Sunday, May 26, 2013

New Website a Valuable Resource for Individuals and Businesses

Guest Column from Representative Richard Adams

While the budget bill was still in the Ohio House of Representatives, committee hearings about the budget were posted online, where people could tune in to watch deliberation and testimony about the legislation.

Filming committee meetings served a very important purpose, which was to make state government more open to the people of the state. Ohioans deserve to know what their tax dollars pay for.

Similarly, letting people and businesses know the rules that affect them is a necessary component to building a fair and prosperous economy. With more than 120 agencies and commissions statewide, there are times when various rules may change to help an agency carry out its purpose.

The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review, more simply known as JCARR, is tasked with making sure that the actions of these agencies are within the boundaries of their authority. Made up of legislators from both the Ohio House and Senate, JCARR reviews nearly 9,000 rules every year.


The committee recently launched a new website called “RuleWatch Ohio,” which provides updates of rules that helps families, businesses and individuals follow rule changes in Ohio. The website can be accessed by going to www.RuleWatchOhio.gov.

To track changes, a person simply needs to log into the site and then click on the various subject matters that he or she wants to follow. There are several topics to choose from, such as accounting, insurance, and agriculture. You can choose to follow as many topics as you like.

From there, RuleWatch will send messages directly to your e-mail account, updating rule changes in the selected areas. It will send no more than one e-mail per day.

Additionally, Ohioans can submit to JCARR recommendations or concerns regarding rule changes. The committee is very receptive to hearing your ideas because everyone offers a unique perspective of how various rules impact their lives and businesses.

Technology has helped businesses operate more efficiently for years, and through resources like RuleWatch Ohio it is helping state government run more smoothly as well.

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