In 2015, Gov. Charlie Baker issued an executive order to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden in the Commonwealth. Thanks to more than 130 listening sessions and more than 1,000 public comments, the all-agency effort has amended 650 regulations and rescinded another 200. An additional 240 are still under consideration to be amended or rescinded, and the process of reviewing all regulations to make it easier for businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities to do their jobs is ongoing.
Not everyone is pleased about this, of course. Critics say it’s a waste of scarce resources and that the effort isn’t making any real difference.
However, for small businesses, regulations represent a real cost of doing business, and it’s crucial that unnecessary, redundant, and overzealous requirements be amended or eliminated.
Associated Industries of Massachusetts’ Christopher Geehern told WBUR Radio, “There’s no question that having a rational and efficient regulatory system promotes economic growth. It provides employers with the confidence that they need to go forward, to expand, and to hire people.”