Karens, Darens, and yellers at clouds are gnashing their teeth at the news that New Hampshire and Illinois are making it legal for kids to sell warm oversweetened lemonade in dubiously sanitary plastic cups from their front yard without a permit from the government.
Last week lawmakers passed the bill and it awaits governor Chris Sununu's signature. The bill states that once the bill is signed "Persons who are under the age of 14 who are selling soft drinks on family-owned or leased property shall be exempt from city, town, or village district licensing requirements."
Lawmakers said the bill was needed because grouchy people in other states have been known to complain about pint-sized entrepreneurs hawking Kool-Aid and lemonade from their front yard. Reason cites the story of Hayli Martenez, a nine-year-old who opened a lemonade stand in her front yard in Kankakee, Illinois. Each cup cost 50 cents and she used the profit to fund her college education. After someone complained, health officials notified Hayli that she must shut down the stand or face a fine. As a result of the incident, Hayli switched to a donation-only model. Earlier this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed "Hayli's Law" to protect her business and those of other young entrepreneurs in Illinois.
