Sen. Kelly: Eliminating a Thousand Pages is Only a Start

State Senator Kevin Kelly (R-21) released the following statement today in response to Governor Malloy’s announcement that he is seeking to eliminate a thousand pages of state regulations.

“Connecticut’s many onerous and burdensome regulations inhibit job growth. It is encouraging to see the governor making efforts to eliminate unnecessary regulations, but it is only a small start with a temporary fix. More must be done to cut the red tape that hurts our local economy and hinders employment opportunities.

“One thousand pages represent less than 7 percent of current regulations, and the governor’s bill only repeals regulations that were identified through a one-time Executive Order. What Connecticut really needs is a continuous, statutory process that identifies and repeals obsolete and/or burdensome existing regulations.

“The governor’s proposed legislation would help streamline future regulatory changes, but it does not establish a process for consistent review of regulations already in place, which continue to place burdens on jobs and the people of Connecticut,” said Senator Kelly.

Senator Kelly is the co-sponsor of two bills that he says would move Connecticut in the right direction. Senate Bill 272 would require agencies to review regulations every four years, and House Bill 5358 would authorize the Regulation Review Committee to recommend the repeal of any obsolete and burdensome agency regulation.

“With over 15,000 pages of state regulations, Connecticut has a long way to go to make our state government leaner and more efficient. We need to establish a system for consistent review of existing regulations. We need to do more, and we can do more.”

Senator Kelly’s testimony to the Government, Administration and Elections Committee in support of SB 272 and HB 5358 can be downloaded here: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2014/GAEdata/Tmy/2014HB-05358-R000303-Senator%20Kevin%20Kelly,%2021st%20District-TMY.PDF. Above is a photo of Senator Kelly testifying in support of these bills. In the photo, to his right, are all 18 binders with 15,000 pages of state agency regulations.