FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Peggy Schaffer, Small Business Advocate,
Maine Department of the Secretary of State
626-8410

Regulatory Fairness Board to meet Oct. 28 in Brunswick

BRUNSWICK The Regulatory Fairness Board will meet Oct. 28 from 8-10 a.m. at Southern New Hampshire University Auditorium (second floor), 10 Tibbetts Dr., Brunswick, Maine.

The Maine Regulatory Fairness Board was created in 2003 by the Legislature within the Department of the Secretary of State to hear testimony and to report to the Legislature and the Governor at least annually on regulatory and statutory changes necessary to enhance the State's business climate. The Board is chaired by the Secretary of State and is comprised of four members who are or have been owners or operators of Maine businesses. It is staffed by Maine's Small Business Advocate.

The board holds meetings across the state to listen to business owners' concerns and ideas on regulatory challenges facing small businesses. The board invites testimony that highlights and details regulations in need of scrutiny and amendment. These public comments directly set the hearing agendas and greatly inform the board's recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature. Public participation is an essential element to achieving the board's objectives. Testimony may also be provided in writing, but that is not required.

To effectively report to the Legislature and the Governor on regulatory conflicts, the board elicits public comment from Maine business owners/managers and the public concerning:

  • Specific State rules and regulations that may unreasonably impede business sustainability and growth; and
  • Recommendations for regulatory and statutory change that may enhance Maine's business climate.

The board is most interested in possible solutions or alternative ways to enforce regulations that are easier and less burdensome for businesses to carry out. If there are regulations that are outdated, or technology has changed processes making the regulations unworkable in their present form, the board is also interested in hearing about those suggestions.

For more information, please contact Peggy Schaffer at 626-8410 or peggy.schaffer@maine.gov.