By Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul

One of our priorities since joining the State Assembly this year has been to help small businesses thrive.

Our Main Street businesses are the backbone of the local economy. They contribute to the quality of life of local residents and give towns their personality. That’s especially true along the Jersey Shore, where summer tourism has been an integral part of the economy for more than 150 years. Here, food establishments and bars are often the heart of downtown business districts. 

Those businesses along with other small businesses serve as magnets that attract customers visiting the area. They complement each to create a robust entertainment climate. There have been various changes in the law designed to help food establishments and bars survive the financial hit they took during the COVID-19 pandemic. One example is from our LD11 legislative partner Senator Vin Gopal’s successful bipartisan effort to change the law removing some of the restrictions on craft breweries and distilleries to help them grow and succeed. 

In Bradley Beach we met with local business leaders to learn about how they built a thriving Main Street business community around the synergy between popular restaurants and a variety of unique retail shops. Business owners from the Bradley Beach Business & Community Alliance along with local government leaders shared their opinions and concerns which provided valuable lessons learned from Bradley Beach’s success.

While visiting the Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park, we had a chance to meet people driving another growing New Jersey industry - filmmaking. Monmouth County remains a popular location to make movies. Coupled with Netflix opening a major studio in the former Fort Monmouth, the movie business will provide hundreds of jobs for Monmouth County residents, including the talented local film artists and actors we met during the festival.

During a visit to the Eatontown Industrial Park Association last week we had the opportunity to hear the concerns of business owners and talk about some of the legislation we are pursuing to support local businesses. We learned valuable information about the borough’s diverse businesses and met with association members as well as representatives of the Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce and Eatontown Mayor Anthony Talerico Jr.

 Assemblywoman Donlon, who serves on the Assembly Gaming, Tourism & the Arts Committee, also attended the groundbreaking for Caesars Entertainment Inc. Sportsbook at Monmouth Park Racetrack, another jobs generator as the track continues to find innovative ways to reinvent itself as a broader entertainment venue.

It is also gratifying to announce that on May 1 the governor signed legislation sponsored by Assemblywoman Peterpaul, who serves on the Assembly Commerce, Economic  Development & Agriculture Committee. The legislation permits businesses with a majority owner who identifies as LGBTQ+ to apply for certification. Certification will allow the business to be eligible to participate in pursuing contractual opportunities at the federal and state level along with the private sector. This bi-partisan legislation codifies a 2022 executive order directing the Treasury to establish a certification for LGBTQ+-Owned Businesses. That executive order expires at the end of this month. 

As of May 1, Treasury has certified 141 LBGTQ+ businesses across the state. LGBTQ+ business owners contribute over $1 trillion to the U.S. economy but still face obstacles for growth. Certification, which is free of charge, expands access to contracting opportunities with the state government and enhances opportunities for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs to connect with customers and one another. 

Certification will promote economic growth with inclusivity, equity, and equality. LGBTQ+ certification parallels the support that the state has extended to minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned enterprises, offering equal footing for growth and access to vital resources.

Assemblywoman Peterpaul also has proposed an assembly resolution to designate June 2024 as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in New Jersey.

When we support diversity in downtown business communities, we improve their chances of success and make New Jersey more affordable, fairer and more fun. 

We all benefit.