NFIB State Director Rosemary Elebash said today that Alabama’s small business community is calling on the Alabama House to pass HB 103, a measure that would erase the distinction between “essential” and “non-essential” businesses during a pandemic or other declared emergency.

TAKE ACTION: Click here to send a message to your local legislators.

“This is commonsense legislation that would help small businesses get through another economic crisis and keep people working,” Elebash said. “Whether you’re a grocery store or a dress shop, you should be allowed to open as long as you follow the government’s guidelines for keeping customers and employees safe. 

“It also would avoid situations where the government appears to pick winners and losers, for example, by allowing a discount store that happens to sell groceries to remain open but telling a clothing store that doesn’t that it has to close because it isn’t ‘essential’.”