EPA and DNR can contradict each other.
A top item on Iowa small business owners’ wish lists this year is regulatory relief.
It’s no wonder why: In a 2014 survey from Thumbtack and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Iowa earned a D for small business-friendly health and safety regulations, a steep decline from previous years’ A+ and A- ratings.
Barb Kniff, CEO of KLK Construction in Pella, Iowa, says less regulation would let business owners simply do their jobs.
“Don’t make things so complicated that we spend more time on regulations than working with our customers,” she says. “It’s best to keep the momentum going without red tape.”
Kristin Failor, NFIB’s Iowa state director, says many regulations Iowa small business owners are obligated to follow are burdensome and even overlapping.
“Most issues I hear about are from the environmental aspect,” Failor says. “There are different levels between what the Environmental Protection Agency requires, which don’t correlate with what the Department of Natural Resources is looking for in the state. I have heard from members who have had an EPA person come onto their farm, tell them to do something a certain way and then have the DNR official show up and say something completely different.”
The Des Moines Water Works is also suing three northwestern counties—Sac, Buena Vista and Calhoun—to stimulate stricter regulations for water pollution control, even though businesses are already following federal mandates.
“Another complaint from members is the egregious amount of paperwork required to do the simplest of things,” Failor says. “Unnecessary regulations can drag out certain processes, delaying the start or expansion of a business. If a regulation hinders a business from getting a permit needed to move forward with a project, the business could lose revenue while waiting.”
Regulatory relief is a priority for NFIB/Iowa in 2015, and some progress has already been made: NFIB worked with Gov. Terry Branstad to institute a jobs impact analysis policy through executive order. That policy requires a cost/benefit study identifying the impact of new rules on the public and on small business. NFIB/Iowa also helped retain funding for the Iowa Waste Reduction Center, which provides free audits of environmental regulatory issues for small businesses.
For updates on NFIB/Iowa’s regulatory reform efforts, visit www.NFIB.com/IA.
