(The Center Square) – A small business advocacy organization is outlining this year’s agenda to include the top legislative priorities for small businesses in Illinois in the new legislative session.
The National Federation of Independent Business notes that Illinois small business owners have been hit hard by inflation and economic uncertainty over the past few years.
NFIB Illinois state director Noah Finley said Main Street businesses need a reprieve from costly governmental policies and red tape that will only add to their challenges.
“Standing up to a lot of what we’ve seen, government overreach, overregulation,” said Finley. “If you have a small business, you are doing everything, and the government keeps on putting more and more requirements on these small business owners.”
Finley said business growth in Illinois has stagnated and the Main Street agenda looks to change the landscape.
“Trying to put forward the recommendations for how we actually switch to the growth mode and move the Main Street economy forward,” said Finley.
Finley said they will also advocate to make the federal small business tax deduction permanent and will oppose efforts to raise small business taxes at the state level.
One change this year is affecting small businesses in Illinois. On Jan. 1, the minimum wage increased from $14 to $15 an hour. Some small business owners fear that if they raise prices, it will lead to fewer customers.
Economic conditions took a turn for the worse late in the year for small businesses in Illinois. The small business network Alignable reported that nearly half of the small business owners in Illinois (48%) said they could not pay their rent on time and in full in November. Only one other state, Arizona, had a higher percentage.
