Katie Britt emphasizes support for small businesses
On Monday U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt released a statement outlining her support for small businesses and opposing new governmental lockdowns or mandates related to COVID-19 in Alabama. “Small businesses are the backbone of our state and the lifeblood of our local communities,” said Britt. “The SBA classifies 99.4% of Alabama businesses as small businesses. Growing up as the daughter of two small business owners from the Wiregrass, I know firsthand that the actions at all levels of government impact the bottom-line for job creators, entrepreneurs, and innovators across our great state. As Alabama’s next U.S. Senator, I will fight tirelessly to slash red tape and roll back burdensome regulations, allowing small businesses and hardworking Alabama families to thrive in safe, strong communities.” Britt has spoken out against Sen. Ron Wyden’s plan to substantially curtail the Small Business Deduction, which allows many small businesses to deduct 20% of their income. This measure, created in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, is set to expire in 2025. According to the NFIB, more than 80% of small business owners say the Small Business Deduction is important to their operations. “Curtailing the Small Business Deduction would represent an effective tax hike at a time when small businesses can least afford it,” stated Britt. “Not only would I proudly oppose any vote to raise taxes in the Senate, but I firmly believe we must make the Small Business Deduction permanent and eliminate restrictions that limit which industries qualify. Alabama has a diverse economy, and all of our tremendous small businesses should be on a level playing field when it comes to treatment by the federal government. This means continuing to simplify our tax code so that small businesses have certainty and clarity, which in turn will give them greater confidence to reinvest in the growth of their businesses and communities.” Britt also commended Governor Kay Ivey for rejecting suggestions that Alabama could be headed towards shutting back down. This comes after a report published last week stoked concerns that “new lockdowns in Alabama” could soon be called for. Britt commented, “I’m 100% against a new lockdown of any form or fashion. Vaccines are readily available to all Americans, and I encourage my fellow Alabamians to get vaccinated. Just as the case has been throughout the pandemic – but especially now – personal responsibility is the solution, not governmental mandates. We need to use freedom to combat COVID-19, not combat freedom because of COVID-19. I am confident that the state of Alabama will not shut back down or bring back a mask mandate. Our great state is open for business, and I’ll fight to not only keep it that way but also to grow jobs and opportunity for all hardworking Alabamians, no matter their zip code.”
Rosemary Elebash and Jeff Lynn: Wanted: Skilled workers to ensure Alabama’s success
Ask business people to rank their top problems, and you find a consistent pattern. Taxes and regulations usually battle each other for the top spot. Finding qualified workers consistently ranks No. 3. These results — from monthly surveys of members of the National Federation of Independent Business — illustrate a critical problem in our country and a major roadblock to economic growth. To put it simply: We have plenty of people who need jobs. We have plenty of businesses that have jobs to fill. But the available people and the available jobs don’t always line up. Too many prospective employees lack the necessary skills for jobs that are in demand. This skills gap is crippling to individuals who miss out on job opportunities. But it is also crippling to business and economic growth. Companies that lack an adequate supply of workers can’t succeed and grow to their full potential. Rather than moving forward, they are often forced to divert resources and time in a never-ending cycle of trying to hire and train new workers. This is an issue for all Alabama employers, but especially for small businesses. Large corporations at least have human resources departments to help recruit qualified workers. At a small business, the person who places the help-wanted ad is very likely the same person who takes out the trash and signs the checks: the owner. Despite Alabama’s remarkable success in landing big manufacturing projects over the past 25 years, most of our jobs are created by smaller, existing businesses. Day after day, our state’s lack of qualified workers is costing small businesses the ability to create and fill new jobs. This hinders our state’s economic growth. Fortunately, Alabama business leaders, economic developers, educators and elected officials have set out on a new course to make sure our businesses have the workforce they need to thrive, now and in the future. Our community college system is working more closely than ever with the business community, economic developers, and other education partners to ensure students learn the skills that employers need. The system is working hand-in-hand with workforce development councils to align programs with employers’ needs in different communities across our state. Community colleges are also working with K-12 schools, four-year universities, the state Commerce Department, AIDT and others to ensure seamless transitions between workers and training and jobs. We are all working hard to be more nimble and quick, responding to technological changes that continually alter the workplace. Fostering these efforts is a new collaboration called AlabamaWorks, which is a business-driven workforce development system encompassing all of the state’s job-training and placement services. A one-stop-shopping website (AlabamaWorks.com) links employers, job seekers and students to the resources they need. A key challenge is making Alabamians aware of the resources – and the opportunities — that exist. Businesses need to know where to go for solutions for their workforce needs. High school students and adults need to know where to go to get the skills they need to succeed. And we all need to appreciate the varied avenues to success. Most of us know today that a high-school education alone is not enough. But too few of us appreciate the full range of career options that fall somewhere between a high school diploma and a four-year college degree. In Alabama, AIDT facilities in Decatur and Mobile recently hosted hundreds of high school students to highlight today’s technical and manufacturing careers, many requiring two years of training or less. These events showcased Alabama’s great training facilities, but also served as a reminder that the facilities are only as valuable as the people they train. “It does no good if we have the jobs and the training facility, if we don’t have the people and if our young people are not being interested and attracted to high-tech manufacturing,” State Sen. Arthur Orr said at the Robotics Technology Park near Decatur. Manufacturing jobs are just one example of our workforce development needs. Businesses across the state of Alabama can tell stories about projects stalled and plans delayed because they were unable to find qualified workers. At the NFIB and the Alabama Community College System, we understand the need, and we are committed to taking the steps necessary to make sure we have the right people in the right pipelines for the right jobs. If we fail to do so, we are jeopardizing the future success of our businesses, our people, and our state. ••• Rosemary Elebash is the state director for the National Federation of Independent Business in Alabama. Email: Rosemary.Elebash@nfib.org. Jeff Lynn is the senior executive director of workforce and economic development for the Alabama Community College System. Email: Jeff.Lynn@accs.edu.
