His first full day on the job, Republican Gov. Chris Sununu ordered the 90-day moratorium he promised during the campaign on certain proposed state regulations.
But as written, his edict will likely have little effect, given its exemptions apply to most rules, lawmakers said.
What’s likely to have the greater effect is a statewide review Sununu ordered of all agency regulations. Under his two-page letter, all departments must evaluate whether each of its regulations is required by law or “essential to the public health, safety or welfare.” All others, he wrote, should be stricken from the books.
It’s a hefty endeavor. All state departments, licensing boards and agencies have chapters of regulations that can include thousands of rules determining day-to-day operations. They range from how an agency conducts a hearing, to the way it revokes a license. The review must be completed by March 31, Sununu wrote.
His letter, sent to all agencies and department heads Friday, initially led to some confusion and pushback.
“The governor is not entitled or authorized to issue a moratorium and even if he were, it would be very disruptive and bad customer service,” said Sen. Dan Feltes, a Concord Democrat.
All agency regulations must be approved by a committee of lawmakers known as the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules. Most rules are made as a requirement of state law. Once approved, they last 10 years. An agency needs to go through the committee to repeal a rule or regulation, lawmakers said.
Republican Rep. Carol McGuire, committee co-chair, said she isn’t sure how the moratorium will be implemented. But she is hopeful the review will weed out bad rules, or help improve state law.
“It’s one of those things that nobody really looks at it,” said McGuire, of Epsom. “Getting a fresh set of eyes looking at these things is always useful.”
Sununu campaigned for governor on a platform to reduce burdensome regulations. He emphasized the need for better “customer service” in state government during his inauguration address last week. He wasn’t available for comment late Friday.
The moratorium he called for doesn’t apply to rules that must be adopted by law before March 31 or those that are essential to the “public, health, safety or welfare.”
In order for regulations that meet that standard, Sununu wrote, departments must be able to show “the costs of the regulation do not exceed the regulation’s benefits” and the “regulation does not unduly burden the state’s citizens or businesses, and does not have an unreasonably adverse effect on the state’s competitive business environment.”
(Allie Morris can be reached at 369-3307 or amorris@cmonitor.com.)