Leading small business group gives O'Mara highest rating: Past recipient of ‘Guardian of Small Business Award,’ O’Mara continues as a steady voice for small business

Elmira, N.Y., August 15—New York’s leading small business association, the National Federation of Independent Business of New York (NFIB/NY), has given State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I-Big Flats) a 100% rating on its 2021-2022 legislative review of how state legislators addressed priority issues for small business owners across New York.

O’Mara received the grade as part of the organization’s roundup of state legislative actions during the 2021-2022 legislative session that were identified as priority issues by small business owners across New York. He is one of only 13 state senators to score 100% on the NFIB/NY ratings.

The NFIB/NY “Voting Record” can be viewed online at http://www.nfib.com/new-york/.

O’Mara, a previous recipient of NFIB/NY’s “Guardian of Small Business Award,” represents New York’s 58th Senate District (Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Yates counties, and a portion of Tompkins County).  As a result of redistricting and following this November’s elections, O’Mara’s 58^th District will be comprised of all of Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, and Yates counties, and a portion of Allegany County.

O’Mara said, “I take great pride in being a strong and steady voice in the state Legislature for our small, independent businessmen and businesswomen. Small business is the economic lifeline for thousands of local workers.  The surest way to revitalize upstate communities is through private-sector, manufacturing, small business job creation. I’m grateful for this recognition of my commitment to a future of economic development and job creation.  Priority number one now will be to stay focused on the upstate economy, upstate jobs, and the long-term economic rebuilding, recovery and security of upstate workers and their families.  That means supporting policies and programs that strengthen our small businesses.”

NFIB’s New York State  Director Ashley Ranslow said, “Our voting record is meant to show our members and the small business community whether their legislators support New York’s job creators and our local economies, and this year’s report shows far too many of them do not. Two hundred and thirteen lawmakers sit in the New York Assembly and Senate, and a majority of them opposed the small business position at least half of the time as small businesses continue to face unprecedented challenges and economic uncertainty.

“The latest national NFIB Optimism Index data show the number of small business owners expecting conditions to improve in the next six months is the lowest it’s been since the 1970s, and we’re looking to the state legislature to step up and support Main Street businesses in New York on issues like crushing and unfair pandemic-induced hikes in UI taxes and suffocating overregulation.”

Ranslow continued, “On behalf of our thousands of members and struggling small business owners across the Empire State, I want to sincerely thank the legislators who time and again backed their words with action, voting in support of homegrown job creation every opportunity available to them.”