Governor Bruce Rauner today announced a comprehensive plan to promote economic growth and job creation by cutting the red tape in Illinois. He signed Executive Order 16-13 to review all agency rules and regulations by the newly-created Illinois Competiveness Council.
“For years, Illinois has added layers and layers of burdensome rules and regulations to a never-ending bureaucracy,” Governor Rauner said. “It’s an endless line of red tape that creates a barrier for small businesses and entrepreneurs. By cutting the red tape, we are creating an environment where they can succeed.”
The Illinois Competitiveness Council will be comprised of a representative of each of Illinois’ regulatory state agencies. Its goal is to save Illinoisans at least $250 million in direct license fee costs over the next decade, and save Illinois taxpayers and business owners at least 4 million pages in paperwork. It will work to ensure current regulations are up to date and relevant to today’s industries and practices; ensure the language in rules are easy to understand; reduce the amount of unduly burdensome requirements on businesses, social service providers, and citizens through both time and cost; and ensure there is a clear need for the regulation.
“Illinois is currently a patchwork of duplicative, contradictory and outdated regulations,” said U-Jung Choe, Chairwoman of the Illinois Competitive Council. “The Illinois Competitiveness Council will take an all-encompassing look at the state’s policies, rules and regulations to cultivate an atmosphere that makes it easier for small businesses and entrepreneurs to grow and flourish.”
In addition, the Illinois Competitiveness Council will look for recommendations to improve Illinois’ licensing environment to promote job growth and job creation. Currently, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) has more than a million active licenses in more than 200 license categories, however for nearly a third, IDFPR has issued fewer than 100 licenses. The growth of these licenses has increased 184 percent in the last 20 years.
“Clearing out red tape liberates everyone — teachers, doctors, small businesses, and public servants,” said Philip Howard, founder of the Common Good, a nonpartisan reform coalition. “It’s hard to compete in a fast-moving world when hacking through a bureaucratic jungle. Modernizing regulation will make government better and Illinois more competitive.”
Kentucky, Indiana, Colorado, and Massachusetts have all successfully reviewed their rules and cut red tape to give their citizens a more competitive advantage over Illinois citizens. Burdensome and unnecessary regulations, policies and licensing requirements disproportionately impact small businesses, particularly minority-owned businesses.
In order to have the greatest impact, the Illinois Competitiveness Council is seeking input from the public on which rules and regulations are the biggest hindrance to people and businesses. Anyone can submit feedback to cut the red tape at www.illinois.gov/cut.
- Michelle Flaherty - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:39 pm:
– seeking input from the public on which rules and regulations are the biggest hindrance —
Well, there’s that pesky pension clause and the balanced budget requirement.
- Reality Check - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:39 pm:
Wait.
In the course of the first four paragraphs, this Rauner release calls it the “Competiveness Council”, the “Competitiveness Council”, and the Competitive Council”.
How about a “competition” for a “competent” author and editor?
- Demoralized - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:42 pm:
==to save Illinoisans at least $250 million==
And they are going to replace that revenue with what?
- The Captain - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:42 pm:
Whatever happened to his last blue ribbon panel, the one the Lt. Governor headed up that was going to removed all the unnecessary unfunded mandates?
- honeybear - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:44 pm:
Wow, a modern Court of the Star Chamber.
- Matt - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:45 pm:
Anyone notice who is front and center in the second picture on the website?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:45 pm:
===In the course of the first four paragraphs, this Rauner release calls it the “Competiveness Council”, the “Competitiveness Council”, and the Competitive Council”===
Maybe it says more about this being a distraction in the last 22 days of the election, and less about the questionable competence of the shaky Rauner Press Shop?
I do hope they know how many people are on this… 18… 25… 17… ‘Nember when Rauner held a Presser and neglected to realize how many people were going to be on whatever he was creating because it was really important?
As a “big picture” thingy, it could be great, but let’s start by looking at what y’all are calling it, or if that Shop might need to sit out a few plays before more distractions roll out?
- Reality Check - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:48 pm:
Well the AP took them at their word and called it the “Competiveness Council”:
http://www.wrex.com/story/33408819/rauner-creates-council-he-says-will-cut-illinois-bureaucracy
So no, nobody can play this game.
- illini - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:48 pm:
OK, yet another Council ( probably subject to FOIA ) that will spend many, many months to come to any conclusions.
Why not just cut to the chase and say that this Council met once and endorsed the entire TurnAroundAganda. Problem Solved !!!!!
