GRAND JUNCTION (Jan. 29, 2026) – In an op-ed for The Business Times, NFIB State Director Michael Smith outlines Colorado small business owners’ priorities for the 2026 Legislative session, which include opposing new employer mandates, protecting the Labor Peace Act, and eliminating swipe fees on merchants’ taxes.

In the op-ed, Smith highlights the importance of small business owners to Colorado’s economy, writing:

“Small businesses represent 99.5 percent of Colorado businesses and employ roughly 1.2 million people, almost half of all Colorado employees. This session, small-business owners are counting on lawmakers to see Main Street, not as a source of revenue or a problem to micromanage, but as a partner in Colorado’s future economic prosperity.”

CLICK HERE to read the full op-ed. Excerpts are below:

NFIB to Colorado Lawmakers: Treat Main Street as Partner

The Business Times

By: Michael Smith

January 27, 2026

As Colorado lawmakers return to the statehouse, small business owners are asking one question: Will Main Street be treated as a partner, or a target?

Nationally, small business optimism is improving. In fact, a recent NFIB survey found that as optimism is rising, uncertainty has declined to its lowest level since June 2024. […]

Colorado’s small business owners are hoping for that same stability at the state level. But with a projected $1 billion budget shortfall, uncertainty looms. […]

Main Street, along with the vast majority of Coloradans, supports the Labor Peace Act in its current form. Despite this support, Big Labor Union Bosses are attempting to weaken the act by eliminating the second election required to approve a union agreement. […]

Colorado’s regulatory environment has become a serious challenge for small business owners to navigate. Last year, the legislature advanced several bills that complicate owning a small business in our state, including two bills that attempt to insert the government into how small businesses price their goods and services. […]

Despite even the best intentions, in practice, many of these employer regulations go beyond federal guidelines, are overly broad, include hefty fines, or expose small businesses to frivolous lawsuits. […] Lawmakers should resist any more regulatory hurdles for Main Street.

Finally, Main Street needs relief from credit-card-swipe fees (also known as interchange fees). […] The reason is simple: Credit card companies should not be profiting off merchants who collect Colorado’s taxes […].

Small businesses represent 99.5 percent of Colorado businesses and employ roughly 1.2 million people, almost half of all Colorado employees. This session, small-business owners are counting on lawmakers to see Main Street, not as a source of revenue or a problem to micromanage, but as a partner in Colorado’s future economic prosperity.