By: Mary Taylor, Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
Before taking office in 2011, it was already clear to Governor John Kasich and Lt. Governor Mary Taylor that Ohio needed a new culture to address the bureaucratic red tape that had been a key obstacle for businesses looking to grow and expand in Ohio. The solution was the Common Sense Initiative (CSI). Led by Lt. Governor Taylor, CSI has been a main driver of the Administration’s regulatory reform efforts. Any regulations from the state’s executive agencies, departments, boards, or commissions that adversely impact business must be sent to CSI for review. By the end of 2015, CSI had reviewed nearly 8,000 business-impacting rules, with 59 percent of them either amended or rescinded.
The Common Sense Initiative operates on three tracks, each of which is designed to allow businesses to participate in the making of state rules and regulations. The first track involves reviewing rules on a five-year review “cycle.” In other words, all rules that impact business must be reviewed by CSI every five years. A process has been established to allow businesses to help shape the rules that are specific to them. The second track is for businesses struggling with a specific regulatory issue. For example, a business owner may be having trouble resolving a building code issue. A call to CSI can help facilitate a conversation with the Ohio Department of Commerce and go a long way toward finding a solution. Finally, the third track is centered on proactive, long-term partnerships to make Ohio more business-friendly.
Whether it was expediting inspection of commercial cement trucks for a member business; providing input into the direction of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Division of Opportunity, Diversity & Inclusion; or the current efforts to modernize the Ohio Business Gateway, the Toledo Regional Chamber has partnered with CSI on a number of initiatives.
Recently Lt. Governor Taylor announced at the Chamber’s offices a new online resource called the “CSI Small Business Toolkit.” The Toolkit was created with business owners in mind. Questions such as what CSI does, how the process works, and how businesses can use the tools CSI makes available are all answered in a simple, accessible way. The goal is to give the business community the tools it needs to quickly and effectively resolve regulatory issues.
Asked about her vision for the Toolkit and how it might impact Northwest Ohio businesses, Lt. Governor Mary Taylor said, “We understand that innovation from our business community drives our state’s economy and we will do what we can to get businesses the information they need to participate in the regulatory process.”
The reality is that CSI only works when businesses weigh in during the review process, or report regulatory issues directly to the office. The Toolkit is designed to make it easier to do that and will hopefully make CSI even more effective going forward.
“A great deal of progress has been made, but there is still work to be done,” Lt. Governor Taylor added. “We’ll continue to seek input from our state’s businesses and lean on our partners like the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce in order to strengthen and improve the regulatory climate in Ohio.”
Be sure to check out the CSI Small Business Toolkit at www.governor.ohio.gov/CSIToolkit.
Whether it was expediting inspection of commercial cement trucks for a member business; providing input into the direction of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Division of Opportunity, Diversity & Inclusion; or the current efforts to modernize the Ohio Business Gateway, the Toledo Regional Chamber has partnered with CSI on a number of initiatives.
Recently Lt. Governor Taylor announced at the Chamber’s offices a new online resource called the “CSI Small Business Toolkit.” The Toolkit was created with business owners in mind. Questions such as what CSI does, how the process works, and how businesses can use the tools CSI makes available are all answered in a simple, accessible way. The goal is to give the business community the tools it needs to quickly and effectively resolve regulatory issues.
Asked about her vision for the Toolkit and how it might impact Northwest Ohio businesses, Lt. Governor Mary Taylor said, “We understand that innovation from our business community drives our state’s economy and we will do what we can to get businesses the information they need to participate in the regulatory process.”
The reality is that CSI only works when businesses weigh in during the review process, or report regulatory issues directly to the office. The Toolkit is designed to make it easier to do that and will hopefully make CSI even more effective going forward.
“A great deal of progress has been made, but there is still work to be done,” Lt. Governor Taylor added. “We’ll continue to seek input from our state’s businesses and lean on our partners like the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce in order to strengthen and improve the regulatory climate in Ohio.”
Be sure to check out the CSI Small Business Toolkit at www.governor.ohio.gov/CSIToolkit.
Please contact Emily Dammeyer, Communications Manager, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce to submit a story for our blog.
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