The Mississippi office of NFIB, the state’s leading small business advocacy organization has presented its coveted Guardian of Small Business award to Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn and state Senator Nicole Boyd. 

Gunn represents the 56h House District, which consists of Hinds and Madison Counties. Boyd represents the 9th Senate District, which is comprised of Layfette and Panola counties.

The Guardian of Small Business award is the most prestigious honor that the National Federation of Independent Business bestows on legislators in recognition of their efforts to support small businesses. The NFIB Mississippi Leadership Council, an advisory board comprised of NFIB members, voted to present the award to the legislators for their outstanding leadership on small business issues.

“The pandemic has taken a terrific toll on Mississippi’s economy in general and on small businesses in particular,” NFIB State Director Dawn Starns said. “Shops, restaurants, and other establishes had to change how they do things, and some businesses that planned to close temporarily have ended up closing for good.

“Speaker Gunn and Senator Boyd understand the challenges facing Mississippi’s small business community and worked to pass Senate Bill 3049, a measure to protect small businesses and other organizations from frivolous lawsuits seeking to capitalize on the pandemic,” Starns said.

“On behalf of our members, I am proud to present this award to Speaker Gunn and Senator Boyd,” she said.