Guest Columnist Sen. Jim Risch: Keeping Idaho’s Local Gems Strong

National Small Business Week is a celebration of something we in Idaho know all too well: small businesses aren’t just part of our state’s economy; they are the economy.

We are home to more than 207,000 small businesses, which make up over 99% of all Gem State companies and employ hundreds of thousands of hardworking Idahoans.

Supporting small businesses has been a top priority of mine throughout my time in public service. As a rancher and small business owner, I know firsthand the challenges local entrepreneurs face. These experiences have shaped my work in Washington, D.C., particularly through my service as a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

During my chairmanship and time on the committee, I have advanced dozens of reforms that expand opportunities for the Main Street businesses that power the Gem State. I’ve introduced legislation to foster economic investment in emerging businesses, help them pursue federal contracts, and protect their access to the capital they need to succeed.

Last year, I worked alongside my Senate colleagues to pass the Working Families Tax Cuts that delivered important victories for Idahoans and small businesses.

Among its provisions, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act made permanent the 20% tax deduction for Idaho’s more than 41,000 pass-through businesses, allowing them to reinvest more in their operations and workforce. The Act, now law, also increased entrepreneurs’ ability to conduct research and development, rolled back costly federal regulations, and modernized critical safety net programs for our farmers and ranchers.

As I’ve traveled across Idaho, I’ve stopped at countless local restaurants, mom-and-pop shops, and rural businesses that are the epicenter of their communities. Those visits inspired two major initiatives: my Small Business of the Month program and Support Local Gems. Both efforts encourage Idahoans to shop locally, boost our economy, and recognize the small businesses that make Idaho, Idaho.

Each Main Street storefront, local employer, and entrepreneur forms the backbone of Idaho’s economy and our quality of life. They are our friends and neighbors, provide invaluable goods and services, and epitomize what makes our state great. As we celebrate National Small Business Week, I encourage everyone to show their support for these dedicated Idahoans who make our state and communities thrive.

I am honored to fight for them and you in Washington, D.C., and advance policies that keep Idaho the best state to live, work, and raise a family.

U.S. Senator Jim Risch represents the people of Idaho in Congress.