Club for Growth: Romney Record on Regulatory Affairs Good

The Club for Growth White Paper on Mitt Romney found that his policies on government regulation as Governor of Massachussets were very good. About specifics, Club for Growth had this to say:

Mitt Romney's record on regulation is generally impressive. On the campaign trail, he has supported drilling in ANWR[44] and opposed the burdensome regulations imposed by Sarbanes-Oxley[45]. As governor, he often clashed with the knee-jerk anti-business Legislature over his attempts to ease Massachusetts' regulatory burdens. Though some of his largest undertakings were ultimately crushed by liberal opposition, Governor Romney deserves praise for attempting to change the relationship between government and private enterprise for the better. These efforts include:

Vetoed an increase in the minimum wage from $6.75 to $8.00, proposing a 25-cent increase as a compromise, and arguing that "there's no question raising the minimum wage excessively causes a loss of jobs"[46]

Pushed to revamp the Pacheco Law, a union-backed measure that makes it nearly impossible to privatize or outsource state services[47]

Aggressively pushed to deregulate Massachusetts' "Soviet-style" auto insurance industry.

Massachusetts is the only state in which the government mandates maximum insurance rates and requires insurers to accept every applicant[48]

Called for the privatization of the University of Massachusetts medical school [49]

Proposed measures to eliminate civil service protection for all municipal workers except police and firefighters and exempt low-cost public construction jobs from the state's wage law [50]

Proposed easing decades-old state regulations on wetlands [51]

Proposed easing pricing regulations on Massachusetts retailers [52]

Signed a bill streamlining the state's cumbersome permitting process for new businesses [53]

Eased regulations for brownfield development [54]

Vetoed a bill limiting the ability of out-of-state wineries to ship directly to Massachusetts consumers, calling the legislation "anti-consumer" [55]