I admit it looked a little odd. Last week, I filed a bill in 2017 titled: The Regulatory Reform Act of 2016. It was odd. But the reason was simple.

Everything in the bill (except a couple of technical corrections) was in a House or Senate Regulatory Reform bill last year and although these parts were not in dispute, the bill got lost in the scramble at the close of last year’s Session and never passed.

Originally, when I drafted the bill I gave it a different title. But after listening to Cato Institute’s briefing for legislators about Freedom in the 50 States, explaining NC’s need for less regulations, the new name made a valid point.

As Cato pointed out, when it comes to the burden of government regulations and making it easier for working families to earn a living, NC isn’t doing well. We’re doing worse than most other states. And we missed an opportunity to correct that problem last year. Tax reform is important but, alone, it’s not enough. To fuel growth and create more jobs, it’s time to pass regulatory reform. And the reforms were all approved, last year, by both the House and Senate.

No doubt there are those who will say introducing a bill titled The Regulatory Reform Act of 2016 sounds like I’m revisiting past history. But this bill is about the future. When we cut government regulations we’re giving working families – from Newton to New Bern – more freedom.

While it may look awkward for the General Assembly to be passing the Regulatory Reform Act of 2016 in 2017, as my grandmother used to tell me, “Better late than never.”