Small Businesses, Workers Benefit from Supreme Court Ruling on DOMA
Statement by John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority, on today̢???s Supreme Court decision ruling the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional
Today's Supreme Court decision is good news for American small businesses, workers and the economy. Small employers support policies and laws that maximize their ability to attract and retain quality workers and help them grow their businesses. Laws such as the Defense of Marriage Act that require small employers to treat some employees differently introduce inefficiencies that cut into profits and undermine small businesses' bottom lines.
According to scientific polling released by Small Business Majority, most small business owners oppose provisions of DOMA, the federal law struck down today, which required employers to treat married same-sex couples as unmarried for benefit and payroll purposes. Nearly seven in 10 think the law hurts small businesses. What's more, entrepreneurs believe there should be federal and state laws to prohibit all employment discrimination against gay and transgender people, and that employers should not be able to fire or refuse to hire someone who is gay, lesbian or transgender based on the employer's religious beliefs. In fact, a majority of small employers believe such laws already existed.
Implementing non-discrimination laws across the board that allow employers to treat all people equally, regardless of sexual orientation, will help small businesses retain quality employees and free them from extra administrative burdens they now face. It is time for Congress to build upon today's Supreme Court's ruling by passing workplace protections for all workers. It's the smart, and right thing to do for small businesses, their employees and our country.
About Small Business Majority
Small Business Majority is a national small business advocacy organization, founded and run by small business owners to focus on solving the biggest problems facing America's 28 million small businesses today. Since 2005, we have actively engaged small business owners and policymakers in support of public policy solutions, and have delivered information and resources to entrepreneurs that promote small business growth and drive a strong, sustainable economy. We are a team of more than 30 working from our 11 offices in Washington, D.C. and 9 states, with a network of more than 45,000 small business owners and more than 2,000 business organizations, along with a formal strategic partnership program of more than 125 business organizations, enabling us to reach more than 500,000 entrepreneurs. Our extensive scientific polling, focus groups and economic research help us educate and inform policymakers, the media and other stakeholders about issues including taxes, healthcare, access to capital, entrepreneurship, workforce development, clean energy and immigration. Learn more about us on our website and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.