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Legislation would block child labor rules

Senators John Thune of South Dakota and Jerry Moran of Kansas have introduced a bill seeking to prevent the U.S. Labor Department from imposing rules that would limit the jobs children can do on farms. 

Thune says the proposed rules are just another example of “government overreach”. 

“They (the children) are taught safety lessons by the people who care most for them,” Thune says.  “They (the farmers) don’t need Washington bureaucrats—in 85 pages of regulations—telling them how to best keep their children safe. 

“This is yet another case of government overreach—and my legislation would prevent these unnecessary regulations and this unnecessary government intervention from going into effect.” 

Thirty-six other senators have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill.

Jody Heemstra of KWAT-Watertown, SD contributed to this story.