Paving the Way for Economic & Medical Health

Providence, RI – With continued reports of states enacting pro-growth reforms to boost economic recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic, the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity, the state’s premiere free-market research and advocacy organization, offers state lawmakers 10 more proactive policy ideas that can help Ocean State businesses and families survive the Covid-19 crisis, while also paving the way to economic and health security.

With the crushing impact on our state’s business community, and hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders out of work or suffering anxiety about their medical and financial well-being, the Center updated its prior Covid-19 Public Policy Solutions brief, which now provides lawmakers with 30 positive legislative ideas that can provide relief.

“One idea is a 3-month moratorium of the automatic dues-deductions by state and local government employers,” suggested Mike Stenhouse, the Center’s CEO. “This policy would keep more money in the pockets of public servants, which can then be spent in our soon to be recovering economy. This is far superior from an economic-recovery standpoint than government unions spending this money on advancing their anti-business political agenda, including lobbying for increased taxes during these trying times.”

While Rhode Island may benefit in many ways from various federal rescue packages, the Center recommends that state lawmakers must also do their part and focus on what they can control as well as to find a way to fulfill their legislative responsibilities during this crisis.

Adding to its #GovernmentDistancing initiative, the Center has added 10 new  “emergency” policy ideas to its original March 25 and April 7 lists, designed primarily to keep more Rhode Islanders at work and financially solvent and healthy in the coming months. Included in the 10 new suggested measures are:

• Implement a three-month moratorium on the deduction of government union dues, leaving more money in the pockets of state and local employees
• Eliminate any state or local inspections required before re-opening a business that was temporarily closed due to COVID-19
• Relax all state and local regulations, including zoning, that would interfere with the ability to operate businesses out of the home
• Freeze government hiring, even in cases of retirement and resignation, reallocating employees where they are most needed

One of the Center’s ideas was enacted last month, when the Governor ordered that alcoholic beverages could be sold by restaurants as part of take-out orders. Another idea of the Center, to temporarily suspend Internet sales taxes, was previously highlighted in a separate policy brief.

The Center expects to regularly add to its growing list of rescue policy ideas, many of which have been implemented legislatively or by executive order, or are being actively considered in other states.