Here are three examples of good government
By Neil Peterson, Exec. Director
Gaming Industry Association
Within the last month I have been a party to three instances of the power of participatory government.
When regulators take the time to meet with the people they are regulating and discuss in advance proposed administrative rules it saves everyone a lot of time and effort. This type of process allows the state to accomplish their goal of enforcing the law while at the same time lessening the burden on businesses to comply with the law.
In this article I want to take the time to recognize the agencies and respective administrators who use this approach to the benefit of everyone involved.
First, Rick Ask, Gambling Control Division administrator, worked with numerous parties to ensure the new administrative rules implementing Senate Bill 86 reflected the intent of the law while also clarifying compliance requirements.
Rick was willing to meet and discuss our concerns and come up with solutions that addressed everyone's concerns. Rick and his staff could have easily done it their way, but chose to work with industry. Even before the “acting” was removed from his title, Rick has always been willing to meet and discuss our concerns and at the very least explain why something was done the way it was.
Second, Shauna Helfert, Liquor Division administrator with the Department of Revenue, also has worked with a number of groups to develop new administrative rules to encourage licensees to provide server training for their employees in an effort to reduce underage access to alcohol and prevent over serving patrons.
Shauna floated the proposed rules out to various groups for feedback and then made reasonable adjustments when adjustments could be made. Like Rick, Shauna has been willing to meet and discuss industry concerns and look for creative ways to accomplish workable solutions.
Lastly, Jane Smilie, Public Health and Safety Division administrator with the Department of Public Health and Human Services, showed she was willing to listen to our concerns regarding proposed changes to administrative rules of the Montana Clean Indoor Air Act.
A number of business representatives expressed concerns related to the proposal to allow for anonymous complaints on violations of the Clean Indoor Air Act. Jane heard our concerns and subsequently eliminated the anonymous complaint provisions.
I had worked with Jane during my tenure with the Department of Revenue and, just as then, she continues to be fair-minded and reasonable in making decisions that impact the folks she regulates.
These are three great examples of good government.
Sometimes it may seem a lot easier for everyone involved to take the adversarial position, but in the long run it's much easier to work together toward solutions that solve everyone's concerns when possible.
It was a pleasure to work with these three individuals and I look forward to working with them in the future.