SHEPHERDSTOWN – A group of West Virginia small businesses launched a coalition Tuesday to call on Sen. Joe Manchin to support a piece of federal legislation that is facing a roadblock in the senate.
The West Virginia Small Business for Democracy Coalition is comprised of more than 100 small businesses in the state. The intention of the coalition is to urge Manchin to vote to pass the For the People Act.
The timing of these small businesses is notable, as they officially launched their coalition the same day as an initial procedural vote on the bill in the senate and as Manchin’s statements on the bill continue to make national headlines.
The For the People Act of 2019, otherwise known as H.R.1, federally addresses voter access, election integrity, election security, political spending and ethics for the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government. The bill expands voter registration and voting access and limits removing voters from voter rolls.
More specifically, the bill provides for states to establish independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions; sets forth provisions related to election security; addresses campaign spending; establishes an alternative campaign funding system for select federal offices; requires a code of ethics for federal judges and justices; establishes additional conflict-of-interest and ethics provisions for federal employees and the White House, and requires candidates for president and vice president to submit 10 years of tax returns.
In an op-ed written earlier this month, Manchin said he would be voting against the For the People Act, claiming the bill attempts to tackle voting and election reform in a partisan manner that will further preexisting partisan divisions.
Last week, it was reported by The Washington Post that a memo produced by Manchin’s office outlined the senator’s apparent willingness to support crucial alterations to the For the People Act, although his memo outlined several changes that Democrats have historically opposed.
After the launching of the coalition, several small business leaders in the state spoke to why it is so important to small businesses that the For the People Act be passed.
Michael McClintock, owner of Mozark Mountain Works in Hendricks, prefaced with his own backstory. McClintock moved to Tucker County from Manhattan many years ago and has since started three small businesses in the area.
“I can say that entrepreneurship is alive and well in West Virginia,” he said.
Over time, he said, it seems as though we have all lost sight of the entrepreneurial spirit the country was founded on as corporate attitudes have taken over. The For the People Act addresses this issue and gives a voice back to diverse small businesses.
The bill is gaining support in what McClintock referred to as a polarized landscape, which is a good thing – now the whole country is looking to West Virginia and Arizona, waiting to see how their state leaders will proceed.
“[The For the People Act] is essential,” he said.
Jan Hafer owns and operates Evolve Shepherdstown. She believes the role of small business owners and their newly formed coalition is to convince Manchin to see things through.
Hafer’s initiative is a pop-up shop that supports other small businesses. Hafer owns a space that she rents out to new business owners who are unsure if they’re ready to commit to owning a small business entirely. After their time is up in Hafer’s space, those other small business owners take themselves to the finish line.
Hafer wants Manchin to reach the finish line, too.
Hafer’s business barely survived the COVID-19 pandemic, as her business wasn’t awarded the Paycheck Protection Program assistance that supported many other businesses through the pandemic.
“We don’t seem to get the support we need,” Hafer said.
She said right now, small businesses have a small voice – the For the People Act could help give them a bigger, louder one.
Martha Ehlman opened Tenfold Fair Trade Collection in Harpers Ferry over a decade ago in 2009. She recalled struggling to decide between her day job and her small business then.
She also recalled her reaction to the Citizens United decision and going into her boss’ office to talk about how the decision would change democracy.
Ehlman’s business is rooted in lifting up marginalized people and amplifying their voices. The West Virginia Small Business for Democracy Coalition functions similarly.
Ehlman supports the For the People Act because she said it presents an opportunity to completely overhaul a corrupt political state.
“I’m tired of corporate corruption, dark money and special interests drowning out our voices,” she said.
She said she knows it’s difficult, but she would appreciate Manchin hearing the coalition out and valuing his constituents over his bank account.
Jeanne Peters, owner of Jewelry Buyers of Vienna in Parkersburg, is tired of small business owners’ voices being drowned out by the megaphones of big corporations. She is tired of the seeming impossibility of a level playing field as a result of dark money.
The For the People Act represents the nation’s best chance of ridding itself of dark money before smaller voices are silenced altogether, affecting half of all Americans, who are employed by small businesses, she said.
Peters said it’s time for legislative bodies to reflect everyone, not just rich white people.
To Peters, voting is a right and a responsibility, not a privilege. This bill would ensure that United States residents are able to vote without needless instructions.
Peters said the Jan. 6 insurrection at the nation’s capital shook her to her core and made her realize the fragility of our democracy. She believes the For the People Act would preserve that democracy.
“Sen. Manchin, I know you and I’m personally imploring you to do whatever it takes to pass the For the People Act,” Peters said.
According to a Tuesday press release on the topic, Manchin made a statement regarding his vote.
He said he has worked for the past month to eliminate the provisions of the For the People Act that he does not support. He has been able to find common ground among Democratic colleagues on an updated version of the bill that ensures the fairness, security and accessibility of elections.
“Today I will vote ‘YES’ to move to debate this voting legislation as a substitute amendment to ensure every eligible voter is able to cast their ballot and participate in our great democracy,” he said.
Manchin said the compromise legislation makes it easier to vote by expanding voter access through early voting and vote by mail for those eligible and unable to vote in person. The bill has been modified to include voter identification requirements that seek to strengthen the security of elections without making it more difficult for voters.
Finally, the proposed “commonsense” compromise aims to end dark money and increase campaign funding transparency by requiring the disclosure of donors contributing $10,000 or more.
“These reasonable changes have moved the bill forward and to a place worth of debate on the Senate floor. This process would allow both Republicans and Democrats to offer amendments to further change the bill,” Manchin said.
“Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues refused to allow debate of this legislation despite the reasonable changes made to focus the bill on the core issues facing our democracy. As I have said before, the right to vote is fundamental to our American democracy and protecting that right should not be about party or politics. I remain committed to finding a bipartisan pathway forward because the future of our democracy is worth it.”
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