NFIB Urges Oklahoma Lawmakers to Think Small Business in 2020
The Oklahoma legislature will start their regular session on February 3rd. Before lawmakers return to Oklahoma City, NFIB State Director Jerrod Shouse is reminding our elected officials to keep small business in mind this year. “Here in Oklahoma, as it is nationwide, small business optimism is at an all-time high. Small business owners in our state are keeping the economy strong and creating jobs,” says NFIB State Director Jerrod Shouse. “I look forward to working with lawmakers to enact positive measures to keep small business thriving in the Sooner state.”
The past few years, Oklahoma lawmakers have repeatedly brought up efforts to impose employer mandates such as paid family leave on small business owners. Paid leave is one of many regulatory burdens that small business owners must track.
“In many cases, employees and business owners reach their own arrangement that benefits both parties. If Oklahoma lawmakers mandate paid leave, business owners will likely be forced to reduce or eliminate other more important benefits,” said Shouse.
NFIB is also keeping a close eye on other bills that would also harm small business, including one that would increase the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $15 per hour. “Small business owners know that more than doubling the minimum wage will lead to increased labor costs and tough choices. They must either increase the cost of their product or service – which in many cases is not feasible – or reduce labor costs elsewhere through reduced jobs, hours, or benefits. None of those changes benefit Oklahoma workers.”
According to a recent NFIB survey, 92% of small business owners oppose the mandate. The NFIB Research Center found that increasing the minimum wage would lead to a massive output and job loss, as well as income reduction. The study showed 43% of all jobs lost would be at businesses with fewer than 100 employees. That’s because small businesses are less likely to have the cash reserves or profit margins to absorb the increase in labor costs than larger businesses.
NFIB is optimistic about the 2020 legislative session and looks forward to working with lawmakers on some positive fixes to Oklahoma’s worker’s compensation system, as well as lawsuit reforms that were recently thrown out by the Oklahoma State Supreme Court.
