Footloose — for hair!
Braiding hair in Nebraska no longer means jail time, thanks to newly passed legislation.
In a unanimous decision (42 to 0) the Nebraska senate voted to lift a law that groups hair braiders in with other stylists and beauticians, requiring them to attend two years of cosmetology school and undergo 2,100 hours of training.
The excessive rules for stylists who aren't cutting or dyeing hair are overbearing, according to state senator Nicole Fox (R-Omaha), the woman behind the new bill. She represents one of the state's poorest districts with a high ratio of single women. Now, hairdressers who formerly operated in a sort of braiding black market can legitimize their businesses.
"For somebody who is a young, single female, potentially a young, single mom who doesn't have a lot [of] resources and is already struggling to make ends meet, cosmetology in the state of Nebraska is expensive,” Fox told the Daily Signal.
Before the requirements were lifted, a stylist who braided hair without a license could face up to three months in jail and $500 in fines. A class III felony (meaning up to four years in jail and $25,000 in fines) would follow if they continued to practice.
“In terms of things like braiding, what occupational licensing does is, it makes it more difficult for people to get into a field,” Paul Avelar, a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice who helped draft the bill, said.
And Nebraska wasn't alone. According to Avelar, only 16 states, now including Nebraska, don't require a license to braid hair.