Martha Roby: Web of regulations can ensnare business, cost jobs
This past week I met with the National Federation of Independent Business’s (NFIB) Alabama Leadership Council in Montgomery. As you probably know, the NFIB is a member organization made up of small and independent businesses, and this particular group represents small business operators from all across Alabama. I’m proud to support homegrown Alabama businesses and the jobs they sustain. Small businesses employ as many as 50 percent of all private sector employees. Yet, talk to just about any business owner and they’ll tell you how difficult it can be to operate in today’s regulatory environment. That’s especially true for small and medium-sized businesses that lack the resources it takes to put toward compliance. You may remember President Obama announcing how he would use his “pen” to sign executive orders mandating policies he could not successfully pass through Congress. The most high profile of these was his order seeking to offer de facto amnesty to certain classes of illegal immigrants, which is currently being challenged as unconstitutional in federal court. However, many lesser known rules and regulations put forward by agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Labor could have a much more significant effect on the private sector. A recent study by the Regulatory Studies Center at George Washington University found 392 “major” regulations have been issued during the Obama presidency so far. And, according to the Wall Street Journal, the Administration is now “racing to make final a flurry of regulations affecting broad swaths of the economy” before the term is finished. I strongly oppose this kind of “backdoor legislating,” in which government agencies decide single-handedly to impose new, aggressive regulations. The U.S. Constitution separated the powers of government among the three branches and set up a system of checks and balances. Our laws have legitimacy because they are passed by representatives elected by and accountable to the people. That system is undermined when this “fourth branch” of unelected bureaucrats in federal agencies is allowed to unilaterally impose major, binding regulations with impunity. President Obama is certainly not the first president to expand the reach of the Executive Branch by imposing rules and regulations. However, he has been notably more aggressive than most, and that should continue down the final stretch of his presidency. Congress has a responsibility to fight back against Executive Branch overreach, whether through exposing potentially harmful regulations, passing legislation to set strict limits or using the “power of the purse” to rein in agencies. I also believe the Judicial Branch must step in and reaffirm the separation of powers. Listening directly to the concerns of those who operate businesses affords me a better understanding of just what they deal with on a daily basis from federal regulators. I will continue to work on their behalf in Congress to expose and fight against unnecessary regulations that hinder their ability to create and sustain jobs. • • • Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband, Riley, and their two children.
NFIB celebrating Small Business Day in Montgomery
The Alabama chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses is celebrating its annual “Small Business Lobby Day” with a luncheon in the Capital City. “Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy,” said NFIB President and CEO Dan Danner in a statement promoting the national event. “They creates more jobs than any other sector and it represents half of the national economic output. But from the earliest days of the country it’s also been the way upward for ordinary Americans, including the poorest.” “The money that you spend at the bakery, or the florist, or the local auto mechanic stays in your community,” said Danner via news release. “That’s good for communities, good for states and ultimately the key to our national economic strength.” “The money that folks spend at local stores and with local contractors for the most part gets invested right back into the community,” he continued. “So this is a good week to visit your neighbors in business and do something good for your community.” The lunch is going on from now until 2 p.m. at the offices of the Alabama Forestry Association, on 555 Alabama St. in Montgomery. Legislators and pro-small business advocates will be on hand to discuss 2015 Legislative Session so far and to track the progress of the NFIB’s issues locally. There’s no charge to attend.
