Reacting to the outrage, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Texas became the most recent states to liberalize their laws regulating “underage” entrepreneurs.

Not surprisingly, police and city bureaucrats showing up to put the kibosh on these stands raise the hackles of many parents and sane citizens who see this as a theatrical overstepping of government authority. This is all the more alarming when one realizes that many of the news stories linked above involved inner city youth who were doing their best to overcome difficult economic circumstances. It teaches them that their creativity can only be realized in the dark shadows of the underground economy – “squeezeasies,” the non-alcoholic version of speakeasies in the 1930s. Police showing up to shut down the local lemonade stand teaches children that entrepreneurship is punished in society. What would we do without citizen snitches and fast-acting bureaucrats who bring social order back to a nation spiraling out of control?! Go West, young entrepreneur!)Īnd it is not just that lemonade stands are illegal in 34 states, but there are actually watchdog busybodies who will call the authorities to shut down these shady enterprises even before Mother Nature rains on their parade (also see here, here, here, and here). (California, which has been chasing away businesses in droves, is one of these states amazingly.

Country Time Lemonade, which provides business assistance to kids seeking to dip their toes into the retail beverage marketplace, has counted only 16 states where it is legal to sell lemonade from a makeshift front yard stand. Indeed, those little entrepreneurs selling refreshing cups of lemony lusciousness may be violating a gaggle of government regulations. Summer is here and with Covid-based restrictions on fun finally receding (we hope), a return to normalcy promises the ubiquitous picnics, softball games, and sidewalk lemonade stands run by kids on their vacation away from school.īut wait a minute! Not all those Great American activities may be legal.

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