New York State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Saratoga Springs), sponsored a bill that would require shampoo assistants to obtain 500 hours of professional training at a cosmetology school as an employment requirement.
If her training-before-shampooing mandate passes, hair washers would have to spend an average of $13,354 on beauty school each to secure a “shampoo assistant” license.
Todd Garofano, Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner and Tom’s wife Holly Condon Garofano, initial director of the NYS Association of Salon & Spa Professionals
New York state currently has 22,997 hair salons and 4,847 barbershops — all of which could be impacted if the proposed bill becomes law.
New York is often ranked as the least-business friendly state in the nation and its use of licensing and onerous regulations as job-killers is one of the main reasons why.
So why would an assemblywoman in the Albany area want to introduce a bill to make licensing a requirement before an assistant to a licensed cosmetologist could even wet a person hair and apply some shampoo?
Follow the money.
The NYS Salon & Spa Professionals of New York State, an association that represents cosmetology schools, asked Assemblywoman Woerner to introduce the bill.
Woerner’s legislative director, Christopher Garofano, 25, is the son of Todd Garofano, who happens to serve as the executive director of the Salon & Spa Professionals of NYS, a lobbying group that helps cosmetology schools get friendly legislation in the USA most corrupt state.
“This absurd legislation didn’t smell right from the beginning and we know we know why,” said Dave Catalfamo (R-C) who is running against Woerner. “Assemblymember Woerner is the poster child for the corrupt, broken Albany system that favors donors and special interests while killing jobs and hurting hardworking New Yorkers. It’s time for her to come out of hiding and directly answer questions about her actions surrounding this legislation.”
The shampoo assistant licensing law has another powerful supporter: The four-member NY State advisory committee for the Division of Licensing Services which licenses salon workers. This is not surprising since of the four member board, three of them will benefit personally for the bill if it passes.
Advisory board chairwoman Michelle D’Allaird Brenner owns Aesthetic Science Institute, and member Anthony Fiore owns Capri Cosmetology Learning Center. Both schools will be able to teach the 500-hour shampoo course if becomes law.
A third member, Anthony Civitano, serves as executive director of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools, a lobbying group.
Requiring licenses for shampooers will be a windfall for them. The new licensing requirement could bring in some $370 million, the New York Post estimated. With 61 cosmetology schools in the state, that means a potential average of more than $6 million per school in extra revenue if the state decides people need 500 hours of schooling in order to get a license in order to be able to wash someone’s hair.
“It’s simple shampoo. Anyone can do it,” Evelyn Moquete told the NY Post. Moquete has worked as a shampoo assistant at Greenwich Village’s Astor Place Hairstylists for six years. “I don’t think I should have to go to school for a simple shampoo.”
As with any new licensing, the state expects to take its cut with applications, fees and fines from shampoo assistants and salons, so it is easy to see why the state might ultimately pass this law.
So this is how we get so many or our laws – a devilish combination of corrupt or easily influenced lawmakers and a special interest group seeking to make money – and not because of need.
On the legislative side, a bright young man went to work for an assemblywoman. His father is in the cosmetology school industry. He gets his son to write up a bill that would require more licensing requirements that benefit his industry, but probably harms thousands of workers across the state and will make it harder for hair salons to do business. The cost will probably be passed on to consumers.
On the bureaucratic side, the advisory board for licensing happens to be made up of people in the cosmetology school industry and they give it official sanction.
The only thing that might stop this is the media and the New York Post deserves credit for breaking this story. [https://nypost.com/2020/08/08/ny-dems-push-for-law-mandating-training-for-shampoo-assistants/]
It illustrates why everyone in public office – from prosecutors to presidents – need to have checks and balances.
This shampoo assistant licensing bill is another example of why New York State is considered the corruption capital of the USA.
