Business

Making a List and Checking It Twice: CIED’s 2022 Policy Wish List

With Christmas only a few days away, it’s time for expedited shipping, extra eggnog, and those final touches to your Christmas decorations. It’s also the perfect time for the Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force’s 2022 policy wish list.

Business and Labor Issues

With the Great Resignation still in full swing, the last thing entrepreneurs, contractors and businesses need is government red tape hindering their economic recovery. To that end, the following model policies include ideas worthy of consideration:

Occupational Licensing Review Act – Identify which occupational licenses are necessary and which unnecessarily limit competition.

Model Interstate-Mobility and Universal-Recognition Occupational Licensing ActOpen state economies and communities to talented, experienced workers by recognizing comparable, out-of-state occupational licenses and qualifications.

Uniform Worker Classification Act – Protect workers’ right to choose which employment model best fits their unique needs.

Right to Work Act – Guarantee that workers have Freedom of Association at their workplace.

Fair and Accountable Public Sector Authority Act – Free public employees to negotiate directly with their employers.

The Public Employee Rights and Authorization Act – Ensure public employees are informed of all their rights while making union membership decisions.

Union Recertification Act – Verify that all public sector unions are representative of a majority of their members by requiring secret ballot elections to recertify the unions.

Infrastructure and Supply Chains

States are currently caught in an infrastructure teeter totter. On one hand, states have an opportunity to tackle large infrastructure projects with the federal funds flowing from DC. On the other hand, states are facing a supply chain crisis that threatens to last through all of 2022. Certainly, the port problems must be addressed, but there are also other policy ideas (like those listed below) aimed at responsibly making the most of the federal funds and easing the supply chain crisis.

Establishing a Public-Private Partnership (P3) Office Act – Streamline the process for identifying and managing largescale projects with private sector collaboration.

Constitutional Amendment Restricting the Use of Vehicle Fees and Taxes for Highway Purposes Safeguard highway funds from being allocated elsewhere.

Resolution on Automated Driving System Legislation and Regulation – Allow automotive innovation to proceed in the states.

Resolution Urging Congress to Support Allowing Twin 33-Foot Trailers on American Highways – Support expanding trucking capacity across the states.

Regulatory Reform

Government regulations could use some streamlining as well. While new rules and regulations are often necessary to adapt to the modern world, not every new rule or regulation is a good one. By incorporating an extra dose of accountability measures and using the new regulations as an opportunity to examine and expunge some old ones, states can add only what is needed and trim what is not.

Targeted Legislative Review Act – Emphasize legislatures’ role in creating major rules and empower them with economic analysis.

Accountability in Rule Making Act – Increase executive accountability for new and amended rules.

An Act to Establish a Cap on Government Red Tape – Reach a net zero regulatory requirement goal by cutting old regulations when new regulations are passed.

Universal Regulatory Sandbox Act – Open the playing field for innovative services and products by allowing temporary and careful lifting of specific regulations.

Targeted Regulatory Sandbox Act – Encourage innovation in key sectors by allowing temporary and careful lifting of specific regulations in identified industries.

For more information about these evergreen policies, please email me at gbaldau@alec.org.

On behalf of the Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


In Depth: Business

Maintaining a healthy economy and fostering economic growth is one of the most important priorities for hardworking Americans. The cost of everyday life is increasing and people need to make sure that their job opportunities and paychecks keep up. Policymakers must create a plan of action that focuses on policies…

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