- Winnin' - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:49 pm:
Friday’s press release:
Rauner names Doug Oberhelmen to chair Competitiveness Council.
- Demoralized - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:49 pm:
So we’re putting out numbers - fee savings and rules cut - before even looking at anything. We start with the answer we want and then go from there. Why not just put all of the rules in a hat and draw them out until we hit the fee savings and page reductions.
It drives me nuts when we set these artificial goals without the least little bit of understanding of what is being looked at.
- Scamp640 - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:50 pm:
Not having a state budget is kind of a hindrance…
- Captain Illini - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:51 pm:
Well for me their first order of business is to recommend repeal of Senate Bill 51, then onto dismantling CDB and CMS for starters…
- VanillaMan - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:51 pm:
This is a democracy, not a board room. These are citizens, not customers. This is our money, not yours.
This could only come from a guy who doesn’t understand his job. Anyone researching into regulations inevitably discovers that government does not treat citizens like they can be ignored. The regulations are the result of thousands of rules and laws, not bureaucratic whims. Rauner believes what he says? He isn’t thinking like a governor, he’s thinking like a takeover artist stripping and flipping an unprofitable venture.
Be a governor, Governor!
- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:52 pm:
==to save Illinoisans at least $250 million==
And they are going to replace that revenue with what?
I’d guess they’d need less employees (and their associated pensions and overhead costs) if there were less licenses and fees needed, so there is that, if it can be shown where the savings would be. Sometimes regulation can be a “profit center” for state government, sometimes not.
- Sir Reel - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:52 pm:
Interesting that the members are representatives of State regulatory agencies. Of course these agencies feel their regulations are warranted and not burdensome. Might be some protection of turf. Depends on who shows up.
- Stones - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:53 pm:
Sounds impressive but I bet it won’t create one job - except for any staff hired to assist the council.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:54 pm:
Cynicism aside, there are some really outdated rules out there that someone should take a look at.
- honeybear - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:56 pm:
I know what this is. It’s trying to find proof for Intersect Illinois so that they can get their 501c3 application approved so that they can qualify as an “economic development corporation”.
You see one of the only ways that they can get approved from 501c3 status is to show that there is so much “red tape” that you’ve got to create an EDC to cut through it. Their application probably got stalled because they couldn’t prove hindrance or inefficiency, bada bing bada boom, Rauner creates a “competitiveness council” to do just that.
Once they’ve done that the transference of the state’s economic incentives function, and thus the patronage “cookie jar”, passes from public into private hands.
Beyond the publics sight.
(BTW, I readily admit I have no proof for this theory. It’s just conjecture. But if you look at what Rauner really wants and what he’s worked tirelessly for. My thoughts make sense.)
- Demoralized - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:56 pm:
Anyone ever dealt with JCAR? You know what a convoluted mess it is to get rules changed? It takes months.
Nice idea. But he’ll never get anywhere close to his goals before his first term is over.
- Demoralized - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:58 pm:
Not to mention rules are based on laws. So you’ll have to change those first.
Again, nice idea. But he’ll never get much of it implemented.
- honeybear - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 1:58 pm:
–Interesting that the members are representatives of State regulatory agencies.–
Raunerite members of agencies. Many of whom loath their own agency and the people who work for it. Especially union employees.
I’ve seen it personally.
- Hamlet's Ghost - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:01 pm:
I propose a slogan for this new initiative:
“We need the Illinois Competiveness Council because sometimes spelling just gets in the way.”
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:04 pm:
While info think this could theoretically be a really great thing…
Rauner tweeted he is “filming” his announcement of this thrice named distraction…
What’s he “filming”, commercials?
When will they be airing? The last 22 days of this election?
Can this timing be seen cynically as… a distraction?
Hmm.
- illini - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:05 pm:
I’m thinking Honeybear may be on to something here!!
- Skeptic - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:08 pm:
So *that’s* where that $8B of waste/fraud/abuse is…it’s all in the red tape.
- Ducky LaMoore - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:10 pm:
Making government more efficient while making business more competitive is such a good idea. Unfortunately, the man pushing to eliminate red tape and for efficiency in government has vetoed a $4 billion out of balance budget while signing an $8 billion out of balance stop-gap. Running a state via court-order sure did not eliminate red tape or promote efficiency. Maybe the governor should clean his own house before starting a house-cleaning service???
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:12 pm:
“While I do think this could theoretically be a really great thing…”
… and that’s true.
