A bill that would allow teenagers to work more hours during the school year got a mixed response during a legislative hearing Wednesday.

Supporters of the bill said it would give more flexibility to businesses and allow young adults to make their own decisions about work. Opponents said they fear that the changes would skew students’ balance between work and school.

“We can all agree that the best chance for students’ success in life is having a rich, positive education experience. Students need to keep school first,” said Lauren Harper, director of public policy for the Maine Women’s Lobby.

Harper said state law now “strikes a reasonable balance,” allowing students to earn money without cutting too heavily into school time.

In its original form, L.D. 516, the bill sponsored by Sen. Debra Plowman, R-Hampden, would have removed limits on the number of hours that 16- and 17-year-olds can work while school is in session, and eliminated all hourly limits for 17-year-olds.

On Wednesday, Plowman proposed a change that would limit 16-year-olds to 32 hours weekly. There would be no limits for 17-year-olds.

Under current state law, employees who are 16 or 17 may not work more than 20 hours in a week while school is in session.

Eleven people testified at Wednesday’s hearing before the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee, according to the panel’s clerk. Proponents included representatives from hotels, the Maine Innkeepers Association, the Maine Restaurant Association, the Maine Merchants Association and the Department of Labor.

Michael Roland, acting director of the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Standards, told the committee in written testimony that the bill would align Maine’s labor laws with federal labor laws.

Roland said his comments represent the position of the administration of Gov. Paul LePage.

Jim McGregor, the Maine Merchants Association’s director of government affairs, said in an interview that his group supports Plowman’s proposed 32-hour weekly cap.

“The retail industry and … all these industries employ a lot of young folks. We think the amended version (of the bill) tries to achieves the proper balance,” he said.

Plowman’s measure would allow students who are 16 or 17 to work six hours on school days, up from the current four-hour limit. Also, students could work as late as 11 p.m. on school nights, one hour past the current limit, and could work full days on unscheduled days off from school, such as snow days.

Plowman said her bill would allow youths and their families to make their own choices on employment. She said it also would give young workers freedom to earn more money to support themselves and save for college.

“This is not so much child labor, but young adults contributing to their household, contributing to their college fund and … wanting to stretch their wings,” she said.

Rep. Erin Herbig, D-Belfast, who coaches track at Belfast Area High School, said she is open to some changes in the current law but fears that Plowman’s bill could keep students from participating in after-school activities like sports and leadership programs.

“These extracurricular activities are very important to keep students well-rounded. They teach healthy habits and leadership,” she said. “We should give students a better chance to achieve (in school).”

Herbig said there is “certainly room for compromise” and she might support increasing the weekly cap from 20 hours to 24 hours.

“I don’t think it would be unreasonable to increase it by four hours a week,” she said.

Plowman said the committee will review the bill during an upcoming work session.

 

Staff Writer Jonathan Hemmerdinger can be contacted at 791-6316 or at jhemmerdinger@mainetoday.com

 

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