Recent findings have shone a light on the operations of the Arizona Governor’s Regulatory Review Council, detailing shortcomings in their compliance with statutory responsibilities and open meeting law requirements. According to a report released by the Arizona Auditor General yesterday, the Council did not consistently notify agencies of the impending deadlines for 5-year review reports. This oversight raises concerns that ineffective or unnecessary rules could continue unchecked, impacting good governance in Arizona.
In reviewing several agency rulemaking packages, the Council met the required time frames for approval or denial, signaling a partial adherence to its statutory mandates. However, the same report found a lack of a process to monitor these requirements' compliance. Furthermore, the report indicated that the Council did not always adhere to open meeting law requirements, particularly for executive sessions, potentially undermining transparency in their proceedings.
Officials are expected to hold the responsibility to ensure that regulatory bodies are functioning efficiently and in accordance with the law. However, the absence of a robust tracking system to assess compliance emerges as a fundamental flaw in the Council’s structure. Such inadequacies suggest that accountability mechanisms within the Council could be strengthened to foster a more reliable regulatory environment in the state.
As per the auditor's report, the oversight to notify agencies about 5-year review report deadlines increases the risk of ineffective or unnecessary regulation persisting. It is through these checks and balances that agencies are prompted to consider whether existing rules effectively serve their intended purpose or if they might warrant revision or removal. In the wake of these findings, citizens might wonder about the impact on their daily lives, questioning the efficiency of the Council’s regulatory oversight.
Looking ahead, the Arizona Governor’s Regulatory Review Council must reckon with the report's findings and implement process improvements. This includes establishing tracking mechanisms for compliance with statutory requirements and strictly following open meeting laws to ensure that its operations are transparent and accountable to the people of Arizona. The Council’s effectiveness and legitimacy depend on its willingness to adapt and correct these documented lapses in practice.
