How Does Occupational Licensing Affect Recidivism?

By Caleb Taylor Licensing requirements may prevent ex-convicts from finding employment after leaving prison — and that may drive them back into crime. That’s what Stephen Slivinski, a senior research fellow at the Center for the Study of Economic Liberty at Arizona State University, said to UCA students on March 27th. Slivinski is the author […]

More Licensing Doesn’t Always Mean More Safety

By Caleb Taylor Arkansas’ Red Tape Reduction Working Group heard on Monday night that the justification for some worker licenses is faulty. Dr. Derek Slagle, a Visiting Assistant Professor at the School of Public Affairs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, gave members of the Working Group a broad overview of the state […]

Working Group “Important First Step” In Reforming Licensing

By Caleb Taylor How should Arkansas decrease barriers to jobs and entrepreneurship?  Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced the formation of the Red Tape Reduction Working Group on Feb. 16th to study state occupational requirements. Its next meeting is on Monday, April 23rd. In an op-ed published in Arkansas Business on March 26th, ACRE Director and UCA […]

Occupational Licensing in Arkansas

By Alexandria Tatem A recent policy brief by the Mercatus Center highlighted Arkansas’s excessive occupational licensing policy. When the state government imposes licensing requirements on an occupation, it means a worker must get permission from the state before practicing that profession. The worker typically has to have a minimum level of education and experience, pass exams, […]