As the number of occupations requiring a government-approved license to work has ballooned (one in three jobs require a license, by some estimates), these restrictions serve as a serious barrier to interstate mobility for many small business owners and employees. An encouraging proposal in Georgia seeks to add the Peach State to the list of states which recognize each other’s occupational licenses.

The movement towards reforming our prison system to lower crime rates and reduce recidivism is helping to shed additional light on absurd occupational licensing laws around the country.

On behalf of our activist community, I urge you to contact your representative and ask him or her to support the New Hope and Opportunity through the Power of Employment (HOPE) Act, H.R. 2155, introduced by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.). The bill would incentivize states to reform occupational licensing laws that limit competition in the marketplace.