AR170

An Assembly Resolution urging all New Jersey residents to patronize small businesses once the COVID-19 pandemic has concluded.

Whereas, There are more than 860,000 small businesses operating in New Jersey, which employ an estimated 1.8 million individuals in this State; and

Whereas, These small businesses are the backbone of New Jersey’s economy, providing services and employment to individuals throughout the State in such varied industries as finance, health care, the arts, real estate, food and restaurant, and retail, among many others; and

Whereas, On January 31, 2020, the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services declared the outbreak of a novel coronavirus, abbreviated as COVID-19, as a public health emergency for the United States; and

Whereas, COVID-19 is a contagious, and at times fatal, respiratory disease that can spread from person to person via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes; and

Whereas, On March 9, 2020, Governor Murphy declared a State of Emergency and a Public Health Emergency to address the COVID-19 pandemic in this State; and

Whereas, On March 21, 2020, Governor Murphy announced Executive Order No. 107, which closed all non-essential retail businesses and directed all New Jersey residents to stay at home to mitigate the impact and spread of COVID-19; and

Whereas, Due to this Executive Order closing all non-essential retail businesses and directing all New Jersey residents to stay at home, small businesses throughout this State face enormous economic pressure; and

Whereas, According to a March 2020 survey conducted by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic 73 percent of businesses reported a significant loss of revenue and over half of these businesses anticipate temporary layoffs if they do not receive financial support within the next three months; and

Whereas, The COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen, for the week ending March 21, 2020, nearly 156,000 New Jersey workers filed for unemployment insurance, which is a 1,546 percent increase in unemployment claims from the previous week; and

Whereas, Small businesses are locally owned and operated by our hardworking family members, our friends, and our neighbors, who need the patronage of all New Jersey residents to financially recover once the COVID-19 pandemic has concluded; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The residents of the State of New Jersey are urged to patronize small businesses once the COVID-19 pandemic has concluded.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Governor of New Jersey, the Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey, and the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

STATEMENT

This resolution urges all New Jersey residents to patronize small businesses once the COVID-19 pandemic has concluded.

There are over 860,000 small businesses operating in New Jersey, which employ an estimated 1.8 million individuals in this State. These small businesses are the backbone of New Jersey’s economy, providing services and employment to individuals throughout the State in such varied industries as finance, health care, the arts, real estate, food and restaurant, and retail, among many others.

On January 31, 2020, the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services declared the outbreak of a novel coronavirus, abbreviated as COVID-19, as a public health emergency for the United States. COVID-19 is a contagious, and at times fatal, respiratory disease that can spread from person to person via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. On March 9, 2020, Governor Murphy declared a State of Emergency and a Public Health Emergency to address the COVID-19 pandemic in this State.

On March 21, 2020, Governor Murphy announced Executive Order No. 107, which closed all non-essential retail businesses and directed all New Jersey residents to stay at home to mitigate the impact and spread of COVID-19. As a result of this Executive Order closing all non-essential retail businesses and directing all New Jersey residents to stay at home, small businesses throughout this State face enormous economic pressure.

According to a March 2020 survey conducted by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic 73 percent of businesses reported a significant loss of revenue and over half of these businesses anticipate temporary layoffs if they do not receive financial support within the next three months. Furthermore, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen, for the week ending March 21, 2020, nearly 156,000 New Jersey workers filed for unemployment insurance, which is a 1,546 percent increase in unemployment claims from the previous week.

Small businesses are locally owned and operated by our hardworking family members, our friends, and our neighbors, who need the patronage of all New Jersey residents to financially recover once the COVID-19 pandemic has concluded.