Senator Zach Duckworth (Lakeville) recently earned the prestigious Guardian of Small Business Award from the nation’s leading small business organization, The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), for his work during the 2023-2024 Legislative Session.  

“Small businesses drive our economic engine, support our families and communities, and employ nearly half of the workforce in Minnesota,” Duckworth said. “Encouraging a climate that allows businesses and employees to flourish is not a partisan issue, and as we begin the 2025 Legislative Session with a new, bipartisan landscape, I look forward to continuing to support policies that do just that.” 

The Guardian of Small Business Award is reserved for lawmakers who consistently side with Main Street on priority issues for small business owners and their employees. Small business priorities are determined by NFIB members. Duckworth earned the NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award with a 100% score on the NFIB Minnesota Voting Record for 2023-24. 

“Now more than ever, Main Street needs strong advocates in the Minnesota Legislature, and they have one in Senator Zach Duckworth,” John Reynolds, NFIB Minnesota State Director, said. “Duckworth stood up for small businesses and brought solutions that would make Minnesota a better place to do business and raise a family.” 

 A few of those key votes include:  

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

· No to increasing the metro area sales tax by $745 million over the next four years.  

· No to increasing 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.