Governor Phil Bryant talks small business

Small Business: A cornerstone to Mississippi’s economy

Small businesses are critical to Mississippi’s economy. Many people you know work at a small business or shop at one, and in Mississippi, 97 percent of employers are small businesses. More than half of all non-government workers in our state are employed by a small business.

As Governor and as a true conservative, I am committed to creating an environment where small businesses can flourish, creating the jobs, goods and services that Mississippi needs to grow.

Growing Business by Increasing Flexibility in Regulation

Government creates regulations for many reasons: to protect the environment; to protect the wellbeing of citizens; and to ensure fair and open markets.

However, when regulations are issued across the board, large businesses are often better able to comply than small businesses because scales of economy are not taken into account. Small businesses need suitable flexibility to comply with regulations. As Governor, I want to make sure that no business shies away from expanding or locating in Mississippi because of burdensome mandates.

I will not stand for job-killing regulations, and I have asked the Legislature to pass the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Act.

This legislation will organize a volunteer committee of former and current small business owners and officers who will review proposed and existing regulations in our state to determine if those regulations are harmful to small businesses.

Ron Aldridge, the Executive Director of the Mississippi chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, says that this legislation will help ensure that Mississippi considers the potential negative impacts unnecessary regulations can have on small businesses.

If the review committee finds that a regulation or rule will hurt small businesses, committee members will work with the responsible agency to either amend or repeal the regulation in question.

Further, when agencies propose new rules or regulations, they will be required to explain how the new guidelines impact small businesses.

Mississippi cannot afford to bury its future by straining small businesses with cumbersome regulations. The Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Act will ensure that we protect our health and environment without choking our job creators.

Governor Phil Bryant Press Release
2/20/12