A city passed an ordinance requiring individuals to obtain a…
A city passed an ordinance requiring individuals to obtain a license in order to care for children under the age of 12 for pay. City officials who promoted the ordinance said that the licensing process would ensure that child-care workers were adequately regulated for the health and safety of the city’s children. To receive a license, the ordinance requires an individual to complete 10 hours of instruction in child care, undergo a background check, and pay a $100 fee. The ordinance affects women disproportionately to men, because female child-care workers far outnumber male child-care workers in the city. Is the ordinance constitutional?