Which Laws Should Be Repealed in 2015? Suggestions for Lawmakers

With a new Congress taking office, we can expect to see a number of new laws passed. But what about repealing old ones? Writing in Forbes, George Leef, Director of Research of the John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, offers his suggestions for laws that both federal and state governments should repeal in 2015. These include:

– The Davis-Bacon Act. This law mandates that on all federal construction projects, wages are set by the Department of Labor at union rates, destroying competition. The law, says Leef, benefits a few workers while costing taxpayers money.
– The Higher Education Act. The federal government has no constitutional authority to do anything with regard to higher education. But, in 1965, Congress was swarming with “progressives” who were sure that because college seemed to be a good thing for the rather small percentage of Americans who went, the nation would benefit if almost everyone went. So the federal policy began to make higher education more “accessible” for students, most significantly through grants and easily available loans. The result was that college education was transformed. It had been a good that some Americans thought worthwhile, so they strove to qualify for admittance and saved for the modest cost. That’s why higher education used to work very well. Federal intervention turned it into a virtual entitlement that delivers less education at more and more expense.
– Civil asset forfeiture. State and federal officials have gone head over heels for civil asset forfeiture, which confiscates property from people just because of suspicion they might be involved in crime, no matter how remotely. Once the property has been seized, then the concept of due process of law is stood on its head, requiring the individual to prove his innocence.
– Occupational licensing laws. States and cities across the country require people in certain professions to have licenses, even for those who are florists or hair braiders. These laws limit competition and require aspiring workers to receive unnecessary and expensive training in order to obtain licenses.
– Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Authority to impose a minimum wage is found in the FLSA, which raises labor costs for employers and makes it more difficult for low-skilled, inexperienced workers to access jobs. Leef writes that compensation should be decided between the employer and the employee — not the government.

All of these laws artificially raise prices due to government interference in the marketplace.

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