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After substantive discussions about employee and customer safety with leadership of the Louisiana Board of Cosmetology and with owners in the industry, Attorney General Jeff Landry has asked Gov. John Bel Edwards to consider reopening small businesses like barber shops and hair salons.

“We have thousands of licensed cosmetologists in our state; many are independent contractors who have no other source of income and are struggling to make ends meet,” Landry said. “They not only want to serve their clients, but they also need to work in order to put food on their tables and provide for their children.”

In a letter to Edwards, Landry noted that while some customers may be wary of getting too close to their providers, others certainly have the desire to receive service.

“Whether to improve personal hygiene or boost mental psyche during these challenging times, the demand side is real; but the supply side has been completely shut off by 33 JBE 2020,” Landry wrote.

After urging the Governor to amend his proclamation so this industry may reopen with common-sense and reasonable guidelines that preserve public health and the welfare of Louisiana’s people, Landry made it clear that “allowing for reopening does not require these businesses to reopen or require customers to avail themselves of the service; rather, it gives our state’s people the opportunity to make their own decisions.”