Barber fined $90K says he has the power of the Constitution on his side

Bob Martin, a barber in Snohomish, owes $90,000 in fines for reopening his shop in May, according to the Everett Herald. The Department of Licensing suspended Martin’s cosmetologist operator license in early May and served him with a cease-and-desist order after complaints flooded in, the Herald reports.

Martin was fined $5,000 every day he operated. The tally stopped on June 2 when his license was suspended, and the $90K bill showed up last week. Martin has 20 days to appeal, according to the Herald.

Martin joined KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson Show on Monday and said opening his shop isn’t about haircuts, but about the Constitution.

“They’re taking our rights away from us,” Martin said.

He said he stayed closed for five weeks and used a Social Security check to cover rent. Martin, a veteran, said it was important to him to reopen for his employees, who are also veterans with families.

Martin said he’s not worried about the $90K fine.

“I have my U.S. Constitution and the good Lord looking out for me,” he said. “I’m not worried about anything else. They’re not going to get a dime out of me.”

Martin said he doesn’t mind a fight with Gov. Inslee, who issued a lockdown of all businesses in the state on March 23. Barber shops and salons were allowed to reopen once their county reaches Phase 2 of the governor’s Safe Start plan to reopen Washington.

“I was in the Marine Corp,” Martin said. “I’ve got good counsel here. We’ll beat him with the laws that we can live by. A lot of people don’t understand how powerful the Constitution is, but they’re going to find out.”

Martin said he won’t lose. He’s not asking for help on the fine. He just wants to beat Inslee and “rub their noses in it.”

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from noon – 3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.