Texas Representative Matt Krause Files House Bill 234 Favorable for Kids Seeking to Start Lemonade Businesses

By Steven Gordon, Lemonade Day National President

Lemonade Day Stand

 

House Bill 234, filed a few weeks ago by Texas Representative Matt Krause making it legal for kids to host a lemonade stand on private property for a “limited time”, is garnering quite a lot of attention from media outlets all over the state of Texas – The Austin American Statesman, The Dallas Morning News, The Fort Worth-Star Telegram, and Texas State Radio, to name a few. In fact, The Dallas Morning News has run two pieces on this topic, first on Nov. 19 in an article about “wacky” bills filed in advance of the 2019 Texas Legislative Session and then in an editorial on Nov. 23 favoring the passage of this bill, writing “This should be a bipartisan no-brainer. We’re all for passing this. Many a Texas child has broken this law anyway. Let a kid make a couple of bucks already.”

Lemonade Day National Board Chair Charlie Hamilton and I applaud Rep. Krause for introducing HB 234, and we thank The Dallas Morning News editorial staff for writing what we also think and believe!

Follow this link for the article:

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2018/11/19/bills-legalizelemonade-stands-enddaylight-savingtime-debate-2019

Follow this link for the editorial commentary:

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2018/11/23/dont-texas-lawmakers-better-things-debate-chickens-lemonade-stands

Rep. Krause was inspired to file House Bill 234 after learning of a situation in Texas three years ago during which police near Tyler, east of Dallas, shut down a lemonade stand run by sisters Zoey and Andria Green, then ages 7 and 8, because they did not have a permit for their lemonade stand. The girls were hoping to raise funds so that their dad could take them to an outing at a water park.

Charlie and I believe that House Bill 234 is a great start for Texas.  Furthermore, Charlie and I join other Lemonade Day proponents’ hope that more elected officials, community leaders and regulatory agencies will take steps to modify or change current city, county, and state ordinances, statutes, and decrees that are directed at permanent businesses to allow youth 18 and under to operate “temporary,” “occasional,” or “seasonal” lemonade stands in public areas with adult supervision.

Our Lemonade Day national team will work closely with Rep. Krause and his staff to share our positive experiences with young entrepreneurs who start lemonade businesses.  Cities, counties, and states have an opportunity to relax or eliminate permit requirements and encourage youth entrepreneurship. These governmental bodies can help pave the way for kids to host a lemonade stand not only on their front lawns and in their neighborhoods, but also in local parks and other public spaces with adult supervision. When kids learn how to spend some, save some and share some of their lemonade profits, everyone wins.

Kids can register to participate in Lemonade Day at no cost to them, with access to digital and printed teaching tools, to make the process of starting and operating their lemonade business easy, fun and rewarding. 

Lemonade Day, which was founded in 2007 in Houston, Texas, has engaged more than one million kids in valuable lessons in early business ownership that have a profound and measurable impact on them for life. We intend to bring this powerful Lemonade Day youth entrepreneurship to millions more kids In the U.S. and Canada in the years to come with the help of 250,000 or more adult mentors, sponsors, City Champions, and City Directors.

Please visit lemonadeday.org for more information. I welcome your comments, questions and suggestions any time via email Steven@LemonadeDay.org.

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