Op-Ed: Sanborn: Working to cut red tape

By Rep. Laurie Sanborn (R-Bedford)

So many of us ran for public office with a primary goal of improving jobs and the economy in our state, and we know you can only be pro-jobs if you are pro-business.

That’s why I created in January 2011, and now chair, the House Business Caucus, a nonpartisan group of like-minded legislators who are entirely focused on evaluating and supporting legislation that promotes job creation and expansion of the economic base through strong business growth and success.

Sometimes it’s not just the laws that need reforming. It’s also been a priority of the House Business Caucus to improve the interactions and relationship between businesses and state government. We’ve done this in several ways, including passing legislation that requires warnings before fines for minor paperwork infractions, reduces time to receive permits, and by taking steps to modernize communications and payments.

In 2014, the House Business Caucus will continue to meet regularly to discuss bills that have a direct business impact, and then provide information and make recommendations to the entire body on voting days. We remain focused on reducing excessive regulations and red tape wherever possible, making our state’s taxes and fees more competitive, and encouraging a friendly, welcoming approach to all employers, from all levels of government.

We hope that employers will provide us the input and feedback we need to ensure New Hampshire is the best state in the nation to pursue private sector economic opportunities. And, while we seek to improve the climate for all businesses, we also like to fill a void for the smaller employers and family businesses, which need to be heard equally. They represent a substantial part of our state’s economy and sometimes don’t have the same lobbying presence as the larger companies.

For more information or to sign up for email updates and invitations to events, see www.ProBusinessNH.com, or email me directly at RepSanborn@gmail.com. I hope to hear from you!