For all the good work Rhode Island officials have done shepherding the state through a phased reopening of its economy, there’s been a surprising lack of transparency in how shifting guidelines and regulations are being enforced.
Responding to questions from PBN, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo on June 29 said that soon will be changing. She acknowledged requests from businesses for increased enforcement to hold those she called “bad actors” accountable.
Gov. Raimondo said it was at her direction that the state enforce regulations tied to its phased reopening with “a very light touch.” That made sense, especially in early May when the state began its phased reopening.
And it still makes sense for state regulators to work with all businesses making good-faith efforts to abide by health and safety rules, before looking to penalize them.
The problem with the state’s approach to date is that there’s been no way for the public or businesses to know what the definition of a light touch has been, whether it’s been applied evenly or who the violators are. That lack of transparency has put businesses that have patiently waited for a green light from the state to reopen or to expand operations at a disadvantage, by allowing others to interpret or flout rules without much fear of penalty.
Gov. Raimondo says she’s considering a transparency portal on a state website identifying businesses cited for noncompliance. This needs to be done immediately, to help build public confidence in the enforcement and to show consumers who is and isn’t following the rules.