Legislation aimed at helping Kentucky’s largest amusement park maintain summertime staffing has opponents worried about weakening minimum wage protections. The measure got senate committee backing this week.
Kentucky Kingdom President Ed Hart claims his Louisville amusement park experiences high overtime costs come August when many 18 year olds go off to college. He won Senate Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor Committee approval to be exempted from OT requirements. “This bill would allow us to give our existing 18 year olds more hours without having to incur significant overtime.”
As is, Hart says Kentucky Kingdom anticipates bringing some 80 young people from overseas to make up the staff shortage this summer. Rich Seckel with the Kentucky Equal Justice Center worries passage of the bill might, in turn, impact people trying to pay rent, car payments, and paying for college. The bill, which also pertains to certain other summertime recreational facilities, is expected to be before the full senate next week.
