Giving Compass' Take:

· Writing for the In Defense of Liberty Blog, Trevor Bratton takes a look at how states can help those in need with the rapidly rising costs of funerals. 

· How can philanthropy help with the rising costs of funerals? What factors have contributed to the rising cost? 

· Check out this article to read more on this topic and about states banning victim aid to people with criminal records.

In the wake of a loved one’s passing, families are paying more for funeral services than ever before. Fortunately, state lawmakers across the country can ease these burdens.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates funeral costs have risen nearly 230% since 1986, compared to a 95% increase in all commodities over the same timeframe. This increase coincides with a decrease in funeral homes across the country, from 20,557 in 2009 to 19,136 in 2019. In the Goldwater Institute’s home state of Arizona, families pay an average funeral cost of $7,530, while having one of the lowest concentrations of funeral service providers in the country.

Occupational licensing laws—which require people to go through costly and time-consuming processes to get government permission before they’re allowed to do their jobs—dramatically and unnecessarily restrict the supply of funeral service providers. These laws often have no public health or safety benefit, and in the case of funeral services, they protect existing providers at the expense of would-be competitors, which makes funerals more expensive for families.

Read the full article about funeral costs by Trevor Bratton at the In Defense of Liberty Blog.