Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has dropped the idea of returning the state's OSHA program to federal regulators. The issue had become a political hot potato, with labor unions, national societies like the American Industrial Hygiene Association, and a number of state lawmakers weighing in against the move.
Pawlenty's administration had argued the move would not hurt safety regulation, although the state enforces several standards more strict than federal OSHA's, such as permissible exposure limits. Bottom line: the proposal was estimated to save the state $931,000 annually beginning in 2005.