Agriprocessors: Iowa Bill Toughens Child Labor Penalties

Goal for bill is to "prevent another Postville" while holding "unscrupulous employers" accountable.

Bill toughens penalties for child labor violations
By JASON CLAYWORTH • Des Moines Register

Employers who violate Iowa's child labor laws would face tougher penalties under a bill lawmakers pushed forward Tuesday.

House Study Bill 63 is largely the result of last year's immigration raid in Postville, where 389 suspected illegal immigrants were detained at Agriprocessors Inc., a kosher meatpacking plant.

Sholom Rubashkin, a former Agriprocessors executive, faces 97 federal charges in addition to state allegations that the company violated child-labor laws.

Misdemeanor criminal charges for child labor law violations would increase from simple to serious, which carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and $1,875 in fines for each violation.

"Our goal for this bill is to prevent another Postville and hold unscrupulous employers accountable," state Rep. Todd Taylor, D-Cedar Rapids, said.

The state would not spend more to investigate allegations. The bill would help the state collect as much as $100,000 more a year in additional fines, Taylor said.

None of the 16 committee members who voted were against the bill, which is now eligible for debate by the full House.

"I think we would all agree that Postville is a tragedy in Iowa and all agree that this bill would help. It's a good step," state Rep. Peter Cownie, R-West Des Moines, said.

Comments

[sage]

Good going, Iowa!!!!

But it's too bad that these new increased penalties would not be retroactive re: the Rubashkin case.

If they were, then SMR and AR would be facing a maximum of 9311 years in prison plus enormous fines.