- Reality Check - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:15 pm:
@Willy it sure looks like a political campaign website, with its five photos of the candidate himself.
- Anon221 - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:16 pm:
Good idea to do regulation reviews. However in this case, it’s just “SQUIRREL!!!”.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:20 pm:
- Reality Check -
Honestly, it doesn’t bother me on its face, and the idea could be something to look at, less the ridiculous 3 names and monetary values without a meeting(?)
What should be “troubling” to a Mark Kirk, to a Leslie Munger, to any “Tier 2″ GA race not swimming with Raunerite Cash…
Rauner isn’t building a party or backing a party or even propping up a party anymore…
Rauner is cutting bait on some, tepidly involved in others, and spending in others at a level statewides marvel at now.
This rollout is about Rauner, making his numbers move, making his image better…
… 22 days away from a campaign with Rauner not on the ballot.
Crazy times.
- Jon - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:27 pm:
Looks like the “superstars” are out working on campaigns. I have no clue what the “bench player” who wrote the 5th paragraph is trying to say in the last sentence: “The growth of these licenses has increased 184 percent in the last 20 years.” Which licenses? The third of active licenses? All licenses? The actual size of the paper license?
Also, does the Governor’s Office think minorities can’t fill out paperwork correctly? Why include that?
- JS Mill - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:27 pm:
I would suggest paying the state’s bills as a way to be more competitive.
Give that one a think Gov.
- dr. reason a, goodwin - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:45 pm:
Why does it cost $250 for an LLC Annual Report? Seems excessive for what amounts to a routine filing. Here’s a way to help small businesses.
- Nick Name - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:46 pm:
“Illinois Competitiveness Council”
Euphemism alert: turning Illinois into an Ayn Randian nightmare, one executive order at a time.
- Henry Francis - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:46 pm:
21 months into his term, he creates a new council to cut out bureaucracy. And he hopes that it saves $250M over the next decade. That’s $25M a year. Question, with the unprecedented level of unpaid bills during Rainer’s term, how much in interest a year are we paying on those unpaid bills?
If he was truly interested in improving the state, he would propose a balanced budget, pay our bills, and establish some certainty for the business community. But he isn’t doing any of that. He is just trying to make himself look busy (cueing OW’s Wooden quote) and playing Illinoisans for fools.
- honeybear - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:52 pm:
Interesting stuff about Phillip Howard from the googles.
http://mail.consumerwatchdog.org/corporate/rp/rp003951.pdf
- Nick Name - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:54 pm:
“Not to mention rules are based on laws. So you’ll have to change those first.
Again, nice idea. But he’ll never get much of it implemented.”
My guess is that this is a way to grind all rulemaking to a halt.
Anyone who doesn’t know that all proposed rules get extensive — extensive — review by JCAR, to say nothing of the public comment period — you know, when the PUBLIC, such as the industry affected by a rulemaking — just has no idea how rulemaking gets done.
- Anon Downstate - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:55 pm:
“It drives me nuts when we set these artificial goals without the least little bit of understanding of what is being looked at.”
———-
You mean like what happened originally when the State of Illinois enacted a bunch of these rules into place originally?
They ignored us then also…..
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:55 pm:
–Interesting that the members are representatives of State regulatory agencies.–
Who better to know their rules and what needs to be updated or fixed? I suspect most good agencies will take input from anyone on that topic and at least consider the suggestions.
- Nick Name - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 2:58 pm:
Apropos of nothing, where is the line item in the stopgap budget that pays for this?
- Reme - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 3:00 pm:
Not sure how this would commission would cost more money, since it is state agency employees who will be on it. This is badly needed and can really be helpful if it is not bogged down in the political games w/ the ILGA.
Who wants to defend unnecessary or burdensome licensure or regulatory rules? Oh, the folks already in that industry trying to prevent competition will.
- Earnest - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 3:01 pm:
Much like IT infrastructure, it’s a huge, ungainly project, but worth doing and a good investment of time and effort. Under difference circumstances this could be seen as a very positive thing and not simply more distraction from Rauner’s intentional destruction of human services and higher education and increasing the budget hole to enhance his leverage.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 3:08 pm:
- Henry Francis -
I think you’re on to a bit of it. Indeed, would Wooden have to wonder activity or achievement here? Maybe that’s the part needing to be scrutinized, and the timing seems to say “activity” and will these ads also say “like me”?
