Rauner creates council to cut down on Illinois bureaucracy
(Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC)/Flickr)
OAK BROOK, Ill. (AP) — Gov. Bruce Rauner said Monday that he's creating a new council that will review state agency rules and regulations in an attempt to reduce bureaucracy and save Illinois $250 million over the next decade.
Rauner's office said each state regulatory agency will have a representative on the new Illinois Competiveness Council, which Rauner created via executive order. The financial savings will come from the cost of fees directly paid to the state for licenses. Another goal is to reduce 4 million pages in paperwork.
"For years, Illinois has added layers and layers of burdensome rules and regulations to a never-ending bureaucracy," Rauner said in a statement. "It's an endless line of red tape that creates a barrier for small businesses and entrepreneurs. By cutting the red tape, we are creating an environment where they can succeed."
The administration said the council will work to make sure regulations are up to date and language is easily understandable. It also is tasked with reducing unneeded requirements to save time and money for businesses, social service providers and residents.
The council is seeking public feedback on how to cut bureaucracy. The council's website has a large red button that users can click that says "Report Red Tape."
The council also will look for recommendations that will improve the state's licensing procedures to help job growth. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation offers licenses in more than 200 categories but issues fewer than 100 licenses in nearly a third of those individual categories, state officials said.
Rauner's office said similar efforts in Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky and Massachusetts have been successful.