State should simplify regulations

Former state senator and current state Director of Commerce Lisa Brown rightly describes the difficulties a small business startup faces in Washington.

Brown says the state Department of Commerce is helping small business owners navigate the complicated array of regulations and mandates that the very same government agency had previously imposed.

But Brown completely glosses over the underlying problem small businesses face when they first start; that is, over complex government regulations.

Instead of pouring money into programs to help businesses deal with overly complex regulations that Bro...