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Regulatory Reform Act Strikes Healthy Balance for NC Businesses

A competitive regulatory climate that allows business to move at the pace of the modern economy is an essential element for a state with our lofty growth goals. However, our annual CEO Poll indicates that North Carolina’s job creators increasingly find the state regulatory system to be a costly and burdensome hindrance to job growth. An unsettling refrain we hear too often from our members is, “I could not start my business today with the current level of regulation.” To address this issue, the NC Chamber believes our leaders must approach regulatory reform as an ongoing discussion aimed at striking a consistent balance between modernized regulations that meet the needs of our growing businesses and a healthy environment that promotes a high quality of life for all North Carolinians.

Fortunately, members of the NC House are considering a piece of legislation that offers a number of smart next steps in this ongoing process. House Bill 765 (Regulatory Reform Act of 2015), which was discussed in a special meeting of the House Environment Committee yesterday, would build on recent reforms to provide increased balance to North Carolina’s regulatory system. It passed the Senate earlier this month after a Senate committee made amendments to provide a more comprehensive approach to regulatory reform in a single bill. A key provision in the bill would streamline the process for risk-based cleanup of contaminated industrial sites, allowing more sites that have been deemed safe to be repurposed into new centers of productivity. We would like to extend a special thanks to the North Carolina Manufacturers Alliance for their leadership in this effort over the past several decades. They have been instrumental in moving issues such as this forward on behalf of the regulated community.

As we move into the final phase of the 2015 long session, the NC Chamber continues to work closely with all members of the General Assembly to make regulatory efficiency a priority for our state. We will keep you updated on this important piece of legislation that would help provide North Carolina’s job creators with the regulatory balance they need.

Gary J. Salamido
Vice President, Government Affairs
North Carolina Chamber