IN CASE YOU
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August 14, 2015


ICYMI: Chairman Chabot Speaks with Ohio Small Businesses

A barnyard technology startup, a family construction firm, and a coffee and craft beer shop. They are just a handful of the small businesses that Chairman Steve Chabot met with this week all over Southwest Ohio.

In the historic community of Springboro, Ohio, Chairman Chabot met with iStable, a technology company that is transforming the way horse owners and trainers communicate and track their equine progress.

He also spoke with employees at Ironwood Phoenix, a family-owned and operated construction company, as well as Heather’s Coffee and Café, whose local customers can purchase coffee in the morning and craft beer and wine in the evening (a very persuasive business model).  

The focus of these three businesses may be vastly different, but their positive impact on the community is the same: small businesses employ 1 of every two working Americans, and are responsible for creating two-thirds of all new jobs. 
 



Unfortunately, many of the challenges these businesses face are also one in the same.  During a tour of the Wegman Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, employees brought up the impact of overregulation. Complying with top-down regulations costs small businesses much more than larger businesses. In fact, federal regulations alone cost them roughly $11,000 per employee. Those are hard-earned resources that could support higher wages for employees, but are instead spent on paperwork. 

The good news is that there are solutions in the works that would make a real difference for these businesses:

-The Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Act (H.R. 527) would give small businesses a greater voice in the rule-writing process to help create smarter, less burdensome regulations.
(Passed the House 2/5/2015)

-The REINS Act (H.R. 427) is a bill that requires major regulations be voted on by elected officials. This proposal would instill a new level of government accountability and reduce the number of harmful regulations that are forced on the economy by unelected bureaucrats.
(Passed the House 7/28/2015)

-The Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act (H.R. 50) ensures that there is a clearer understanding of the costs of unfunded mandates and what they will mean for jobs and the economy.
(Passed House 2/4/2015)

Of course, there is much more work to do. If you have a small business story you’d like to share or a suggestion that you think would make good policy, we want to hear it. Visit SmallBusiness.House.Gov and tell us your story.