State Rep. Cam Cavitt today lambasted District Health Department No. 4 for issuing citations to children running a local lemonade stand in Rogers City.

This comes after an incident was brought to Cavitt’s attention, in which the health department demanded that the children pay $57 every two weeks throughout the season just to have a lemonade stand at the local farmer’s market. The $57 charge was in addition to new vendor participation fees.

“The failing District 4 health department is underwater by millions of dollars; instead of fixing their money problems internally, they’re pushing the bill onto school-aged children,” said Cavitt, of Cheboygan. “Why on earth are we bullying and penalizing kids for the grave crime of having a lemonade stand? Is the state of Michigan so desperate for funding that we have no other option aside from stealing a child’s lunch money? It’s completely unnecessary, and District Health Department No. 4 must stop giving out these citations.”

Cavitt went on to call for the health department to stop bullying children and focus on things that matter.

“We’re supposed to be teaching our children about responsibility, but we’re pricing them out of the opportunities they need to develop real business skills,” Cavitt said. “We need the health department to simply leave them alone. Kids don’t pay taxes, and they shouldn’t have to pay for absurd health department permits either. Lemonade stands are a part of every town gathering in the summer, and we shouldn’t let the health department’s greed put a stop to that tradition.”