Sec. of State seeks regulatory oversight
Maine Secretary of State Charles Summers has pitched a number of changes to his office to more closely involve it in small business and regulation matters.
Testifying before the newly formed Joint Select Committee on Regulatory Fairness and Reform, Summers proposed four expanded powers he said would help small businesses deal with regulatory matters and make regulatory reform more independent, according to the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. Among the proposals were creating a small business advocate position within the secretary of state's office, who would help businesses resolve disputes with the state and also chair an advisory board that would have the power to temporarily halt regulatory enforcement against a business. He also asked the Legislature to transfer oversight of regulatory fairness from the governor's office to his office, saying the current structure "does not provide adequate independence from the executive branch, whose functions this board is charged with reviewing." Summers served as Northeast regional director of the Small Business Administration under George W. Bush.
Some Democrats on the board expressed concern that Summers' proposal may not be constitutional. Dan Demeritt, Gov. Paul LePage's spokesman, said the administration supports Summers' initiative on the issue. "The governor certainly agrees that we need advocates for business in state government, whether it's in the secretary of state's office or in the Department of Economic and Community Development -- that's something that'll have to be decided."
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