Governor Presses Pause on New State Regulations
At a press conference today in Lincoln, Gov. Pete Ricketts signed an executive order targeting burdensome regulation among state agencies. Citing a report by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University titled “A Snapshot of Nebraska Regulation in 2017,” the governor highlighted issues Nebraska citizens and workers face from over-regulation.
Platte Institute CEO Jim Vokal responded to the executive order by saying, “By conducting a thorough review of the state regulatory code in partnership with the Mercatus Center, the Platte Institute is pleased to lend its support to this new effort to identify the most harmful regulations on the books, and the existing or emerging industries that are being held back by unnecessary red tape.”
All state agencies are required to review their current regulations and compile a report for the governor highlighting existing and proposed legislation by November 15th of this year. This will assist the governor and agencies in determining the costs and benefits of current regulations and what burdensome regulations can be eliminated.
An advisory task force will be created in order to assist in analyzing regulation in the various agencies consisting of:
- Government Committee Chair Sen. John Murante
- Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance Director Mark Quandahl
- Nebraska Department of Revenue Director Tony Fulton
- Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Chief Operating Officer Bo Botelho
The executive order will also put a hold on establishing new regulations unless it is mandated by statute or is critical to the general health and safety of citizens.
James Broughel, the author of the report and Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center, stated in the press conference that, “There is still room to do even better. Nebraska still has a considerable amount of regulation on its books.”
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