Our Opinion: Good intentions, but failure to follow through

The state auditor, state Chamber of Commerce and a state board created to monitor regulatory fairness all agree the panel is not doing its job.

This not news; it is an affirmation that audit findings revealed in January have not improved.

The Missouri Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board this week received a "poor" rating - the lowest assessment possible - from Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway.

When she released an audit earlier this year regarding the "sub-par level" of board operations, she announced she would follow through with additional analysis and recommendations. Although she did her job, her example was not followed.

As a result, Galloway said this week she will ask the Legislature and an executive agency, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, to assist board operations.

The mission of the board, established in 2004, is to review new regulations and advise state agencies whether those rules would harm small businesses. Galloway's reviews determined the board suffers from vacancies and insufficient state funding for support staff.

Board members generally agree with the auditor's assessment, as does Daniel P. Mehan, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"The findings of this audit are very concerning," Mehan said. "Our business community relies on this board to help protect small businesses from excess regulation. Given that this hasn't been happening for a number of years, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that our Missouri 2030 Gallup survey found that only 16 percent of Missouri business leaders say they are satisfied with how the state regulates businesses."

Creation of the Small Business Regulatory Fairness Board is an example of good intentions without follow through.

The board was created by lawmakers to monitor and balance the relationship between government regulations and business operations. But the governor has failed to fill vacancies and legislators have not provided adequate resources needed to do the job.

Ideas followed by inaction accomplish nothing. Empower this board to do its job or abolish it.