TN libertarians want school board transparency

Williamson County mother, libertarian group sue Tennessee School Boards Association under state Open Records Act | Chattanooga Times Free Press - Andy Sher:

December 18, 2019 - "In a case whose outcome could have major implications for some of the state's various local government associations, a libertarian group on Tuesday filed suit against the Tennessee School Boards Association, saying the organization should be subject to state public record laws.

"Suing on behalf of Williamson County parent and plaintiff Karrie Marren, the Beacon Center's legal arm is arguing the association acts as a 'functional equivalent of government, charged with training school board members in this state.' The suit charges that Marren was 'frustrated by the unresponsiveness' of Williamson County school board members who are 'legally mandated to receive their training and ethical standards from the Tennessee School Board Association.'

"As a result of the school board association's rejecting her request, the complaint says, Marren is suing under the Tennessee Public Records Act. The suit was filed in Chancery Court in Williamson County. TSBA's headquarters is in Williamson County.

"Braden Boucek, Beacon's vice president of legal affairs, said in a statement that 'taxpayers are entitled to transparency when it comes to how their children are educated and how their education tax dollars are spent.' He added that 'regardless of where you stand politically, transparency is one of the bedrocks of democracy, and any functional equivalent of government needs to be subjected to the same transparency laws. When a 'private' organization receives nearly all its money from taxpayers and gets preferential treatment to participate in the state's retirement program, they should be accountable to the very taxpayers who are funding them.'

"A favorable ruling could roil various local government associations in a state which has the Tennessee Municipal League for cities, the Tennessee County Services Association and other entities that provide similar services as Tennessee School Boards Association."

Read more: https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2019/dec/18/williamscounty-mother-libertarigrosue-tenness/510860/
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Unlicensed hair-washers face jail in Tennessee

Shampooing Hair Without A License Could Mean Jail Time In Tennessee - Forbes - Nick Sibilla, Institute for Justice:

May 5, 2016 - "When Tammy Pritchard was a young mother, shampooing hair provided much-needed income and even helped put her through college. Today, this part-time police officer wants to wash hair at a beauty salon operated by her friend in Tennessee.

"Unfortunately for Tammy, unlicensed shampooing is a crime, punishable by up to six months in jail. The Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners can also impose civil penalties as high as $1,000 for those who dare to lather, rinse and repeat without a license.

"On Monday, Tammy partnered with the Beacon Center of Tennessee and filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Board in order 'to vindicate the right of Tennesseans to pursue an honest living.'

"Before she can legally wash hair at a salon, Tammy must finish 300 hours of training on 'the practice and theory of shampooing'.... [P]rospective shampooers learn about the 'chemistry and composition of shampoos and conditioners,' 'shampooing and rinsing foreign material from hair,' and 'shop management,' which covers remedial skills like 'answering phone, scheduling appointments, ordering supplies.' After completing the class, shampooers then have to pass two exams... One school that previously taught the course charged $3,225 for tuition, books, kit, uniform and other fees....

"Incredibly, no schools in Tennessee currently offer the shampoo technician curriculum. So to comply with the law, shampooers must instead acquire a broader cosmetologist license. That requires 1,500 hours of training, or five times as much coursework as the shampooer license....

"According to the Institute for Justice, only four other states even license shampooing, with training requirements ranging from a mere three hours of coursework in West Virginia to 150 hours in New Hampshire. In 2013, Texas decided to scrap its shampooer license after the agency that regulated the practice called for the 'elimination' of this 'unnecessary burden on Texans.'

"A 2012 study by the Institute for Justice found Tennessee to be the '13th most broadly and onerously licensed state'.... Many license requirements make little sense. Athletic trainers, auctioneers, opticians, barbers, massage therapists, makeup artists, manicurists and shampooers all need more experience for their licenses than emergency medical technicians need for theirs. In fact, almost a quarter of Tennessee’s workforce is licensed according to a report by the Brookings Institution.'"

Read more: http://www.forbes.com/sites/instituteforjustice/2016/05/05/shampooing-hair-without-a-license-could-mean-jail-time-in-tennessee/
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