I’ve been known to be hard on Rep. Lora Reinbold, a Republican from Eagle River, but I do want to give credit where credit is due. HB 140, which Reinbold sponsored, passed the House on Monday. All 37 House members present voted for the bill. It’s a good bill.
Hundreds of regulations are enacted each year by the State of Alaska that greatly affect businesses and private individuals, who are often taken off guard, have no idea how and why they originated and how they can speak out about them. The bill puts more transparency into the process by changing the Alaska Administrative Code. As it is now, an agency proposing a regulation must estimate the cost to the agency itself. This bill, if it becomes law, will also require state agencies who propose a regulation to estimate cost to individuals and to businesses, to justify the reason for the regulation and who, exactly, proposed it.
Finally, when federal law is given as a justification for a regulation, the exact federal law, executive order or decision now needs to be identified.
Reinbold introduced the bill last year and has been working hard to pass it since. She gathered letters from across the state, she compromised and got bipartisan support.
Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com
Yeah, my understanding is that they have about 400 regs a year and not exempting them would require additional staff.. I think it mostly has to to with HSS.
As a small business operator in the health field industry, I am being choked by an excessive number of unnecessary regulations. If nothing else, this legislation will make government workers to think twice before suggesting new regs. I am very happy to see a legislator take on this challenge. This kind of legislation will do a lot of good and help small businesses immensely.
Rep. Reinbold may be on the right track and I don’t suppose it can hurt to have this; however, isn’t the necessary loophole to emasculate this idea already there in the text of the bill?
“…every state agency that by statute possesses regulation making authority, except [BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS,] the office of victims’ rights [,] and the office of the ombudsman, and except as otherwise provided by statute for the state agency, shall submit to the governor for review a copy of every regulation or order of repeal adopted by the agency…..”.
For example, how fast before an exemption “provided by statute” for the impact of any regulations relating to the AKLNG project will be created?
You-re correct. This bill probably makes more sense and will improve government and peoples’ lives more than anything else they might do in Juneau this year. Let’s hope that the senate has the wisdom to pass this bill. Every year the public and businesses are burdened with unnecessary and intrusive regulations that are costly to adhere and have little or no value beyond creating more state jobs. Glad you highlighted this article so that I can contact my legislators and urge their support.