Rep. Matt Wingard fighting state bureaucracy that forced 82-year old barber out of business

New Legislation to Help Longstanding Barbers

Rep Wingard Pushes for Changes After Case of 82-year old Sherwood Barber

Salem— After a recent case involving an 82-year old barber in his district, State Representative Matt Wingard (R-Wilsonville) is now pushing new legislation to help others in a similar situation in the future.

Wingard is proposing amendments to House Bill 2144 which would grant lifetime licenses, at no cost, to barbers who have been licensed in good standing for over 45 years. HB 2144 comes up for a hearing on Wednesday, March 2nd at 3 pm in the House Health Care Committee in Hearing Room D at the State Capitol.

Dale Smith, owner of Dale’s Barber Shop in Old Town Sherwood, was recently told by the Oregon Board of Cosmetology that he would have to undergo a series of complicated tests in order to reinstate his license to practice. Smith’s license had lapsed without his knowledge four years earlier.

“When you have a guy like Dale, who has been a barber for over 50 years, they should be granted a permanent license that would be good until they retire,” said Wingard. “The state bureaucracy forced Dale into a position where he had to sell his barbershop and give up the profession he loves. My hope is that after we enact these legislative changes, what happened to Dale will never happen again.”