NFIB’s state director for Missouri, Brad Jones, today praised the House for passing House Bill 272, legislation that would rejuvenate the Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board. It passed the House 119-34 and heads to the Senate.
“This is commonsense legislation that would help the voice of small business be heard in Jefferson City,” Jones said. The board was created in 2005 to give small businesses more of a say in the rulemaking process, he said.
“When the board was up and running, problems between state agencies and small businesses could be worked out with a couple of phone calls or a face-to-face meeting,” Jones said.
“Unfortunately, during the last administration, appointments to boards and commissions basically stopped,” Jones said. Board members were not replaced as their terms expired; as a result, some boards and commissions, including the Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board, were unable to meet because they didn’t have a quorum.
H.B. 272, introduced by Rep. Dan Shaul, would restore the board to its full functionality, Jones said. “We need to get small business owners appointed to the board and resume regular meetings,” he said.
“Our members are urging their senators to pass H.B. 272 and send the bill to Governor Parson,” Jones said. “The sooner the board is back up and running, the sooner state government can get back to helping small businesses grow and create jobs.”
NFIB is the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization. To learn more about NFIB in Missouri, visit www.NFIB.com/MO and follow @NFIB_MO on Twitter.
