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Corbett Tries to Free Small Businesses of Overregulation

The governor is promising a whole new ball game for small businesses who he says are trapped under the weight of state regulations. 

After touring a Lebanon County manufacturing company Monday, Governor Corbett outlined new ground rules for state regulators. They’ll have to embark on a more thorough exploration of how regulations, while still in the proposal stage, could ask too much of small businesses.

The legislation being pushed by Corbett has been stopped twice before by former Governor Ed Rendell, something Corbett said illustrates a backwards approach to governing. 

“Government is happy to burden business, but don’t burden government, is what that says,” said Corbett. “That says about all you need to hear about the culture of government.”

He said the regulations might be small potatoes to large companies with staff dedicated to incorporating governmental rules, but they’re significantly onerous to smaller businesses.

“You don’t have those kinds of departments to fend off all that paperwork,” said Corbett. “A small businessperson has to be his own engineer, accountant, and lawyer in many instances.”

But the bill that made it to Governor Corbett’s desk this year isn’t an exact carbon copy of the bills vetoed in the past. Those previous versions would have given small businesses a chance to request judicial review of overly onerous regulations.

 The provision was deleted from the measure the governor signed.