Legislative Agenda 2013-14: Regulatory Reform

Businesses have consistently cited Wisconsin’s costly and onerous regulatory climate as a key factor inhibiting economic growth. In a survey of Wisconsin businesses, 97 percent said our regulations are more expensive than other states, and 72 percent cited Wisconsin’s regulatory burden as a significant factor impacting their ability to retain jobs. Significant rulemaking reforms were enacted to help address this problem in the 2011-2012 session of the Legislature, but additional reforms are needed to ensure Wisconsin businesses do not face a competitive disadvantage in our regulatory environment: 
•           Retroactively review and repeal obsolete regulations.Improve our regulatory environment by reviewing existing administrative rules to repeal or reform obsolete, costly or cumbersome regulations. 
•           Harmonize state and federal regulations.Align Wisconsin employment and environmental regulations with corresponding federal requirements to eliminate the additional cost and complexity of complying with overlapping regulations. 
•           Ensure agencies regulate by rule instead of guidance.Promote a consistent and transparent regulatory environment by holding state agencies accountable to the requirement to regulate through promulgated rules, as opposed to internal policy guidance documents. 
•           Require legislative approval of the most costly rules.Strengthen regulatory checks and balances by requiring the affirmative approval of lawmakers in both houses for any administrative rule expected to cost businesses or local government more than $50 million. 
•           Modernize Wisconsin’s election laws.  Most of the laws governing Wisconsin’s political campaign process were established decades ago, and are outdated.  Modernize these statutes to reflect changes that occurred during the past 40 years, including protecting the constitutional free speech rights of businesses.