Public Issues Series: Identifying Burdensome State Regulations

“The purpose of the revamped (Small Business Regulatory Review Board) is to give small business owners a seat at the table when discussing state regulations,” says Nancy Mistele, who was appointed co-director, along with Joe Knilans, of Governor Scott Walker’s newly restructured Office of Business Development. Once dominated by the agencies writing the rules, the board now consists of seven small business people and two legislators. Small business advocacy in Wisconsin is a priority for Walker, and Mistele and Knilans are soliciting more ideas, so they’re asking businesses across the state to help identify rules that hurt business and offer suggestions on how to change the regulatory landscape to encourage maximum small business growth. Mistele and Knilans will be speaking about these goals and gathering public input at an informational session scheduled for Monday, April 29, 2013 from 5:30- 7 pm at the Wausau Room of the Marathon County Public Library.

The new co-directors will consider what programs and state rules and regulations should be reconsidered to identify cost savings, eliminate waste, and improve government efficiency. Their goal is to gather first-hand knowledge they can take back to the legislature, state agencies and the Governor’s office to help improve the business climate in Wisconsin.

Mistele brings more than 30 years as a private sector entrepreneur and 15 months within a regulatory agency for the State of Wisconsin to her new post; among other endeavors, she started a business incubator for hair salon operators, ran a health club, and started a housing construction company. She has also served on the Madison school board

A former UAW assembly line worker at the now-closed Janesville General Motors plant, Knilans has worked in various industries in the private sector and served a term in the Wisconsin State Legislature.

This program is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by the Center Right Coalition, the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, and the Marathon County Public Library. For more information, contact Connie Nikolai at connie.nikolai@uwc.edu.