NFIB, a national small business advocacy group, has started a new advertising campaign in Virginia. The effort includes radio, newspaper, and digital ads that urge the General Assembly to avoid passing measures that could raise costs or add mandates for small businesses.
The campaign points Virginians to ProtectVirginiaSmallBusiness.org. The website provides information about legislative issues being discussed in Richmond and allows users to contact their lawmakers.
Julia Hammond, NFIB State Director, explained the motivation behind the campaign: “Small businesses are already dealing with high prices and economic uncertainty. Now, lawmakers are debating proposals that would raise costs, limit flexibility, and make it harder for Main Street businesses to survive and grow. This campaign is about reminding legislators that their decisions have real consequences for local employers and the communities they serve.”
During this session of the General Assembly, NFIB is focusing on several main topics:
– Preserving Right-to-Work: The organization says Virginia’s right-to-work law protects worker choice by preventing forced union membership as a condition of employment. According to NFIB, repealing this law could reduce workplace flexibility and discourage job creation among Virginia’s more than 880,000 small businesses.
– Energy Costs: Lawmakers are considering expanding a carbon trading program that would require power producers to buy carbon allowances through state auctions. NFIB argues these costs would likely be passed on to consumers via higher electricity bills, which would affect many small businesses dependent on affordable energy.
– One-Size-Fits-All Mandates: Small business owners are asking legislators not to introduce new regulations that apply equally across all workplaces without room for flexibility. They argue such rules can increase paperwork and compliance expenses while also raising legal risks for employers.
Hammond added: “The policies being debated in Richmond may sound abstract, but for small business owners they mean higher costs, fewer jobs, and less opportunity. Virginia’s lawmakers should be working with small businesses, not against them.”
NFIB describes itself as an organization driven by its members and focused on representing small and independent businesses across the country.
