Democratic Leader: Public Input Welcome for the Maine Regulatory Fairness Board

Last session, the Maine Legislature supported regulatory reform legislation (LD 1) to improve the business climate in the state and encourage job creation and opportunities for Maine people by identifying and eliminating duplicate and unnecessary regulations that hinder our business climate.

One aspect of the new law was the creation of the Maine Regulatory Fairness Board (RFB). The RFB is tasked with identifying regulatory conflicts and making recommendations for regulatory and statutory changes that may enhance Maine’s business climate.

The Board is chaired by the Secretary of State and is comprised of four members who are or have been owners or operators of Maine businesses. Two members are appointed by the Legislature and two members are appointed by the Governor, one of whom represents businesses with fewer than 50 employees and another who represents those with fewer than 20 employees. The RFB is staffed by Maine’s Small Business Advocate.

To gather this information, the RFB holds statewide meetings open for public comment from Maine business owners/managers and the general public in regards to issues with specific state rules and regulations that may be unreasonably impeding business sustainability and growth. The RFB compiles all public testimony as a basis for recommendations for the Governor and Legislature to consider.

The next meeting for the RFB is Friday, February 24, 2012 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Secretary of State’s Office, located at 103 Sewall Street in Augusta. Businesses are encouraged to attend and share their insights.

For more information about the meeting or to ask general questions about the RFB, contact the Small Business Advocate’s Office at (207) 626-8410 or visit www.maine.gov/sos/sba/rfb.html.