FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BOSTON, MA (Jan. 31, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy association, released the following statement by NFIB State Director Christopher Carlozzi, commenting on Gov. Maura Healey’s reintroduction this afternoon of the Municipal Empowerment Act:

“Like most sequels, the return of the Municipal Empowerment Act is worse than the original. Allowing Massachusetts municipal governments to further increase local option taxes would be a step backwards in making the Commonwealth more competitive and affordable. After miraculously surviving the effects of the pandemic, inflation, and labor shortages, the restaurant and travel industries don’t need higher taxes discouraging consumers from dining out or vacationing in Massachusetts. Additionally, the creation of a new annual tax on vehicles doesn’t just hurt Main Street businesses like pizzerias, florists, dry cleaners, plumbers, and electricians, it hurts workers who need to be physically present at jobs and lack the option to work from home.”

###

For more than 80 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses, and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.