California is a national leader in having the highest taxes and most regulations of any state in the union. More of each is expected to be attempted in the 2025-2026 session of the California State Legislature—unless small business owners successfully harness their collective power to say, ‘No More!’

Among the many things the Legislature is expected to plan are:

• Higher and higher industry-specific minimum-wage rates cut in back-room deals under the shroud of non-disclosure agreements
• Increased payroll taxes now that the Legislative Analyst’s Office is recommending raising the unemployment insurance taxable wage base on which they are calculated from an employee’s first $7,000 in wages to $46,800
• Additional reasons for more paid leave and an expanded definition of who a family member can be.

There’s much, much more planned, all of it making it more difficult to own a business in California—unless we can rally to save Main Street.

No one speaks with more authority about the conditions of their communities than the small business owners who are the central threads running through all of them—and no group of people are more respected by lawmakers and more sincerely listened to than Main Street entrepreneurs.

So, how about joining NFIB California’s Advocacy Program? Examples of the things advocate members do are:

• testify at legislative hearings involving small-business issues
• host lawmakers for a tour of your business operations
• be a quotable contact for the media
• assist in implementing the political strategy for elections, including recruitment, endorsements, fundraising, and other grassroots efforts
• help shape questions for the state ballot, the results from which are considered by lawmakers, state constitutional officers, and the bureaucracy to be the true voice of small business.

Nothing commands the attention of politicians better than hearing directly from a small-business owner. Serving as an NFIB California Advocate opens the doors of legislative offices.

For more information about this and other opportunities to be more involved in setting the small-business agenda, please e-mail NFIB Grassroots Manager Taylor Criddle at Taylor.Criddle@nfib.org.