Rep. Buys receives NFIB honor for helping small business

Rep. Vincent Buys, R-Lynden, has earned the National Federation of Independent Business' (NFIB) 2014 “Guardian of Small Business Award.” The awards were given in recognition of legislators' business-friendly votes during the 2013-14 legislative sessions.

“I'm proud of the work we accomplished in defense of small business in Washington state,” said Buys. “Though we still face challenges, I look forward to working with my House and Senate colleagues so that we can help create more jobs and improve Washington's business climate.”

State House members' voting records were tracked on 10 key votes during the two-year legislative cycle, and had to receive a score of 80 percent or higher to qualify for the award. Buys was one of 31 representatives to receive a perfect, 100-percent score. A full list of recipients and their voting records can be seen here.

Patrick Connor, NFIB's Washington state director, applauded Buys' dedication to finding solutions to the obstacles Washington's small businesses face.

“As a home builder, Representative Vincent Buys knows the high cost and lost time that excessive regulation and high taxes place on small businesses.  He uses that experience to help inform and educate fellow lawmakers, far too many of whom have only ever cashed a paycheck, never actually creating them as Representative Buys has,” said Connor.  “This understanding of what it takes for entrepreneurs to succeed – often against the odds – shows in his perfect voting record supporting small business, and in his impassioned defense of free enterprise on the floor of the state House.”

NFIB has more than 8,000 Washington members and 60 percent of those are made up of five or fewer employees. According to NFIB, there are 546,885 small businesses as of 2010.

The 2014 legislative session ended March 13. The 2015 session will begin January 12.

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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov