Occupational licensing schemes are being increasingly scrutinized across the United States and that's a good thing seeing as these license requirements are arguably helping to keep quality low, prices high, and jobs out of the market. They also help to fuel and protect monopolies by reducing competition.

In various jurisdictions the state has been sued because of their occupational licensing rules and at times they've had to amend and roll-back those rules because of the way that they infringed upon what should've been Constitutionally-protected rights.

Less government by way of occupational licensing would mean more jobs and more freedom for people to work.

In New Mexico, the governor just a few months ago had signed an executive order that called for an investigation into their occupational licensing rules in the state. They have some of the most burdensome laws around the nation, but they have signaled their interest to try and supposedly reverse that. And they aren't the only ones.

Mississippi is also looking to potentially drastically scale-back their licensing rules and they've already established a review commission to help them get the job done. Nebraska too. The review commission will be tasked with reviewing the rules currently in place and deciding which ones if any they might be able to do away with.

Economists have previously estimated these oppressive and often times nonsensical occupational licensing rules are keeping millions of jobs out of the market.

They haven't achieved good results either because they've contributed to higher prices, lower quality, and a reduction in competition. Service isn't getting any better despite these rules, if anything it's arguably gotten much worse over the years.

In Wisconsin, lawmakers there too are taking a look at their own occupational licensing rules, there is the potential that they will invite some deregulation for hundreds of industries.

Some of those occupations that might be impacted in the wave of deregulation include accountants, plumbers, nurses, and even doctors.

Lawmakers have also reportedly been seeking out public opinion on the matter, conducting online surveys and more, to determine public feedback about the issue.

For those who do hold a license currently in the state within a certain field, they might approve of such rules so that they can continue working to effectively reduce entry and competition. They'll insist that it's about public safety but we know that these rules aren't working to keep quality high. Violence is never within the best interest of the people; we do have the option to conduct our exchanges voluntarily. There is another way, a better way.

The people are the ones who should be deciding which businesses fail or succeed in the market, or how many stores might be needed etc, and they do so by voting with their dollars for what they want more of. It shouldn't be up to a cartel to decide for the people how many bakeries there should be in a given region or who should be allowed to sell their baked goods to willing buyers, that sort of manipulation in the market has never fostered beneficial results.

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