I have been a small businessman for over thirty years. And when you have laws that ban discrimination, to defend yourself it isn’t enough to simply not discriminate. You have to be able to PROVE you didn’t discriminate. So what we do is that, on application forms, we do not ask any questions about race, religion, age, or anything that has to do with a protected class of citizens. So, if Mr. Gallego’s proposal were put into law, the only way to guarantee avoiding lawsuits under it would be to eliminate any questions about work history. The problem is that work history is a legitimate and relevant subject of inquiry. It’s the first thing I look at on a resume, and the first people I put in the rejection stack are the job-hoppers.

I have a novel idea – why not just let employers decide who they want to hire? You know, sometimes, I have actually been looking to hire someone who is out of work. But I will always want to know why they are out of work.

If you pass a law like this, I will tell you the unintended consequences, and this is from talking with other small business people. You will be creating a great disincentive for hiring ANYONE. That will be the safe way out – just don’t hire anyone.