Senator Andrew Mathews (R-Princeton) today announces he earned the prestigious Guardian of Small Business Award from the nation’s leading small business organization, The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB). 

 

“Small businesses are the center of our economy in Minnesota. They support our communities and our families,” Mathews said. “Over the last two years, we saw Gov. Walz and Democrats slap heavy-handed actions against them, but I will continue to stand up and support policies that encourage a friendly climate for our Main Street business community.” 

 

Mathews earned the NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award with a 100% score on the NFIB Minnesota Voting Record for 2023-24. 

 

The Guardian of Small Business Award is reserved for lawmakers who consistently side with Main Street on priority issues for small business owners. Small business priorities are determined by NFIB members under the one member, one vote policy. Lawmakers are informed of NFIB’s position ahead of each key vote. 

 

A few of those key votes include: 

 

·         Yes on federal tax conformity bill which simplified small businesses’ tax filing and saves them money by exempting pandemic-era relief programs from state taxes. 

·         No on Environment and Energy Omnibus Bill which authorized a new energy tax for electric vehicle subsidies and imposed complex chemical regulations on small businesses. 

·         No on Housing Omnibus Bill which increased the metro area sales tax by $745 million over the next four years. 

·         No on Transportation Bill which increased vehicle sales taxes, gas taxes, vehicle tab fees, and metro area sales taxes leading to more than $3.5 billion over the next four years. 

 

The full list of key votes can be found on NFIB’s Voting Record document. 

 

Minnesota lawmakers who sided with small business 80% or more of the time during the 2023-24 sessions are eligible for the NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award.