A state bipartisan campaign, aimed at giving more representation to small business owners in the Indiana General Assembly, will make its way to Muncie on Thursday.
The Indiana General Assembly Small Business Caucus will open discussion to local business owners and other attendees at Mursix Corporation beginning at 8 a.m.
“The Small Business Caucus of the Indiana General Assembly was formed this past session to give the small business community a bigger voice in what goes on at the general assembly,” said John Schorg, media relations director for the Indiana House Democrats.
According to the Small Business Association’s website, small businesses make up more than 97 percent of Indiana business.
The SBA defines “small business” as a company that has fewer than 500 employees.
The caucus is made up of State Reps. Terri J. Austin (D-Anderson), Tom Dermody (R-LaPorte), State Sens. Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) and Carlin Yoder (R-Middlebury).
The town hall discussion will allow small business owners to give their input to the caucus.
According to a news release from the IGA, the topics discussed will focus on the role government can play in helping small businesses run easier with an emphasis on areas such as regulatory reform and higher education levels within the workforce.
“It’s mostly along the lines of what kind of role government can play in helping small businesses grow and streamline their operations and help them be job creation engines,” Schorg said. “It’s as much listening as talking, so it’s more of a give and take, what are you looking for, what can we do to help you.”
The caucus’ town hall tour started at the beginning of August and will run through the middle of this month, Schorg said.
“One of the first steps they wanted to take was to go around the state and have town halls on the local level where they can meet with businessmen and discuss the kinds of concerns they had about what the legislature can do to help them with job creation, job retention and those kinds of things,” Schorg said.
Past meetings have been in LaPorte, Bloomington, Greenfield, Ft. Wayne, Lafayette and will soon be in Anderson after Muncie.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and we must work together to strengthen Indiana,” Dermody said in a news release by the IGA.
