Husted speaks with biz owners at Upper roundtable

By BRIAN HEMMINGER

City editor

Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) hosted a roundtable with small business owners and entrepreneurs Tuesday afternoon in Upper Sandusky, highlighting National Small Business Week and discussing his efforts in the U.S. Senate to support Ohio’s job creators.

“Ohio’s 1.1 million small businesses employ more than 2.2 million people and are the backbone of our economy,” Husted said. “Conversations with small business owners in Upper Sandusky made clear that when small businesses succeed, Ohio succeeds. I’ll continue fighting in the Senate to cut taxes and give our small businesses the freedom to grow, hire and compete.” 

During the roundtable, Husted was asked about challenges facing local businesses including dealing with regulations, childcare, health care, energy costs and more. Husted said it’s hard to get people to compromise, especially because it often takes 60 votes to get anything passed in the U.S. Senate due to the filibuster rules.

“Our nation has seen tougher times than this,” Husted said.

Husted listed multiple times the United States has dealt with struggles, including the Great Depression.

After the roundtable, Husted spoke with the local media, discussing some of the core issues he’s been hearing while traveling around the state.

“It’s always very important to hear what’s going on with small businesses in places like Upper Sandusky,” Husted said. “You want to hear what’s on people’s minds. The No. 1 issue today is they have a lot of work and they can’t find enough employees to do it. That’s a very important thing to know. We’ve got to continue to help our career centers, our trade schools produce the talent we need. We need to reform our welfare system to encourage people to go to work, which is what I’m trying to do with the Upward Mobility Act. We need to help working families, and we did that with incentives for employers to have work-based childcare. There’s a $2,200 per child tax credit to help working families afford to raise their kids. All of those things are important to small businesses. They’re things that are on my agenda and things I’m trying to help people of Ohio get ahead.”

Husted said causes of the worker shortage include an aging population, low birth rates and the fact that the federal government has cracked down on illegal immigration.

“That’s created a tightening of the labor force,” Husted said. “There are fewer people out there looking for work and it forces companies to be more competitive, which is good news for workers.”

Husted said he supports key legislation to deliver relief and expand opportunities for small businesses across Ohio.

In July, Husted supported the One Big Beautiful Bill, which included the following provisions:

— Making the 20% business tax deduction permanent, which Husted said should deliver $4,600 in average tax relief to 8 million entrepreneurs around the country.

— Doubling the small business expensing limits for new investments in machinery, equipment and software.

— A $7,000 tax cut for 12 million small business owners.

— Cutting some taxes on tips and overtime.

Husted also is working on legislation in the Senate to expand access to capital, reduce regulatory burdens and help small businesses compete in a modern economy. The legislation includes:

— Made in America Manufacturing Financing Act. This bill would expand access to growth capital for small U.S.-based manufacturers.

— Investing in All of America Act. This bill would expand access to capital for small businesses in rural and low-income communities, as well as those in the manufacturing and critical technology sectors. The Senate and House have passed the Investing in All of America Act, and it will be signed into law by the President.

— AI for Mainstreet Act. This bill would provide training, guidance and support to American small businesses looking to implement artificial intelligence into their businesses.

— Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act. This bill would eliminate the requirement for small businesses to report beneficial ownership information to the U.S. Treasury Department.

Husted ran unopposed for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Ohio’s primary Tuesday. He will face former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who won the Democrat Party’s nomination.