Attorney General's Business Task Force

Attorney General Peter Kilmartin brings together business leaders to form a Task Force to identify ways the Office of the Attorney General can support the Rhode Island economy.

"Where ever I go, business owners ask me what the Office of Attorney General is doing to improve the business climate to foster the creation of good jobs in Rhode Island.  While the Office of Attorney General traditionally does not play a leading role in economic development, it is incumbent upon all elected leaders to help move Rhode Island in the right direction and to advocate for policies that result in a stronger economy.”

The goal of the Task Force is to ensure a level playing field for all businesses, to ensure laws are equally applied and equally enforced, to review laws that may be an impediment to businesses, to make Rhode Island more competitive and to help existing businesses begin to grow and hire again by creating a fair, honest and predicable business climate.

The Task Force includes representatives from small, medium, and large businesses and covers multiple business sectors including hospitality, insurance, finance, retail, renewable energy, medicine, manufacturing, and labor.  Recently the Task Force met and identified its top priorities, including:

• Public Corruption – it is critical for businesses to have confidence in elected officials, free from insider deals and quid pro quo and politics.

• The Underground Economy – to work with law enforcement and other state agencies to prosecute individuals and businesses that compete unfairly by using schemes to conceal their activities and their true tax liability from government licensing, regulatory, and taxing agencies.

• Business Fraud – to prosecute individuals and business that hurt legitimate businesses and consumers by violating the law.

• Streamlining Regulatory Requirements – to use the authority of this office to help remove onerous regulatory barriers and licensing requirements, allowing business to operate freely without unnecessarily burdensome government interference.

It is the intention of the Task Force to develop a set of concrete recommendations and possible legislation strengthen our economy and to help make Rhode Island a more competitive place to do business.  “We have targeted key areas in which the Office of Attorney General can tackle, including rooting out abuse, fraud and political corruption and going after those who subvert the economy.” - Attorney General Kilmartin

For a list of the task force members, please click here.

Do you have an idea to help improve the business climate in Rhode Island?

Click here to send your ideas to improve business in Rhode Island