Action Center
When healthcare and prescription drug costs continue to rise, employers must either absorb those or pass them on to their employees. And with drug prices continuing to rise, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to purchase life saving medications for myself, my employees and their families. In fact, between 2015 and 2019, the average increase in the annual cost of prescription drugs rose by 26.3% for Virginians. That’s why it’s important for Virginia legislators to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB), which would give third party, nonpartisan medical experts the power to review and set cost limits on certain drugs. A PDAB would help address the cost of prescription drugs that businesses–and our employees–struggle to afford.
Currently the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA) requires that consumer creditors disclose critical financing information, including annual percentage rate (APR), in a clear and comparable format. However, Congress has yet to extend these disclosure requirements to small business loans and other credit products, which means small businesses are vulnerable to irresponsible lenders. As small businesses recover from the pandemic, it should go without saying that transparent lending shouldn’t be up for debate. Small businesses deserve to safely shop for capital without being concerned about exorbitant APR and unfair or opaque loan terms.
A paid family and medical leave program in Georgia would allow small business owners and their employees to contribute to an insurance pool that would help provide access to paid leave when employees need time to care for their families. At the same time, it would help small businesses compete with larger employers that can afford to offer paid family and medical leave on their own. What’s more, these programs find strong support among the small business community. We urge lawmakers to move forward and pass a paid family and medical leave program in 2025.
Small Business Majority maintains a story bank that chronicles the personal experiences of small business owners across the United States. In today’s world, entrepreneurs like you often make tough decisions affecting their bottom line, and we want to hear about them. We are committed to ensuring your voice is heard by policymakers on some of the most important issues affecting small businesses so we can advocate on your behalf. To tell us your story, please fill out this form and we’ll be in touch.