LARAMIE (WNE) — America’s largest and leading small-business association issued its biennial voting records recently and applauded Wyoming lawmakers for being “true friends of Main Street enterprises in the legislative session that just passed.” 

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) grades legislators every two years in states across the nation. 

They most recently graded Wyoming lawmakers on seven issues that passed in both chambers of the Wyoming Legislature and were signed into law by Gov. Mark Gordon. 

“Wyoming was blessed to have the state legislators it did for these past two years,” said Tony Gagliardi, Wyoming state director for the NFIB. “They fundamentally understood that a pandemic-era economy is not the time to raise taxes or promulgate new regulations, but instead a time to see what could be done to help small businesses remain solvent. 

“In addition to battling every COVID-related difficulty still with us, Main Street enterprises are now contending with inflation, supply-chain disruptions, worker shortages and soaring gas prices.” 

Gagliardi said in a statement that no senator or representative had a lower score than 57%; 31 had 100% pro-small-business voting records, and everyone else was in between. 

He said this is phenomenal and has made him the envy of a few of his counterparts in the state.  He hopes the 2023-24 Legislature can do it again. The seven key issues considered important in supporting small businesses related to COVID-19, food freedom, student learner agreements, occupational licensing and property tax reporting and exemption.