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Why I Care About Public Policy
Elizabeth Nisbet Miller
NAWBO Charlotte President 1998-99
Founding Director, First Trust Bank
"If you run a business and are not involved in politics; then politics will run your business."
Terry Neese, Doctor of Laws, Past National NAWBO President, Co-Founder of WIPP
In 1999 the Charlotte Women Business Owners’ Association became a chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). One of the drivers was to be part of NAWBO’s organized influence on legislation affecting small business.
From the beginning, NAWBO has followed political activity and has had major influence on decision makers at both the state and national levels of government. When elected officials and legislative staff conduct hearings and seek input from citizens, NAWBO is always present. In 1988, NAWBO was instrumental in the enactment of the Women’s Business Ownership Act (H.R.5050) which implemented these key changes:
- Elimination of any existing state laws that required women to have a male relative co-sign a business loan
- U.S. Census Bureau required to count all women-owned firms
- Establishment of the Women's Business Center program, funding local resource centers across the country
- Creation of the National Women's Business Council, a body of women entrepreneurs
and organizations that advises the President and Congress
Annually, NAWBO hosts Public Policy Days, an opportunity for members to learn about pending legislation sure to affect their businesses. Always held in our nation’s capitol, attendees are informed about current issues. Elected and government officials address the group offering in depth reviews of critical issues culminating in the participants visiting their congressional leaders. Welcomed by their Representatives and Senators, NAWBO members review the issues with emphasis on how the legislation will impact their business. Hearing from one of their constituents carries more impact than any other messenger.
NAWBO supports the five percent Federal procurement goal for women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) and opposes the Small Business Administration’s recent proposed rule that the set-aside program be applied in only four of the 2,300 NAICS industry categories
NAWBO supports increasing contract opportunities for women by holding federal agencies accountable when they fail to meet these goals. NAWBO also opposes contract bundling, the Federal government’s policy of consolidating its purchases of unrelated goods and services into a single large contract. Bundling limits the opportunities for small business to effectively compete, thereby restricting competition and increasing the overall cost of goods and services to the federal government.
Health care is a very important issue for NAWBO members. The results of the 2008 NAWBO Public Policy Survey show that health care is second only to the economy as an issue affecting our members’ businesses and their votes. In this critical time NAWBO wants to be part of the dialogue on health care reform.
NAWBO supports legislation that will make health insurance more affordable for women business owners and their employees. NAWBO will consider and support, as appropriate, federal and state legislation designed to address the rising cost of health insurance by lowering premiums or creating tax incentives that make the purchase of health insurance more affordable for small business owners.
NAWBO supports fair and equitable tax policy for large and small businesses that fosters the economic growth of women-owned and other small businesses. Legislation should be enacted to ensure tax equity and basic fairness for all forms of small businesses. The privilege of deducting legitimate business expenses should no longer be based upon the entity chosen to operate the business.
Terry Neese is Co-founder of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) a national bi-partisan public policy organization representing more than 550,000 women in business and women business owners nationwide. Visit www.wipp.org to read WIPP’s bipartisan policy statement. Members of NAWBO are automatically members of WIPP. Some of the current issues that WIPP is tracking include Small Business Tax Reform, the SBA’s proposed Women Procurement Rule and The Small Business Health Options Program Act of 2008. Please consider the impact of these issues on your ability to compete for employees and on the profitability of your business and answer the call from Terry Neese: If you run a business and are not involved in politics; then politics will run your business...
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