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Gov. Gregoire signs executive order helping small businesses

For Immediate Release: October 26, 2010

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today signed an executive order aimed at assisting our state�s economic recovery by helping small businesses succeed and expand.

�The way out of this recession is creating jobs, and no one is better at creating jobs than small business owners,� Gregoire said. �I�ve reached out to dozens of small businesses across the state and they all tell me the same thing. They want more room to be successful by making state processes as simple as possible. This executive order brings a new level of simplicity to current and future business owners, while expanding our effort to reduce business costs.�

In her executive order, Gregoire directs the Department of Labor and Industries, the Department of Revenue and the Employment Security Department to review current practices, tax and rate structures with the goal of reducing state imposed costs for small businesses. The order also tasks DOR to work in consultation with small businesses, local governments and other stakeholders to evaluate ways to reduce the complexity of the state�s sales tax system.

�I want our business owners spending less time understanding what tax rate they should pay, and more time ensuring their business succeeds,� Gregoire said.

Additionally, Gregoire has directed the Department of Commerce to work closely with the Governor�s Office of Regulatory Assistance to consolidate the variety of small business licensing, registration and certification guides into one resource, and develop new strategies to streamline or eliminate regulatory processes and procedures.

Gregoire has also directed Commerce to work closely with small business owners to develop a plan to submit for State Small Business Credit Initiative, the federal $1.5 billion program to support small businesses. Washington�s allocation is $19.7 million � and the state has some flexibility in how to use that funding.

�Our state will submit at plan to the Department of Treasury next month,� Gregoire said. �This program allows us to support a variety of programs to help in our economic recovery. And with the guidance of our small business owners, we will ensure our share of this funding is used intelligently for the benefit of businesses and the economy.�

In addition, the executive order directs Commerce and the Department of Agriculture to incorporate small businesses into Gregoire�s state export initiative � and work closely with the Small Business Administration on the new federal grant program aimed at assisting small businesses with expanding export sales.

To read the executive order, visit: http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/Executive_Order_10-05.pdf