Legislation to cut business red tape being considered

 SACRAMENTO

April 9, 2012 11:08am

•  It would set up Internet one-stop-shop for permits

•  ‘We must do more to make it easier for businesses to operate and expand

The state Senate Governmental Orgization Committee holds a hearing Tuesday on a proposal that its Central Valley author says will help cut red tape for businesses in California.

 The legislation by Sen. Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres, would establish a “one-stop-shop” Internet website for individuals to use in obtaining the necessary permits and licenses to start a business.

The bill, SB 1327, is designed to help individuals wanting to start a new business to navigate California’s complex regulatory system by streamlining the application process, he says.

 “As a small business owner, I have firsthand knowledge of how confusing and time-consuming it is to work through our state bureaucracy,” says Mr. Cannella. “We must do more to make it easier for businesses to operate and expand. Especially during this tough economy, state bureaucracy should not be a burden on small businesses that do not have the resources needed to navigate California’s complex permitting and licensing system.”

 There are approximately 3.4 million small businesses in California, representing 99.2 percent of the state’s employers and 52.1 percent of California’s private-sector employment, Mr. Cannella’s office says.

 John Kabateck, executive director of the National Federation of Independent Business/California, says other states are doing similar red tape cutting. He says Mr. Cannella’s bill “would make it easier on California’s job creators to build their business.”