Editor,
When my family goes on vacation, there are many decisions to be made, and since there can be as many as eight of us now, it often reminds me of the Legislature. Each person is lobbying for their activities and accommodations, their timeline and choice of where to eat. It’s on the last point that I find the discussions often break down, especially when you’re visiting a new place.
Finding just the right restaurant – one that meets everyone’s dietary needs and suits the culinary palates of all the guests – can take a lot of work. And there is always the threat of the unknown. Is the place reputable? What I’ve learned is that many vacation-oriented states throughout the country, lawmakers are taking the guesswork out of dining for visitors.
In several states, they post restaurant ratings by the health departments online in a searchable database. That way, visitors, as well as year-round residents, can be assured that the place they choose to dine is maintaining good standards.
Restaurant owners can also use their good ratings as a marketing tool. I’ve proposed similar legislation this session, which will be considered at a public hearing before the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee this week.
Currently, in Maine, if you want to find out information on your local eatery, you would have to contact the Department of Health and Human Services and make a request for the rating. It can take a day or so to learn about the restaurant’s good standards, and that’s only if you have a particular place in mind.
A legislative colleague in Louisiana told me that when they put restaurant ratings online there a few years ago, the Web site crashed the first day because so many people were interested in the information. He said that it has helped promote good standards among their restaurant owners, and kept both independent and chain eateries competitive through the transparency offered by the public accessibility of the ratings.
There are some important factors that the committee will consider with this bill, primarily the cost to upload and maintain the information online. I’m also interested in what we can do to better support the restaurant industry, which already has good standards and is an integral part of our state’s economy, as well as how we can tie the promotion of those efforts into promoting our state’s total tourism package.
I’m a strong believer in the public’s free access to information, whether it’s with my work in the Legislature or by government agencies. This bill is meant to complete another piece of that puzzle, and allow the many small businesses who go above and beyond with their standards and service to be publicly acknowledged for their hard work.
To see what one of these online databases look like, visit http://retailinspections.oph.dhh.louisiana.gov. As always, I’m happy to provide more information on this or any other issue at the State House. Feel free to call me at home at 892-6591, or e-mail me at RepMarkBryant@yahoo.com.
Rep. Mark Bryant
House District 110
Parts of Windham and Gray
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