Until recently, Assembly Bill 402 by Mike Davis (D- Los Angeles) was called “the Michael Jackson Child Performers Workplace Protection Act.” The author amended the bill to take out Michael Jackson’s name. I guess someone finally told Davis that most people do not associate Michael Jackson’s name with protecting children.
While the title was amusing, the bill is not. It would create a new $50 tax for every child who applies for an entertainment work permit. California law requires children to obtain free work permits from the Labor Commissioner to work in the entertainment industry. The proposed new tax would be collected even if the permit is denied.
As usual, the proponents call this tax a “fee” even though most children will receive no benefit at all, unless being allowed to submit an application for a work permit is somehow considered a benefit. The bureaucrats are supposed to use the revenues to do things like inspecting randomly selected work sites where children are working in the entertainment industry. If history is any guide, this tax will be collected even if the inspectors are laid off or furloughed, and even if no work sites are ever inspected. It is difficult to imagine how the unlucky children denied work permits could derive any benefit from paying a tax to send inspectors to visit the lucky children who got jobs.
One of the dumber things I ever did was apply for a work permit when the school handed out some forms. I was working for my Dad in the family business. Little did I know that it was just a government paper work mill. There was no benefit to me or my Dad. I never applied again.
This bill passed both the Assembly and Senate where the bill was amended. If the Assembly approves the amendments, the bill goes to the Governor for consideration. Before then someone needs to stand up to the bullies who are trying to extort money from children to fund state bureaucracies.