Las Vegas City Wire

Drew Johnson, a former Nevada Congressional nominee, expressed concerns over the state's licensing laws. He said on X on April 5 that these laws favor industries connected to lawmakers, harm the public, and drive up prices.

"In Nevada, getting a barbers' license requires more classroom hours than law school," said Johnson. "NV's idiotic licensing laws are classist, racist, don't protect the public & increase prices. Our lawmakers refuse to change things because they're in the pockets of licensed industries."

In Nevada, acquiring a barber's license necessitates 1,500 hours of training, encompassing both theoretical instruction and practical experience. In comparison, the American Bar Association requires a minimum of 58,000 minutes (approximately 967 hours) of classroom instruction for a Juris Doctor degree. This indicates that the training hours needed to become a licensed barber in Nevada surpass those required to graduate from law school.

A study conducted in 2017 by the Institute for Justice found that Nevada licenses 75 out of 102 lower-income occupations, ranking it as the second most broadly and onerously licensed state in the United States. On average, these licenses demand nearly 860 days of education and experience, two examinations, and $704 in fees. Such extensive requirements can pose significant obstacles for individuals seeking employment in these fields.

According to a report from 2015 by the White House Council of Economic Advisers, occupational licensing can increase consumer prices by 3 to 16 percent without corresponding improvements in service quality. The report also noted that the proportion of U.S. workers requiring a license grew from less than 5% in the 1950s to about 25% by 2008. These findings suggest that while licensing aims to protect consumers, it may also lead to higher costs and fewer employment opportunities.

Johnson is an American political columnist and policy analyst who founded the Beacon Center of Tennessee, a nonprofit free-market think tank based in Nashville. He has contributed to publications such as The Washington Times and USA Today, focusing on government accountability and fiscal responsibility. In 2024, he was the Republican nominee for Nevada's 3rd Congressional District.