01/27/2006
Sign up for the 2006 NFIB Small-Business Summit, "Take it to the Hill"
Hundreds of the nation's small-business owners are expected to descend on Washington for the 2006 NFIB National Small-Business Summit June 18-20 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. for NFIB's first-ever "Take it to the Hill" event.
Be sure to take advantage of the early-bird registration, which has been extended through Jan. 31. Space is limited, and early registrants can reserve their spot at Summit while saving $50 per person ($100 per couple) on registration fees.
The NFIB national summit will give small-business leaders the opportunity to gather and meet face to face with their senators and representatives on Capitol Hill. Together, NFIB members will share their experiences of how Washington decisions affect small businesses everywhere.
Business and political speakers also include Charlie Cook, Stuart Rothenberg, Newt Gingrich and Tony Snow.
In addition to the early-bird savings offered through Jan. 31, the first 50 online registrants will have the chance to win a free three-night hotel stay at the Grand Hyatt in Washington,D.C., during the Summit.
Member alert! Pennsylvania House poised to vote on bill to reduce lawsuit abuse
The Pennsylvania House is poised to vote on legislation to reduce lawsuit abuse. Please contact your lawmaker and urge them to vote for SB 435. To contact your state House member electronically log on to http://capwiz.com/nfib/issues/alert/?alertid=8339596.
The Pennsylvania House State Government Committee this week approved Senate Bill 435, legislation sponsored by Senator Jake Corman (Centre) that will reinstate the Fair Share Act of 2002 with the 60 percent threshold, on a generally party-line vote. Freshman Rep. Josh Shapiro was the lone Democrat to join Republicans in voting for the bill.
Last year, this law was ruled unconstitutional by Commonwealth Court – not because of its content, but because its adoption process violated the Constitutional requirement that legislation address only one subject area.
Under the doctrine of joint and several liability, a defendant that is found only 1 percent liable in a lawsuit can be forced to pay for 100 percent of damages. Small-business owners often are caught in these costly lawsuits as personal injury attorneys cast vast nets in search of a defendant with the deep pocket. The Fair Share Act replaced joint and several liability with "comparative responsibility," which requires a defendant to pay damages based on their proportionate share of responsibility. If a business owner is 10 percent liable, they would be required to pay 10 percent of the damages awarded.
Lawsuit abuse reform continues to be among the highest priorities for the small-business community this year. NFIB is working diligently with members of the state House to reenact the original Fair Share Act.
House Bill 2331 would help small-business owners purchase affordable health insurance
NFIB/Pennsylvania State Director Kevin Shivers testified before the state House Insurance Committee this week on HB 2331, sponsored by Rep. Pete Zug (R-Lebanon) that would allow entrepreneurs and small employers, through their membership in bona-fide associations, to purchase health insurance for their families and workers.
He noted that last summer during a House Majority Policy Committee series of forums with small-business owners, one small business said he had to purchase three different health insurance plans, because his three plants were located in different parts of the state.
"Under Rep. Zug's proposal, this small employer could purchase a plan for all of his workers," Shivers told lawmakers. "And, along with the hardware store in Ardmore, and the small manufacturer in Zelienople, he would have benefit from the increasing economies of scale and bargaining clout for small employers in the group.
"Combined with a consumer-driven product like a health savings account or a health reimbursement arrangement, associations would be able to make these options even more affordable for small-business owners and their workers."
But he cautioned lawmakers that fifty individual state plans still cannot offer the level of savings both on the policy and administrative costs that a national plan can. Insurance is a numbers game and volume matters.
"That's why NFIB, in partnership over 130 organizations, including the U.S. Chamber; the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; Keystone ABC; the Pennsylvania Realtors and the Restaurant Association -- are working with Sen. Specter, Sen. Santorum, and our federal lawmakers to pass national legislation that would give small employers the same buying power and affordable health care choices that large companies and labor unions already enjoy," Shivers testified.
Shivers told lawmakers that NFIB supported federal legislation to allow Small Business Health Plans that would allow small businesses to band together across state lines to buy health insurance policies at a lower per-policy cost than a single business owner could get on their own.
