North Dakota NFIB Members Pen Op-Ed in The Bismarck Tribune

August 7, 2024 Last Edit: June 5, 2025

North Dakota small business owners urge lawmakers to make the small business deduction permanent.

North Dakota NFIB Members Pen Op-Ed in The Bismarck Tribune

The Bismarck Tribune published an op-ed from Dawn Hager and Karen Schmidt, the owners of Balancing Goat Coffee Co. in Mandan, North Dakota and members of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), urging Congress to make the small business deduction permanent. The small business deduction was an important part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and unless Congress extends the provision, will expire next year. Read the full op-ed here: https://bismarcktribune.com/opinion/columnists/dawn-hager-and-karen-schmidt-congress-must-save-small-businesses-now/article_1c3eb3c6-511b-11ef-badf-5f7a6deecd53.html Hager and Schmidt write: “Amid the endless drama in the 2024 election cycle, a real crisis is being ignored. It’s a crisis that confronts small businesses like ours — the cornerstone of North Dakota communities and the engines of the American economy. Washington, D.C. needs to tackle this crisis before the small business economy is permanently crippled. “When the pandemic ended, the Small Business Deduction helped us get back on track, fast. Today, we have 30 employees — more than we ever dreamed. We’re investing in new equipment while experimenting with new products. We couldn’t do nearly as much if we had to pay a lot more to the IRS. “But if Congress lets this tax cut expire, we’ll quickly have to scale back. That’ll be devastating — and not just to us. Our workers will suffer, since we’ll have fewer jobs and won’t be able to offer as many raises. Our customers will suffer, because we’ll have to raise prices, not only because we’re getting hit, but also because all our suppliers are getting taxed more.”

Topics:

Taxes

State:

North Dakota

Get to know NFIB

NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide.

Learn More

Split-screen live news: female anchor left, man in vest right; economy alert banner and stock ticker visible at bottom.

June 23, 2026

West Virginia Small Business Owner Joins NewsNation to Discuss 20% Small Business Deduction

Watch NFIB Michael Ervin on NewsNation.

June 22, 2026

VIDEO: On NewsNation, NFIB Member Discusses How 20% Small Business Deduction Has Provided Certainty For Small Businesses

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 22, 2026) – West Virginia small business owner and NFIB member Michael Ervin joined Markie Martin on NewsNation Thursday to discuss the …