I went door-to-door talking to small business owners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Small business owners had to navigate a maze of requirements for grant programs while the biggest chain restaurants were getting the lion’s share of federal aid. Going forward, we need to level the playing field for small businesses in terms of access to capital and government contracts, and we need to help ease the cost of starting a business and being an entrepreneur.

2023 legislative highlights:

• Created a $50,000 tangible tax exemption so approximately 75% of small businesses no longer have to pay any tangible tax on their property (such as computer and office equipment). By eliminating this tax for small businesses, we improved the business climate by reducing overhead costs and administrative work.