ST. PAUL — State Rep. Mark Anderson, R-Lake Shore, has received a prestigious award from the state’s largest small business group in terms of entities.
The National Federation of Independent Business Minnesota announced Anderson earned the Guardian of Small Business Award on Wednesday. The NFIB, which has 13,000 members statewide, recognizes legislators who have been supportive of small business on critical issues.
To receive the award, legislators had to demonstrate a supportive voting record for small business during the 2013-14 sessions of the Minnesota legislature. Lawmakers in the House were scored on 10 important votes for small business.
“Small-business owners continue to face significant challenges in our extremely competitive environment,” Anderson said. “These are the people who keep our economy going and I am pleased to continue doing my part to advocate making Minnesota a better place to do business and create jobs. Recognition from NFIB for this effort is highly appreciated.”
The NFIB credited Anderson with making many votes that were crucial for small business, including opposing a dramatic $2.1 billion tax increase and then voting for several bills to quickly repeal damaging parts of that legislation. He also opposed a dramatic increase in the minimum wage, raising the wage to $9.50 and including an automatic escalator that will raise the wage every year with increases in inflation. Anderson also opposed what NFIB termed “the creation of one of the nation’s worst health insurance exchanges” that included a new 3.5-percent assessment on the premiums of small business and individuals only and opposed legislation that enacted new rights for workers to sue their employer.
“Rep. Anderson is a real friend of small business and we are happy to announce he has earned the NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award,” said Mike Hickey, state director of NFIB.
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