Practioners of sugaring around the state are a governor’s signature away from being able to ply their ancient trade without an expensive and time-consuming licensing requirement from the State Board of Cosmetology.
SB 434 will allow entrepreneurs like Bryn Green of Hays to start their own businesses offering the 30,000-year-old Egyptian form of hair removal without onerous licensing regulations imposed by the state of Kansas. The state board currently requires 1,000 hours of instruction at an esthetician school or 1,500 hours of instruction at a cosmetology school, with no more than 1% of it in sugaring, which involves the application of a paste made of sugar, lemon juice, and water applied to the affected area, removing unwanted hair by the root.
Green objects to the bureaucratic redundancy and is suing the State Board of Cosmetology. Kansas Justice Institute, like The Sentinel, is a subsidiary of the Kansas Policy Institute, and is representing Green pro bono.
KJI argued Green had a constitutional right to earn an honest living, free from bureaucratic interference. KJI’s Litigation Director, Samuel MacRoberts, commented at the time the lawsuit was filed:
“People shouldn’t be forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars on irrelevant cosmetology school, and take irrelevant examinations, just to be able to use sugar, lemon juice, and water to safely remove unwanted hair. Bryn isn’t suing the government for money. She’s fighting to protect everyone’s rights under the Kansas Constitution—the right to earn an honest living”
The bill passed overwhelmingly in the Senate 39-1, with only Sen. Jeff Pittman of Leavenworth County opposing the measure. The margin in the House was 71-52.
The Kansas Chapter of Americans for Prosperity (AFP-KS) supported the legislation, and State Director Elizabeth Patton applauded its passage:
“AFP-K
S supports legislative efforts to reform burdensome occupational licensing requirements that often impede job creation. This bill exempts ‘sugaring’ from cosmetology regulations and will remove unnecessary barriers to entry for small business owners without sacrificing quality and safety.
“Eliminating unnecessary red tape for licensed professions will foster an environment where innovation and hard work are rewarded, and individuals have the freedom to pursue their livelihoods without undue government interference. We are encouraged that Kansas legislators voted in favor of this bill which champions economic freedom and opportunity and await the Governor to sign it into law.”
