NFIB Victories in Massachusetts

Here's a look at some of NFIB/Massachusetts' victories during the recent legislative session

Unemployment Insurance Rate Freeze

• Passed legislation to “freeze” unemployment insurance rates in 2011 although premiums for some businesses increased as a result of experience rating and other factors. 
• Without the “freeze”, UI premiums would have jumped $250 per employee per year.        

Alcohol Tax Repeal

• NFIB joined with a coaltion of business groups to urge voters to repeal the sales tax on alcohol at the ballot in November 2010. The 6.25% levy had been imposed with the enactment of the 25% increase in the sales tax in 2009. NFIB supported the campaign to eliminate this tax on a tax -- alcoholic beverages being already subject to an excise tax -- and to support small independent package store owners whose businesses had suffered significantly, especially those located near the New Hampshire border

Healthcare

• Defeated more than forty healthcare mandates filed for the 2009-10 legislative session that would have driven the cost of a basic health insurance policy even higher and further limited the flexibility of small owners to buy the insurance they need and can afford.  Each mandate represents 1-2% of the cost of health insurance premiums.      

• Worked to delay and improve new data security regulations to ensure easier and more timely compliance by small business owners and help protect the privacy of independent business owners.  

• Defeated several proposals to increase the gas tax by between eleven and thirty cents per gallon. 
• Worked to prevent further broad-based tax increases in 2010. Small business owners saved 20 cents per gallon of gas.  

 Unemployment Insurance

• Passed legislation to “freeze” unemployment insurance rates in 2010 although premiums for most businesses increased as a result of experience rating and other factors. 
• Without the “freeze”, UI premiums would have jumped $300 per employee per year.      

• Stopped legislation to implement paid and family leave early in the 2009-10 session and then helped to defeat guaranteed paid sick leave at the end of the session. 
• The guaranteed paid sick leave legislation would have guaranteed workers one hour of sick leave for every thirty hours of work – or on an annual basis about eight days paid without working (based on a 40-hour week).