Ohioans convince DeWine to maintain child labor protections

Bill would have put very young teens at risk, held down wages for adults, created headaches for businesses

Today, Gov. DeWine vetoed Senate Bill 50, which would have extended working hours for 14- and 15-year-olds to 9pm on school nights, in violation of federal law. Policy Matters Ohio’s executive director, Hannah Halbert, issued the following statement:

“Policy Matters Ohio commends Governor DeWine for listening to the hundreds of Ohioans and child advocates who oppose Senate Bill 50. Governor DeWine is correct, existing federal and state protections strike the right balance between protecting kids and allowing young people to gain work experience. Vetoing this bill ensures Ohio’s youngest workers are protected from risks to their safety, education, and wellness — risks that are associated with working late on school nights.

“This veto also protects Ohio’s businesses from the compliance risk that would have arisen out of Senate Bill 50’s conflict with federal law. In Iowa, where a similar policy was passed in 2023, businesses have been racking up tens of thousands of dollars in fines for labor violations. One Subway franchisee was fined $73,000 for scheduling teens in accordance with Iowa’s new law. By vetoing S.B. 50, Governor DeWine has prevented the same mess from occurring in Ohio. This veto is good for kids, businesses, and Ohio workers.

“As we look to the future of child labor protections in Ohio, policymakers should consider eliminating the subminimum wage for youth, which allows young teens to be paid only $7.25 per hour (compared to the minimum wage of $10.70 per hour for workers aged 16+). Ensuring youth are paid the same for their labor as adults prevents businesses from treating child labor as an alternative to paying their adult workers a living wage.”