Small-business owners need regulatory relief. Senate Bill 1 could help.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tony Gagliardi, Colorado State Director, [email protected]
or Tony Malandra, Senior Media Manager, [email protected]
DENVER, Colo., Feb. 16, 2017—Could a new, national poll of small-business owners released today help pass a legislative proposal in the Colorado General Assembly aimed at providing a bit of regulatory relief?
“It’s our hope that today’s release of an extensive poll on the regulatory burden small-business owners are laboring under can aid in the passage of Senate Bill 1, which could offer a bit of relief,” said Tony Gagliardi, Colorado state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, whose research foundation conducted the poll on regulations.
According to the legislative counsel’s analysis of SB 1, “When an agency determines that a small business has committed a minor violation of a rule, instead of imposing a fine, the agency is required to notify the small business in writing of the violation, including the steps to cure the violation, and give the small business 30 business days to cure the violation.”
What a welcome that would be for anyone looking to set up shop in Colorado, believes Sen. Tim Neville, the bill’s author. “Asking agencies to work cooperatively with businesses on compliance issues puts out a shingle for the state that says, ‘we will work with you, we want you here, and we aren’t going to automatically slap you with a big fine if you’re making diligent efforts to play by the rules.”
Gagliardi was heartened to see the bipartisan support SB 1 garnered in its 24-11 passage out of the Senate. The measure now works its way through the Colorado House. “It’s important to point out that Senate Bill 1, rightly, would not protect against violations that are a threat to public health. All it would do is alleviate the worry over minor violations made inadvertently. The bill is no threat to any elected official’s political supporters. I would urge its speedy passage through the House and onto the governor’s desk.”
Click here to read the press release highlighting the findings of NFIB’s poll. NFIB has also compiled a list of the top 12 federal problem regulations currently facing small business.
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For more than 70 years, the National Federation of Independent Business has been the Voice of Small Business, taking the message from Main Street to the halls of Congress and all 50 state legislatures. NFIB annually surveys its members on state and federal issues vital to their survival as America’s economic engine and biggest creator of jobs. NFIB’s educational mission is to remind policymakers that small businesses are not smaller versions of bigger businesses; they have very different challenges and priorities.
National Federation of Independent Business/Colorado
1580 Logan St. Suite 520
Denver, CO 80203
303-831-6099
www.nfib.com/colorado
Twitter: @NFIB_CO