- annonin' - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 3:17 pm:
Gotta love it when the first step toward streamlin’ government is to add another council. Lot like U.S.Rep Darin LaHood(R-Empty Suit) announces a new committee to “reform Congress”
Neither escapade offers a single example at what could be tossed or changed. In the mean time the first Council meetin’ will be held at the Waukegan Harbor and see a review at what lax rules meant toward the growth of Super Fund sites.
- steve schnorf - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 3:18 pm:
Sounds like a pretty good idea to me. Many rules, procedures, forms, etc in state government could be simplified without significantly creating additional risks for the state. I wish them good hunting.
- Hamlet's Ghost - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 3:35 pm:
How is this different from Kirk Dillard’s proposed “Office of the Repealer” - SB3861?
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=SB&DocNum=3681&GAID=11&SessionID=84&LegID=65735
- Team Warwick - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 3:38 pm:
Great idea. Lets start with JCAR process remodeling.
Next - let’s have every fee collecting agency accept all three or four major credit cards AND debit cards.
oh and dont forget this- every form or application should have an online version i can just click and send.
ive saved the best for last -EVERY state agency should have an online organization chart of their departments and the employee names emails and phone numbers for who to call with questions for each department on the org chart. Business 101 basics.
- walker - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 3:42 pm:
Let’s just take the high road and wish them good luck. They might find some good, easy fixes.
- honeybear - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 3:58 pm:
–EVERY state agency should have an online organization chart of their departments and the employee names emails and phone numbers for who to call with questions for each department on the org chart.–
You sure won’t get that as it would show how few people actually work for the agencies. I can think of several agencies where this would cause panic to know there is no one behind the wheel.
- Norseman - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 4:10 pm:
In my 27 years with a regulatory agency, every governor, director and administrators of the programs made it a priority to work with the regulated entities to streamline regulations and make the process easier. As referenced by Demoralized, most of the major differences were traceable to requirements in the authorizing law.
- PublicServant - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 4:12 pm:
Dumping Rauner would be the best thing we could do to increase the competitiveness of Illinois, bar none. As Crains Chicago Business, hardly a progressive publication, says “By nearly every measure, the state is worse off since Rauner took office.”
- Nick Name - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 4:17 pm:
Many of the license fees that Rauner thinks he can get rid of are mandated by statute. And when the fee amount is not in statute, the authority to impose a fee IS in the statute — I don’t think a rule could impose a fee without at least that much statutory authority.
And the purpose of fees is to pay for the oversight/regulatory program. The agency collects the fees and in most cases deposits them in a special fund earmarked for that purpose, thus easing the burden on taxpayers.
What part of that does Gov. 1.4% not get? Oh yeah, all of it. #winnin’
- Precinct Captain - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 4:40 pm:
A council of high-level bureaucrats created to criticize other bureaucrats.
- Mama Time Out - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 6:36 pm:
Rauner Ex… -Order sounds like Rauner wants to get rid of IEPA, Natural Resources and Ag Depts to say the least.
- Anonymous - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 6:36 pm:
Why didn’t Crain’s just laugh him right out of the room?
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 6:57 pm:
Nothin’ says streamlinin’ like creatin’ a new committee.
LOLOL
- DuPage Dave - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 7:42 pm:
Starting in April Rauner’s team had all state agencies review all their rules and make recommendations. Results were due October 1 for most agencies. So the result of that is to have all agencies review all their rules again?? At least that’s what is says in the executive order.
The order seems to indicate that its author has a poor understanding of how the administrative rule process works. It’s a legislative function and I don’t see how any governor gets around that. It would be an easy Supreme Court case.
Also- you gotta love the $250 million figure. Not only is it completely made up, they know that we know it’s completely made up and they don’t care.
- Arthur Andersen - Monday, Oct 17, 16 @ 11:20 pm:
Folks, this thing ain’t gonna be full of State employees. Check out Honeybear’s post at 2:53 with the link.
So we get Enron’s lawyer to help us cut waste and reduce costs. Sublime.
- ilinoised - Tuesday, Oct 18, 16 @ 6:41 am:
For Illinois to become truly competitive, first order of business is to restore faith in our government by passing a budget. Our falling credit ratings due to lack of a budget is disgraceful.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 18, 16 @ 8:59 am:
The way to “reduce the amount of unduly burdensome requirements on . . . social service providers” is to get rid of the unduly burdensome GATA requirements for social service and public transit grantees.
- Who Remembers - Tuesday, Oct 18, 16 @ 1:27 pm:
When he took office, he called for a “competitive and compassionate” state. Wonder when he’ll get around to naming a Compassionateness Council.