FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BOSTON, MA (January 16, 2024) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy association including more than 5,000 members in the state, issued the following statement by NFIB Massachusetts State Director Christopher Carlozzi in response to Governor Maura Healey’s 2025 State of the Commonwealth Address this evening:

“Small businesses in the Commonwealth spend an inordinate amount of time navigating the harsh Massachusetts regulatory environment, so we appreciate Governor Healey’s call for regulatory review. Past administrations made attempts to ease small businesses’ regulatory burdens and fell short, but we remain optimistic that Governor Healey will deliver on this lofty endeavor to yield measurable results for beleaguered employers. Additionally, it would be most helpful if lawmakers refrained from piling on any new regulations this session that will exacerbate the situation. Further, while addressing licensing and regulation review is a step in the right direction, to truly help the state’s Main Street businesses policymakers must address the state’s unemployment insurance tax crisis, rising healthcare premiums, sky rocketing energy expenses, and an ever-growing list of labor mandates.”

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For 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.