There is one issue where owners see eye-to-eye: the burdens of the Affordable Care Act.
The country might be more than a year away from a major election, but small business owners are weighing a lot of the issues right now.
“2015 is shaping up to be a politically charged year for small businesses,” according to a release from Manta, the online directory for small businesses. Here’s how small business owners feel about some of the issues making headlines this year:
1. Marijuana
– Twenty-nine percent of small business owners polled by Manta said that legalized or decriminalized marijuana would be good for local small businesses. Thirty-two percent dissented and 39 percent were unsure.
– Forty-two percent of owners said that they would begin or continue their current practice of drug testing if marijuana is legalized in their state. Watch NFIB’s Small Business Legal Center’s take on the issue.
2. Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act
– Fifty-three percent said they would not support a similar initiative in their state.
3. The 2016 Election
– Support among the Republican field is divided with Rand Paul in front (17 percent), followed by Marco Rubio (12 percent), Ted Cruz (11 percent), Jeb Bush (9 percent) and Chris Christie (5 percent). Hillary Clinton led all hopefuls with 42 percent of small business owners’ support, according to the Manta poll.
“The presidential election is a long way off and most small business owners aren’t focused on the candidates yet. They are focused on some issues that might likely be part of the campaign, however,” said Jack Mozloom, NFIB media director. “Mandatory paid leave and minimum wage no doubt will be part of the debate, as well as tax reform and regulations. Candidates on the wrong side of those issues won’t get much support from small business.”
4. The Affordable Care Act
The one thing small business owner’s did agree on is the burden of the Affordable Care Act. The polls said that 59 percent of small businesses don’t offer health insurance because it’s too expensive, and 77 percent of owners that do offer healthcare said that their premiums increased since their last renewal. Meanwhile, 24 percent of owners said that they lost potential employees to other jobs because they didn’t offer health insurance.
