* Background is here and here if you need it. The full task force report is here. We’ve been talking lately about Illinois’ almost non-existent employment growth since October of 2019. It’s a tenth of the national growth rate. Here are Noah Bazis and Daryl James writing in Crain’s…

As a member of the Comprehensive Licensing Information to Minimize Barriers (CLIMB) task force, a bipartisan group created by the Illinois General Assembly, Carter collaborated with state lawmakers, regulators, academics, and social sector leaders for two years.

Illinois licenses more than 100 professions, including higher-paying jobs in medicine. But the task force focused on low-to-middle-income occupations, where service providers feel the regulatory burdens more severely.

“Current licensing requirements, ostensibly designed to protect public health and safety, instead can unintentionally impose unnecessary and onerous barriers to entry into the workforce, disproportionately affecting poor and disadvantaged communities,” the task force concludes.

* The bottom line is that Illinois licenses too many occupations…

Less intrusive policy answers are often available, which sunrise committees could explore. Licensing, the most burdensome and expensive regulatory tool available, should be a last resort. Some people can afford the expense. But the admission price can be too high for many others.

* The task force is proposing an inverted pyramid with licensing as a last resort…

* A few of their ideas…

Moratorium on New Licenses:

• Pause the creation of any new occupational licenses in Illinois for 12 months.
• Limit new licenses to those situations where there is a demonstrated public safety or welfare interest that cannot be adequately addressed with alternatives to licensing.

Training and Education:

• Allow individuals seeking a license to be paid during their training.
• Offer apprenticeship programs in high schools.
• Reduce training/education requirements to only what is demonstrably necessary to protect health and safety. Consult with states having the lowest training days to determine if lower requirements are feasible. […]

Streamlining Processes and Reducing Barriers:

• Lower licensing fees and consider temporary grace periods for new businesses.
• Include numerous stakeholders and the public in the regulatory process to ensure fairness.
• Offer regulatory alternatives to licensure, such as registration, certification, apprenticeships or competency based on education, training, and/or experience.

Justice-Involved Licensees:

• Avoid blanket prohibitions on licensure for individuals with criminal records. Instead employ targeted standards to determine whether there is a relationship between (a) the underlying criminal conduct; and (b) the duties and responsibilities of the licensed occupation; which (c) would threaten public safety.

They also want any changes apply to local governments and preempt home rule.

Those are just some of their ideas. Click here for the rest.