The NFIB, or the National Federation of Independent Business, here in North Dakota wants to thank North Dakota legislators for making small business issues a priority during a successful 2021 legislative session.
Lawmakers passed several bills that help North Dakota small business owners recover from the coronavirus health and economic crisis by eliminating the burden they would have faced with the threat of frivolous lawsuits.
Lawmakers also defeated several bills that would have created unfunded mandates on businesses struggling to get back on their feet.
Small business owners can now focus on creating jobs and running their businesses instead of worrying about how to pay for mandatory minimum wage increases, paid medical leave and increased health insurance costs. While these all seem like good and noble causes, the truth is, not all small businesses are created equal. One-sized fits all mandates just don’t make sense to NFIB’s more than 2,000 members in North Dakota, most of whom run businesses with an average 10 employees and gross sales of approximately $500,000 per year.
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When it comes to minimum wage, North Dakota and its neighbors go opposite directions North Dakota's minimum wage policies vary significantly from its neighbors Minnesota, Montana and South Dakota. The three bordering states all have minimum wages higher than the federal rate and make annual adjustments to their respective minimum wages.
North Dakota bill to shield employers from COVID-19 lawsuits sent to governor's desk
Thank you to the lawmakers who recognize that small businesses are the backbone of our economy and they should be able to run their businesses based on economic models that work best for them, not the government.
Alison Ritter is North Dakota's state director of the National Federation of Independent Business.
This letter does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.
