No... no, what's happening in Wisconsin could never happen here, and besides: it's just public employees we're talking about, right? I mean, it's not like the Republicans would ever try to repeal the kinda hard-fought union-won benefits we all take for granted these days. You know, things like the 8-hour workday, weekends, paid overtime, and child labor laws....

If [Missouri] state Sen. Jane Cunningham has her way, the under-14 crowd will no longer have to worry about those stuffy labor laws saying they can’t hold a job. Teenagers of all ages will be freed from restrictions limiting how many hours they can flip burgers. And if they want to staff the drive-through window all night long, Cunningham is for that too. To heck with those early morning classes.

[...] Cunningham, a Republican from St. Louis County, would also repeal the requirement that 14- and-15-year-olds apply for a special permit in order to work. And the state Division of Labor Standards would no longer inspect workplaces that employ children or require them to keep special records for their youthful employees.

Cunningham is totally pro-business, but this is over the top. Under her proposed legislation, a 12- or-13-year-old could be sent to work full time in Missouri, perhaps under the guise of receiving a home-school education, of which Cunningham is a big supporter.

Yeah, sure, repealing child labor laws seems almost laughable, but then, stripping workers of their right to bargain collectively seemed laughable too just a short while ago. Now the only folks laughing are "pro-business" politicians like Sen. Cunningham, and the corporate patrons who sponsor them.