Small Business Rates Legislators
St. Paul (October 21, 2014) – NFIB Minnesota recently
completed its two-year voting record for the 2013-14 sessions of the legislature
and the issues clearly reflect the negative experience that small business had
for the most part.
The voting record includes a vote against the controversial
and damaging 2013 tax bill that luckily had key parts quickly repealed in
2014 and a vote against our inefficient and incompetent health insurance
exchange. Notably, the bill placed a new 3.5% assessment tax on the
insurance premiums of only small businesses and individuals. “Majority
party legislators acted on this knowing that Fortune 500 companies and large
government health insurance plans were exempted,” said State Director Mike
Hickey.
NFIB opposed the dramatic increase in the minimum wage to
$9.50 per hour and the automatic escalator provision, which will drive the wage
to above $10 per hour in the near future. Additionally NFIB opposed the
nonsensical child care provider unionization legislation that could actually
force the smallest business possible, an in-home child care provider, to be in
a government union. These issues, compounded with a dramatic expansion of the
Human Rights Act where any worker with a child under age 18 is now part of a
protected class, left small businesses concerned about their futures.
“It was a tough two years for small business, with many
employers straining to find a silver lining in the legislation that was
enacted,” said Hickey. Hickey noted the one truly positive accomplishment
was the $1 million increase in the general exemption on the estate tax, which
was greatly appreciated. Other positive votes involved repealing negative
provisions from the 2013 tax bill that never should have been enacted in the
first place and an amendment to strip out a negative provision in a poorly
drafted rule making revision bill that would have shut the public out of the
process to a great degree.
Lawmakers in the House were rated on ten issues and in the
Senate on seven issues. The complete voting record is attached.
