Sen. Reese, Rep. Schlegel Earns NFIB Guardian of Small Business Awards

December 19, 2022 Last Edit: June 5, 2025

The award honors lawmakers for supporting Louisiana's job creators

Sen. Reese, Rep. Schlegel Earns NFIB Guardian of Small Business Awards

NFIB has presented its coveted Guardian of Small Business Award to state Sen. Mike Reese (District 30) and Rep. Laurie Schlegel (District 82) for their outstanding leadership on small business issues during this year’s legislative session. The Guardian of Small Business Award is the most prestigious honor that NFIB bestows on legislators in recognition of their efforts to support small businesses. “As a member of the Senate Revenue & Fiscal Affairs and Labor committees, Senator Reese worked tirelessly to pass smart, long-overdue tax reform and defeat crippling employment mandates on small business owners,” NFIB State Director Dawn McVea said. “Mike Reese is a small business and a member of NFIB, and he’s spent much of his time at the capitol finding solutions for small business owners. That includes leading the effort to protect small businesses from tax hikes in unemployment insurance following the COVID shutdown that stretched Louisiana’s Unemployment Trust Fund to the breaking point. “Representative Schlegel did outstanding work on the House Ways and Means and Labor committees,” McVea said. “Not only has she voted consistently with NFIB on legislation affecting Louisiana’s job creators, but she also does the hard work of being sure bad bills don’t make it out of these committees. She understands that bad tax policy and even worse employer mandates would only serve to weaken Main Street businesses fighting to keep their doors open. “We appreciate their willingness to work on issues and find solutions that help small business owners thrive,” McVea said. “On behalf of our members, I am proud to present Guardian of Small Business Awards to Senator Reese and Representative Schlegel.”

Topics:

Guardian of Small Business

State:

Louisiana

Get to know NFIB

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

Learn More