Nearly two years ago, Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee announced plans to accelerate the legislatively mandated review and reform of the state’s small-business regulatory regime. The plan had the potential to make a major improvement to the state’s business climate.
A year ago, partway through the accelerated review process, the state issued a report that called for a new partnership between the state Office of Regulatory Reform and the business community. It also listed “significant challenges to overcome in order to realize the vision for a clear, predictable and reliable regulatory system,” among them the inability of government agencies to understand the scope and economic costs and benefits of the rules.
So, another year has passed, and has there been any progress? The long, short and shameful answer is: No.
As the voters of Rhode Island take to the polls for the gubernatorial primary this week, they should think about the lack of follow through by the Chafee administration on this much-needed reform initiative. If there is one thing that Rhode Island needs, it is a clear, transparent, rational and consistent regulatory regime.
As obstructionist as many of the state regulations are, however, many reform-minded business leaders note that reform should not just be about the rules. It’s also about the obstructionist nature of the people charged with enforcing them.
So, when you go to the polls this month and during the general election, think about which of the available candidates will be able to change not just the rules, but the attitude of the state’s many bureaucracies. Nothing less than the future of Rhode Island rests on that issue. •