Wisconsin increases small business reps on regulatory board
Wisconsin has altered the makeup of the state’s Small Business Regulatory Review Board to give small businesses a bigger voice in rulemaking. The new law will increase the number of small business representatives on the board from six to seven and will eliminate the representatives from several state departments.
Gov. Scott Walker signed the Small Business Regulatory Relief Act on Nov. 2, saying it seeks to improve Wisconsin’s regulatory review process and increase compliance. “By reworking the representation on the board, we are giving job creators a bigger voice in the state’s regulatory and rulemaking processes, and that’s good for jobs and economic growth,” Walker said in a statement.
Under the new law, seats on the board will be eliminated for the state’s Departments of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; Administration; Children and Family Services; Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.; Health Services; Natural Resources; Safety and Professional Services; and Work Force Development. The changes are intended to require agencies to be flexible with small businesses when enforcing administrative rules and to “shift power from unelected government bureaucrats to small business owners,” according to one of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. John Nygren.
Also, the board may submit changes to minimize the economic impact and administrative hardships caused by proposed rules or ask for the rules to be withdrawn. “It’s no secret that thousands of dollars in costs are added to small businesses because of government rules and regulations,” Nygren said in a statement. “It’s crucial we hold down the costs of doing business and protect Wisconsin employers and workers from burdensome regulations.”
Read Walker’s statement and Nygren’s statement.
