A conservative advocacy group with ties to the billionaire Koch brothers have teamed with lawmakers in New Jersey to make West African hair braiders' lives much more comfortable.

West African hair braiders in New Jersey often operate without a license because state laws in many states in the nation require them to take cosmetology classes for a skill they already have. WNYC reports many of the braiders have lobbied lawmakers to change the law so they would not be required to take the classes.

In fact, classes are not free, and a cosmetology degree could start at $20,000.

Many of the braiders are immigrants trying to set up a life for themselves and use this skill to make money. The law would prevent them from providing for their families.

Conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity has vowed to fight on their behalf and force the New Jersey legislature to exempt them from this requirement. The group is pro-business and believes the braiders are entitled to operate freely.

"Those guys came and said, 'We are going to work you through this,'" said Anita Yeboah, a braider originally from Ghana who works at J&C African Braids in Trenton. "All we can say to them is, God bless them for their time, for all they are doing."

The law also puts them in harm. Some customers refuse to pay, threaten to report them for operating illegally and other things.

“We do miracles with hair…with our own hands, comb, no chemicals – make them feel so happy and proud,” Yeboah said.

“We respect the law in America; we know the law makes this country so beautiful; we love America so much,” she continued. “But this is something that we are born with, so I think there’s no need for us to go to school.”

Erica Jedynak, the state director for Americans for Prosperity, lobbied for a new bill that has recently passed the New Jersey legislature aimed at protecting and exempting West African braiders.

The bill would create a new Hair Braiding Establishment Advisory Committee to register and inspect hair braiding shops under new standards, per WNYC. Now, it awaits the signature of Gov. Phil Murphy.

“You are braiding hair to put your children through school, through college, through medical issues. It’s amazing,” said Assemblywoman Angela McKnight at the committee hearing. “And you are a registered business. So you are paying taxes. So you are helping the economy.”

T/Y Sen. Ron Rice & @AswMcKnight for championing S2510/A3754 – standing up for women entrepreneurs & reducing barriers to opportunity! @NJSenDems
#NJHairBraidingFreedom
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— Erica Jedynak (@EricaJedynak) June 21, 2018

New Jersey West African hair braiders

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