By Bob Katzen
From the Massachusetts The Political Almanac: NFIB is the nation’s leading small-business advocacy association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business and in supporting America’s free enterprise system through their member-only ballot process. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of its members to own, operate and grow their businesses.
“We represent all types of businesses such as auto shops, retail stores, restaurants and manufacturers—all of them small and independently owned,” said Christopher Carlozzi, State Director. “We poll our members on issues that arise in the Legislature and we use that to determine the positions we take supporting or opposing legislation. Then we tell their stories and become their voice here on Beacon Hill, because many people, including lawmakers, don’t realize what it takes to run a small business.”
Key to rating: NFIB tracks the key legislative issues identified by small business members every session and then tabulates a score for each Massachusetts legislator. The NFIB voting record provides a critically important evaluation of a legislator’s attitude toward small business based on floor votes.
More details on the scorecard are at