Lawmakers propose using kids to fill labor shortages in bars and other industries.

Lawmakers in several states, largely led by Republican lawmakers, are proposing legislation to allow children to work in more hazardous occupations, longer hours on school nights, and in expanded roles including serving alcohol in bars and restaurants as young as 14. Child welfare advocates worry the measures represent a coordinated push to scale back hard-won protections for minors. The efforts to significantly roll back labor rules are to address worker shortages and in some cases run afoul of federal regulations.