The Ohio Regulatory Reform Task Force, a bipartisan group of Ohio legislative leaders aiming to produce regulatory reform ideas for the state, held its final hearing in Columbus on October 23. The meeting followed a series of field hearings held around the state that provided small business owners and other interested parties with an opportunity to share their stories about the regulatory climate in Ohio.
The hearings have included testimony from groups advocating legislative regulatory reform such as the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, the Ohio Small Business Council, and the National Federation of Independent Business/Ohio. The final hearing differed in that the directors of the state’s agencies were given the opportunity to share with task force members the internal changes they are making without the directive of legislation.
The Task Force members will prepare a report based on the findings from the hearings and distribute it to the General Assembly in the next few weeks. The report may serve as the basis for future legislation.
— Kate Reichert, Regulatory and Legislative Counsel