Regulatory Action Center Review for November 1, 2018

1. Video of the Week: With the holidays upon us, this video explains how excessive food regulation may not make us healthier.

2. It’s SPACE MONTH at the FCC: Check out what the Federal Communications Commission is doing to promote commercial utilization of space-based technologies in this blog post by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai: https://medium.com/@AjitPaiFCC/space-month-at-the-fcc-c3ec38996fbb

3. FCC Moves Forward With Office of Economics and Analytics: As Jerry Ellig, former chief economist for the FCC writes, “[T]here’s more to this initiative than simply rearranging an organization chart. Today’s long-awaited announcement means the FCC remains committed to conducting higher-quality economic analysis to inform regulatory decisions.” Read more here: https://regulatorystudies.columbian.gwu.edu/fcc-clears-last-hurdles-creation-economics-office

4. Speaking of the FCC, California Just Admitted the Internet Isn’t in Jeopardy: “States should step aside and let the FCC make the best decisions for the future of the internet. It has now been more than four months since the Restoring Internet Freedom Order went into effect and the internet continues to be just fine. California’s acquiescence is a sign that any continued pursuit of net neutrality legislation by any state would be a waste of time and taxpayer money.” Read more here: https://spectator.org/california-internet-jeopardy/

5. CAFE Standards vs. Economics: The public comment period recently closed on the Trump administration’s plan to reform the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program, which regulates vehicle fuel efficiency. As this article by the Independent Institute points out, the Trump reforms will make the efficiency standards more efficient by reducing their stringency. Read the full article here: http://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=10569

6. American Action Forum and Competitive Enterprise Institute Release Analyses of Upcoming Regulatory Agenda: Want to know what the Trump administration has in store for the rest of this year and 2019? Start with these breakdowns from AAF and CEI. AAF: https://www.americanactionforum.org/insight/major-rules-ahead-in-the-fall-2018-regulatory-agenda/ CEI: https://www.forbes.com/sites/waynecrews/2018/10/30/tricks-or-treats-here-are-washingtons-174-biggest-rules-and-regulations-in-the-pipeline/#17693705c8d0

7. Mercatus Center Economist Makes Friendly Suggestions to Improve Trump’s Regulatory Budget: “Trump’s regulatory budget represents real progress. One could even call it historic. But there is much more work to be done,” writes economist James Broughel. Read the rest of his column here: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/how-to-improve-trumps-regulatory-budget