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March 13, 2023
Minnesota Legislators Listen to Small Business Stories
Minnesota Small Business Day 2023: Small Business Owners Voice Concerns With Paid Leave Mandate

Minnesota small business owners were passionate about making their voices heard at this year’s Small Business Day at the Capitol. State Director John Reynolds and Sen. Nick Frentz talk about how the 24 week paid leave mandate will impact entrepreneurs and their employees.
Frentz underscored the importance of hearing from small business owners and expressed hope that lawmakers could find a solution that would not be onerous for Main Street. The PFML proposal is funded by a $1 billion payroll tax on small businesses and workers and requires businesses of all sizes to allow up to 24 weeks of paid leave per year. Earlier this year, NFIB launched its statewide issue campaign to Stop St. Paul’s Billion Dollar Tax Hike on Small Businesses. You can find out more about the proposal here. Leadership Council member David Heinrich of Thermal Dynamics based out of Maple Plain. His small business is a water systems company that designs geothermal technology. Heinrich to members of the media about his concerns with the proposed legislation. Heinrich questions why politicians are pushing another burden on the backs of small business owners when Minnesota has a $17.6 billion surplus.
- $1 Billion Payroll Tax on small businesses, family farms and more.
- As the cost of the new government-run program grows, so will the payroll tax! Another state’s paycheck tax doubled in just three years.
- Mandates that small businesses allow all employees to take almost 6 months off per year for a wide range of circumstances.
- Sets up a massive new bureaucracy with 300-400 government employees and a $50 million annual budget.
- Upends the salary and benefit arrangement for every small business employee, making it harder for them to offer customized compensation plans to attract new employees.
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