Andrew Markowski, NFIB/Connecticut State Director (left); Senator Dan Debicella, R-21 (center; Rick Willard of Griswold, Willard & Strong, LLC, and Chairman of the NFIB/Connecticut Leadership Council.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) has presented its prestigious Guardian of Small Business award to State Senator Dan Debicella (R-21).

“Senator Debicella has been a consistent supporter of small business in Connecticut,” said Andrew Markowski, NFIB/Connecticut State Director. “Whether promoting legislation that will help create jobs, or working with local businesses in his district, Dan Debicella is always there for the small business community.”

Markowski cited Debicella’s landmark 2007 legislation that gives tax credits to corporations that create ten or more jobs in Connecticut, and his work this year to extend that to any business that creates even one job in Connecticut. He also noted Debicella’s opposition to bills that would have hurt small businesses and cost Connecticut jobs, including raising the state’s minimum wage and imposing new state mandates on employers, including a requirement for paid employee sick days.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses is Connecticut’s and the nation’s leading small business advocacy association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of its members to own, operate and grow their businesses.

“Small business is the engine that drives economic growth, and will lead us out of this recession,” said Debicella. “I am proud to continue to fight for both small business owners and for all the employees that work for them. Receiving this award is a tremendous honor for me.”

“Ensuring that our state laws and policies encourage small businesses to flourish in Connecticut needs to be a priority for the legislature. As someone who has managed a small business, I understand how difficult it is be an entrepreneur and I have all the respect in the world for their contributions to our economy,” said Senator Debicella.

Debicella is in his second term in the legislature, and serves as Deputy Minority Leader. He is the Ranking Member on the Appropriations, Public Health, and Higher Education Committees. He represents the towns of Stratford, Shelton, Monroe, and Seymour.

Markowski presented the award, which is a statuette of a Minuteman, on March 25. “The Minuteman symbolizes the defense of freedom, dating back to America’s Revolutionary War. Today, Senator Debicella continues to defend economic freedom for small businesses here in Connecticut,” said Markowski.