Expert: Health bill would kill small business

A voice for small business says the health care reform bill currently before the U.S. House of Representatives would devastate Arizona if it becomes law.

Farrell Quinlan, state head of the National Federation of Independent Business, said the bill is loaded with mandates.

One would require employers to offer health care to full- and part-time workers, "regardless of whether a company can afford it, regardless of the fact that they'll have to let people go in order to keep this mandate," Quinlan said.

"If you don't (offer health care), there's an 8 percent surcharge on your payroll," he added.

He said that applies to companies with a payroll of $500,000 or more, about 10 to 20 workers, and that small businesses could be forced to cut employees to meet that mandate.

"It's a job killer," Quinlan said of the bill, expected to be put to a House vote in the next few days. "It really could be the thing that snuffs out the recovery that we're seeing."

About half of the nation's unemployed are small business owners and the people who work for them, said Quinlan.

He said the House bill, if it becomes law, would have a devastating effect on Arizona.

"For us to have any hope of sustaining a balanced budget at the state level and have any growth in our economy, we need to make sure we don't put any further burdens -- either by regulation or by tax -- on the engines of our recovery, which is small business," Quinlan said.

He agreed something needs to be done about health care. He said health insurance has been the top problem facing small businesses for more than 20 years.