Posts tagged Small Business
DAVIS: An Example Of A Big Government Overreach We Seriously Do Not Need
May 1, 2026 // A Mercatus Center analysis of 147 studies over three decades found that when union contracts are driven by outside pressure rather than mutual agreement, the result is slower job growth, reduced business investment, and a higher likelihood of layoffs down the road. Big wins at the bargaining table, secured by outsized union leverage rather than cooperation, have a way of costing workers more than they gained. The FLCA also isn’t a new proposal. It is a single provision pulled from the PRO Act, the Democrats’ broad rewriting of labor law. That legislation has failed to make it into law for good reason—it would hurt the very workers it claims to protect.
Op-ed: It’s Time to Unwind Biden’s Chaos for Freelancers, Small Business
April 29, 2026 // Preserving flexible work is extremely important to women, who make up about half of the nation’s freelance workforce. Nine out of 10 women who left traditional jobs to freelance did so for flexibility. As caregivers, independent contracting allows moms to raise children or care for aging parents. Sara B. stated in her supportive comment for the proposed rule, “I value my flexibility and independence with Instacart because I'm a mom who can only work sometimes because I don't have many people to help me watch my child so I can work. Being able to work whenever I want helps me so much.” For seasoned workers transitioning into retirement and older Americans supplementing Social Security benefits, flexible work keeps them engaged.
What a possible $25 D.C. minimum wage could mean for the region’s restaurant industry
March 11, 2026 // In D.C., Clower believes a significantly higher minimum wage would have a “net negative impact on employment.” He pointed to factors like federal worker and contractor reductions, immigration actions and waning tourism already hitting the restaurant and hospitality industries hard. “All of these other things have been hitting particularly restaurants and some of the other hospitality sectors who on average pay minimum wage already, and this is just going to be something else that will drive some of them out of business,”
Stacked Deck: How the NLRA Favors Organized Labor and Fails Workers
March 4, 2026 // Today we find a law of unintended consequences. The interests of the workers are often buried under legal precedents and arcane labor rules that make it hard, if not impossible, to make informed decisions regarding unionization. Moreover, the NLRA’s legal landscape is unpredictable and so complex that only the largest employers have a chance of successfully navigating it.
NFIB WASHINGTON STATE: No Small Business Relief in Millionaire Tax Bill
January 26, 2026 // NFIB also opposed HB 2471 and SB 6117, which would allow unionizing small businesses under the state’s Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) through card check (also called cross check). We also signed in opposed to HB 2409 and SB 6045, which would allow unionizing farm workers through that same process and agency.
REPORT: The Value of Franchising
January 7, 2026 // The benefits of being a franchise owner are substantial, particularly for those new to entrepreneurship. Franchising lowers traditional barriers to business ownership by providing access to a brand name, training, ongoing support, and peer networks – especially critical for underrepresented groups, such as veterans, women and people of color, who are represented as franchisees at a disproportionately higher rate.
Ocean County Leaders Raise Concerns over NJDOL’s Proposed Gig Worker Rule
November 25, 2025 // “The State’s one-size-fits-all rule may hurt the very people it claims to protect; the independent workers, small businesses, and local economies that depend on flexibility and Ocean County’s local contractors, tradespeople, and entrepreneurs that rely on flexible work arrangements,” Ocean County Commissioner Jennifier Bacchione said on Monday. “The State should not be penalizing them for working independently.”
Newt’s World Episode 899: Employee Rights Act
October 13, 2025 // Newt talks with Vincent Vernuccio, President of the Institute for the American Worker about the Employee Rights Act of 2025, a legislative proposal aimed at enhancing and safeguarding the rights of American workers while promoting fairness and accountability in the workplace. Introduced by Senator Tim Scott and Congressman Rick Allen, the bill represents a Republican vision for the workforce, focusing on empowering workers, improving unions, and fostering innovation and growth. Vernuccio highlights the outdated nature of current labor laws,
Comer introduces bill to help small business owners
July 19, 2025 // Kentucky First District Congressman James Comer, R-Tompkinsville, has introduced the Save Local Business Act, which clarifies the joint employer standard to provide certainty for small business owners and workers across the country. Comer notes that in recent years, small businesses have suffered under unelected bureaucrats at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) who have dramatically expanded the definition of “joint employer” and implemented burdensome regulations for small businesses. “Congress must promote policies that empower small businesses and free them from stifling regulations pushed by an unchecked and unelected federal bureaucracy,”
California’s fast-food minimum wage is super-sizing job losses
July 15, 2025 // The damage for California doesn’t stop at job losses, as CEI has noted previously. The vast majority of California’s fast-food workers, 89 percent, have had their work hours reduced. Another 35 percent have seen their supplemental benefits reduced. Customers suffer as well. Menu prices for Golden State restaurants rose 14.5 percent between September 2023 and December 2024, nearly double the national rate of 8.2 percent for restaurants. Prices jumped 3 percent in the month after the minimum wage hike went into effect. Americans across all income groups eat fast food, but the core consumers are low-income families according to the Morning Consult. Any price increase is going to hit them the hardest.