Brad Jones
National Federation of Independent Business
To the editor:
As the voice of small business in Missouri, the National Federation of Independent Business is committed to serving the needs of its members across the state. One of our key priorities is curbing frivolous lawsuits that create a climate of fear for America’s small businesses. Some claims are legitimate, but many are without merit.
Because lawsuit abuse is such a concern for NFIB members, we have joined with more than 20 other Missouri businesses and associations to support commonsense legal reform that is currently stuck in the House. We call ourselves the Missouri Justice Alliance, and we support House Bill 2241.
There is a terrible misconception that small business owners are rich, but I can assure you that is not the case. There’s no stash of cash hidden in the closet to bail out a family business in the event of a costly lawsuit. Often, the thought of attorney fees alone is overwhelming for a small business.
Roughly 90 percent of employers in Missouri have fewer than 25 employees, meaning the vast majority of businesses in this state are small. In the blink of an eye, any of these businesses could become the subject of a crippling lawsuit unless we have the good sense to reform the laws before it’s too late.
This isn’t just a problem for business owners. Small business accounts for 98 percent of all employer firms in the state of Missouri and employs about half of the state’s workforce. When Missouri’s small businesses are hurt, so are Missouri’s working families.
The Missouri House has the chance to make sure no small business owner has to fear losing everything he or she has worked for due to a frivolous lawsuit. We’re asking everyone to please support the state’s small businesses by calling or writing their legislators before the House adjourns on May 16 and asking them to pass HB 2241.
Brad Jones is the state director of the National Federation of Independent Business in Jefferson City.
