow 16-year-olds to serve alcohol. Republicans argued that children would gain valuable work experience. Democrats said longer hours would interfere with their schooling. Also, Democrats claimed, profit-minded employers were bent on exploiting a new pool of low-wage workers by luring kids from economically vulnerable communities.
