Governor Gary Herbert signed more than a dozen bills Tuesday aimed at removing red tape in state government.
At a ceremonial signing, Gov. Herbert said this year he challenged the legislature to find ways to streamline the state code.
“They responded,” he says. “We have 14 bills here today that eliminate 272 lines of code. Some that are just redundant, unnecessary; some maybe even counterproductive.”
One bill allows dairies to sell both pasteurized and raw milk in their stores. Another bill takes away the requirement that airports be licensed by the state.
Several other bills changed requirements for certain agencies to report to legislative committees. Some legislators deemed those reports duplicative and unnecessary.
Gov. Herbert says removing red tape in state government can improve efficiency—but it has another benefit too.
“I’m also pleased that there are tax cuts involved in these alignments too—about $9 million a year,” he says. “That’s saving the taxpayers a little bit of money every year and that’s a good thing too.”
Herbert says he hopes the state will continue to cut regulations and duplicate laws next year.
