(The Center Square) — The nonprofit Americans for Prosperity believes in “empower every American to pursue their version of the American dream,” and has labored for workforce reform in Virginia and has recently achieved some success.
The advocacy group, founded in 2004, lobbies for federal and state policies. The nonprofit concerns itself mainly with policies that correct or scale back government regulations where they, as the group sees it, have complicated and overburdened individuals and industries – in the business world, in health care, speech, immigration, criminal justice and education. In Virginia, that has looked like some recent workforce reforms.
Universal license recognition became law in the commonwealth on July 1, meaning that workers whose professions require a license and who earned their licenses in another state do not have to become re-licensed in Virginia to work there. If a worker’s license is in good standing and has held it for at least three years, it’s generally acceptable in the commonwealth.
The group has worked on this in Virginia since 2015, according to the organization’s Virginia Legislative Director, Ben Knotts. AFP saw progress on the issue then, but Knotts was most excited about this year’s development.
“We had different results with that over the years,” Knotts said. “We were getting the outcome we wanted, but it wasn’t necessarily codified.”
“This was a big win because this is permanent clarity that if you are licensed in another state and you want to move to Virginia, it’s going to be a very easy process, so long as you don’t have pending litigation against you or malpractice or something like that,” Knotts said.
Knotts also spoke of legislation that created the state Department of Workforce Development and Advancement this year, shifted some programs from the Department of Labor and Industry to the new department, and required collaboration between it and the State Council of Higher Education.
“The bill just kind of tore down internal red tape and bureaucratic agencies that were siloed off from each other and created a real clear, streamlined approach,” Knotts said.
In addition, Knotts mentioned an initiative by Gov. Glenn Youngkin that also went into effect in July that eliminated the college degree requirement for most state government jobs.
“It’s really a no-brainer. If you have experience that’s equivalent to a degree, why can’t you apply for a job?” Knott said.
Knotts said that AFP has had “bipartisan success” in other states, including Maryland and North Carolina, with this initiative, but if Virginians want it to outlast Youngkin’s term, General Assembly members should vote to codify it.
Lastly, Knotts touched on another law that became effective in July for 2024 – restoring more regulating power to the State Corporation Commission, particularly regarding utility rates. Youngkin initially proposed some amendments that set this in motion.
At face value, this might seem like something AFP would oppose, but because of Dominion Energy’s unique position in the state’s utility sector, Knotts believes it was necessary to ensure fair-market rates.
AFP sees these reforms as creating a more business-friendly environment, and Knotts praises Youngkin’s involvement.
“The governor prioritized workforce development in Virginia as something he knew would have bipartisan support and something he knew he could leave a mark on because there was so much opportunity to streamline it,” Knotts said.
