Fighting the Good Fight
Lara didn’t have to face the board alone, however. She had heard of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, a Louisiana-based think tank known for removing barriers for people just trying to work. Lara simply sent an email to Pelican Institute through its website, seeking their help.
The Pelican Institute team quickly realized Lara’s rights had been violated, and they partnered with Lara to challenge the licensing board. While the board rejected Lara’s petition to waive the rule that was blocking her from receiving a license, which led to her decision to comply with their requirements and retake the veterinary exam, she and Pelican Institute decided not to give up.
Supported by a grant from Atlas Network, Pelican Institute has helped to pass groundbreaking legislation, including the Right to Earn a Living Act. James Baehr, special counsel at Pelican Institute, says the law opens a pathway for Louisianans to take legal action, forcing state licensing boards to justify the necessity of their licensing requirements.
“The Right to Earn a Living Act changes the presumption,” James said. “So instead of the challenger having to show that the law is unreasonable or irrational, now the board has to show that the law is necessary for public health, safety, fiduciary, or welfare purposes. It shifts the support towards the challenger because the policy should be about freedom and opportunity.”
Now, Lara and Pelican Institute are pursuing a lawsuit to force the board to make a change that would potentially benefit thousands of Louisianans similarly locked out of opportunities by unnecessary regulations.
For Lara, it’s a matter of getting justice for the many people like her who want to support their loved ones in and out of the workplace.
“I can’t stand the thought of not doing everything I can do to make it better for the next person,” she said. “There's no reason why you should be punished for deciding to prioritize family and still have your profession be a big part of your life.”
James says that while the case is about getting justice for Lara, her commitment to change the board’s rules can help many other people. “Lara was injured by this board's policies, and so she deserves justice,” he said. “They'd like her to go away. They'd like us to go away. We're not going away. There are other people in this state that this matters to going forward, and we're going to continue fighting for them until this changes.”