I am hoping that members of the Maine Legislature will oppose LD 516, the repeal of child wage and hour protections.

The current law limiting teen work hours was passed in 1991. The aim was to balance the welfare of Maine’s youth with the interests of employers.

If teens are permitted to work unlimited hours during the school year, their schoolwork will suffer, as will their chances for future employment.

That would hurt the state.

Part-time jobs for teenagers, if properly balanced with academic pursuits, can provide them with good opportunities to earn money and gain “real-world” experience. I benefited from the jobs I worked throughout high school.

Without balance, young workers can be overly distracted with what seems to them to be lucrative part-time jobs. Out-of-balance attention to work and a desire to shift priorities in favor of part-time employers can quickly put education in jeopardy.

When students make temporary, part-time jobs their top priority, they risk sacrificing their futures.

If Maine is to have a strong work force, repealing of child wage and hour protections is not the way to do it. That does not build good jobs for a successful work force. It exploits youthful workers who jeopardize their futures as educated, productive Maine citizens while depressing wages and taking jobs from adults who need them.

Repealing child wage and hour protections is the antithesis of promoting good Maine jobs.

David Mahoney, Hebron