A new publication from the Knee Regulatory Research Center ranks each state by their child care regulations—from the least restrictive to the most restrictive. Childcare Regulation Index in the States: 1st Edition, released in October, also divides the states into quartiles, placing each state in one of four groups, depending on their ranking. According to the report, the researchers based the score on variables, such as the minimal educational requirements of certain types of child care staff members, as well as the required annual number of training hours. Louisiana topped the list, as the least restrictive, while Massachusetts ranked as the most restrictive.
A legislative committee learned that problems still exist at Georgia’s professional licensing board, despite improvements over the last few months. According to TGV News on October 21 the state started investigating licensing issues in May after “countless” complaints from constituents. One constituent, who spoke at the meeting, said she plans to sell her salon of 15 years after months of trying to renew her facilities license. Todd Zandrowicz, director of the Professional License Board and Call Center, said the office handles hundreds of calls about licensing, but now with improved response times.
Industry leaders and state authorities say that with New Mexico’s booming cannabis industry, compliance officers struggle to keep up. According to KUNM on October 17, they presented that information to the Economic and Rural Development Committee. Clay Bailey, Superintendent of the Regulation and Licensing Department asked for additional funds to handle enforcement, as only 13 compliance officers handle the whole state. According to the update, the state approved 3,000 licensees so far, with over 1,000 retailers across the state.