Pawlenty vetoes beautician license bill

05/14/2006

BY RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER
Pioneer Press

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have allowed felons to become state-licensed cosmetologists.

In his veto letter, the governor’s first of 2006, the governor said the bill’s language was “problematic” and objected to a second part of the measure that would have allowed some felons to work in horse racing.

But the veto does not necessarily mean the first class of would-be cosmetologists learning the trade at the Shakopee women’s prison won’t be able to get licenses to cut hair, do nails and open salons.

Sen. Linda Higgins, one of the measure’s sponsors, said the veto is “unexpected but not unfixable.”

The governor is willing to work with lawmakers to develop a provision that would allow felons to become cosmetologists on a case-by-case basis, according to a Pawlenty staffer. That provision could become law yet this legislative session, which ends in 12 days.

Right now, felons can become barbers on a case-by-case basis. In the past five years, at least 60 men have graduated from Minnesota prison barber programs in St. Cloud and Moose Lake. Many of those barbers are working in the trade outside of prison.

Barbers and cosmetologists have different rules, because until recently they had different oversight structures. That oversight was merged into one board in 2005.