Fagan receives small business award

In recognition of her work on issues that help the state’s small businesses, Rep. Susan Fagan received the National Federation of Independent Business’ (NFIB) 2011-12 Guardian of Small Business Award. The 8,000-member NFIB Washington chapter graded state House and Senate members on 10 votes they took over the two-year legislative cycle. Members with an 80 percent voting record to support small-business owners received the award. Fagan, who is an NFIB member, received a 100 percent vote rating.

“As a member of the House Labor and Workforce Development Committee, I see just about every bill introduced that addresses the state’s business climate,” said Fagan, R-Pullman. “Coming from the private sector myself, I know that every decision made in Olympia impacts job growth and retention, both positively and negatively. When crafting legislation, whether it’s a tax-related bill or one that adds regulations, lawmakers need to remember that small businesses are the backbone of our state’s economy. If we hamper their ability to grow and thrive in Washington, we’ll never fully recover from this recession.”

According to a report authored this year by the United States Small Business Administration, small businesses totaled 532,162 in Washington in 2009. They represent 98.1 percent of all employers and employ 53.3 percent of the private-sector workforce.

“Our guardians don’t just say they support small business, they vote time and again to improve the conditions that will allow small businesses to grow and flourish. They sponsor key bills and amendments to free our state’s entrepreneurs to innovate, create and put people to work,” said NFIB Washington State Director, Patrick Connor.

“There are many facets that create a pro-business environment that encourages existing and new businesses to operate in our state. Tax certainty and fewer regulations go a long way to ensuring the health of small businesses. Small firms with fewer than 20 employees spend $2,400, or 45 percent, more per employee than larger firms do to comply with the same federal regulations,” Fagan said.