NFIB applauds comments by Gov. Rendell that small employers need help, not punishment, to access affordable health insurance
During testimony offered this week on state legislation to help small-business owners to access more affordable health insurance, NFIB State Director Kevin Shivers applauded comments made by Gov. Ed Rendell, that incentives -- not punishment -- are a far more productive way to help Pennsylvania small-business owners afford health insurance and reduce the state's population of uninsured.
"Health insurance costs are the No. 1 concern for small business," Shivers told lawmakers during testimony before the House Insurance Committee. "Small-business owners realize they must offer attractive benefit packages to remain competitive.
"But the reality is that small employers still have little buying power and few affordable options. We applaud the approach offered by the governor that seeks to help small-business owners afford quality insurance by creating a more competitive insurance market and offering incentives to help these small employers buy coverage for themselves, their families and their workers.
"Helping businesses to help themselves certainly is a more effective way to reduce the waiting list for Pennsylvania's programs that cover the uninsured and is far less costly to Pennsylvania's economy, when compared with the employer-mandate approach adopted by lawmakers in Maryland.
"The governor was right when he said Maryland's employer-mandate approach, 'was not the right answer.'
"Small-business owners could not agree more. Creating an environment that encourages competition and more choices will enable more small firms and working families to buy insurance in the private marketplace and reduce pressure on the state-run system," said Shivers.
Canton small-business owner urges state lawmakers to oppose tax increase
Raising taxes on small businesses in order to pay for residential school district property tax makes bad economic sense and exacerbates the noncompetitive environment in Pennsylvania, according to Brian Landon, owner of Landon's Car Wash and Laundry in Canton, Bradford County.
"Under this legislation, small businesses would see a rise in the personal income tax, an increase in the amount of sales tax paid on items and services required to run a business and an increase in the amount of sales taxes collected and remitted and undoubtedly a continued increase in real estate taxes," said Landon in testimony before the Senate Committee on Legislation. Landon was testifying on behalf of NFIB.
The bill, SB 854, would raise the personal income tax and increase taxes on a variety of services with no guarantees that residential school district property taxes won't continue to rise, he said.
"SB 854 does not propose any method to reduce school costs and will not prevent school districts from raising taxes in the future," Landon said. "It does nothing to reduce my small-business property taxes. Excluding business property from any proposed reduction in property taxes is patently unfair to Pennsylvania's smallest job creators.
All NFIB members are urged to immediately contact their members of the Pennsylvania Senate and Gov. Rendell to oppose House-passed tax increase plan.
Want to run for office? More retirements announced in Pennsylvania General Assembly
It is becoming increasing evident that there will be many new faces in Pennsylvania's General Assembly next year seven more retirements were announced. As of Jan. 27, 21 lawmakers had announced their retirements with more announcements expected in the coming weeks.
Those legislators who have announced their retirements include:
| Office | District | Retiring Legislator | Party |
| Senate | 10 | Joe Conti | R |
| Senate | 20 | Charles D. Lemmond, Jr. | R |
| Senate | 36 | Noah Wenger | R |
| House | 46 | Victor John Lescovitz | D |
| House | 51 | Larry Roberts | D |
| House | 52 | James Shaner | D |
| House | 70 | John W. Fichter | R |
| House | 77 | Lynn B. Herman | R |
| House | 92 | Bruce Smith | R |
| House | 113 | Gaynor Cawley | D |
| House | 117 | George Hasay | R |
| House | 118 | Thomas M. Tigue | D |
| House | 121 | Kevin Blaum | D |
| House | 129 | Sheila Miller | R |
| House | 133 | T.J. Rooney | D |
| House | 139 | Jerry Birmelin | R |
| House | 140 | Thomas C. Corrigan, Sr. | D |
| House | 147 | Raymond Bunt, Jr. | R |
| House | 150 | Jacqueline R. Crahalla | R |
| House | 156 | Elinor Z. Taylor | R |
| House | 167 | Robert L. Flick | R |
| House | 174 | Alan Butkovitz | D |
NFIB will be conducting interviews of all legislative candidates in districts with open seats in the coming months to decide the direction of our grassroots efforts for the November election, and to determine which candidates will best represent the interests of Pennsylvania's small-business community.
