NFIB State Director Ben Homeyer today thanked Gov. Henry McMaster for signing legislation providing COVID-19 liability protection to small businesses and other organizations. Governor McMaster held a ceremonial signing of Senate Bill 147 at Cafe Strudel, an NFIB member business in West Columbia.
“South Carolina’s small businesses are tough and determined, and they did everything they could to keep the doors open and protect the welfare of their customers and employees during the pandemic, but owners are worried that trial lawyers will try to exploit the pandemic for financial gain,” Homeyer said.
“The cost of defending itself against even one unwarranted claim can be enough to put a small business out of business,” Homeyer said. “That’s why Senate Bill 147 matters so much to South Carolina’s small businesses.”
Cafe Strudel owner Trip Turbyfill said, “We had numerous COVID-related issues over the last 15 months, from having to shut down for a time, operating a food truck just to stay afloat, and doing our best to keep our customers and employees safe when we finally did open back up. Having to defend ourselves against a baseless lawsuit related to the pandemic could be fatal to our business.”
