The Empire Center today kicked off DeregulateNY, a web-based contest inviting users to identify the the most needlessly expensive and restrictive rules imposed on people offering goods and services in New York State. Contestants submit entries online and compete to win a cash prize and a trip to Albany.

New York businesses contend with more than 300,000 regulatory restrictions that can artificially drive up costs and make it harder for new firms to enter a given industry or market. Some of these regulations were originally designed to protect public health or safety—but many also were promoted to limit competition and consumer choice, hampering new business start-ups and job creation.

DeregulateNY will take a fresh look at regulatory obstacles to commerce and free enterprise, letting businesses tell their stories while helping New Yorkers decide whether these rules and regulations are working as intended.

“No one is more qualified to talk about what’s wrong with the state’s business climate than the people trying to make a living under it,” said Tim Hoefer, the Empire Center’s executive director. “By giving New Yorkers a voice, we can better understand what needs to change in our state and take steps toward that change.”

Entries may be submitted through Friday, February 14, 2020. Contest winners, as decided by a panel of judges, will be announced on Thursday, February 20, 2020.

The Empire Center, based in Albany, is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit think tank dedicated to promoting policies to make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.