Des Moines Register – Terry Branstad unveils proposal to rein in regulations affecting job creation

erry Branstad today proposed to sunset and review existing Iowa rules and regulations that affect job-creation, saying they create “job-killing bureaucracy” that hurts the state economy.

Excessive government regulation frustrates the ability of Iowa to compete when attracting and maintaining businesses,” said the Republican candidate for governor today. “Iowa employers support and will prosper with reasonable regulation.”

Branstad proposes backing legislation that requires a “staggered four-year rolling sunset of all state regulations affecting job creation and retention.” He also plans to issue an executive order that would require a small business and jobs impact statement for any new regulations.

“This change will drive a top-to-bottom review of our existing rules to find and eliminate redundancies, inefficiencies and job-killing bureaucracy,” said Branstad, pointing to a 2009 U.S. News & World Report ranking that places Iowa second-worst in the nation for starting a business.

“Excessive government interference is one of the key reasons why,” he said. “When bureaucrats go too far, our employers are at a competitive disadvantage to every other state that understands it is businesses, not government, that create long-term sustainable jobs.”

Branstad also has proposed to scrap the state’s economic development group, saying the current agency is “dysfunctional and scandal-ridden,” for a public-private entity that’s more responsive to business concerns.

He’s set a goal of creating 200,000 jobs over the next five years. The former Iowa governor, in office from 1983 to 1999, said he would push to expand Iowa exports by 20 percent over the next five years, a move that should help create nearly 13,000 jobs.

Branstad said he would open a trade office in South Korea to help reach the goal as well as open an “expanded trade agency” within the Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress, the group he plans to create to replace the existing economic development agency.

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