LITTLE ROCK - Former U.S. Attorney and candidate for the U.S. Senate, Conner Eldridge and Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota visited North Little Rock this morning and hosted a round-table discussion with small business and community leaders from the Central Arkansas area. The discussion, which took place at Mug's Cafe in historic downtown North Little Rock, centered on finding solutions to make it easier for small businesses to begin, sustain and expand their business endeavors within Arkansas.
"When I think about the American dream, I think about small business," said Eldridge. "I think about people like my grandfather, who started a tractor supply company in the middle of the Great Depression and turned it into a successful storefront with several locations throughout eastern Arkansas. It's that promise of opportunity that the Senate needs to make good on, and we are here in North Little Rock listening to folks who live that experience every day."
Noting that small businesses are essential to the Arkansas and American economy, Eldridge and Sen. Heitkamp expressed their support for easing the burden on small businesses and reducing government intervention in their operation.
"Small businesses are the backbone of rural economies and staples in our communities. As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I've been working to make sure we get rid of over burdensome regulations and give small businesses the tools and resources they need to grow and thrive," said Sen. Heitkamp."In Arkansas with Conner, we met with folks about how Conner will be the champion Arkansas small businesses need in the U.S. Senate."
Eldridge added, "What I hear from folks all around Arkansas and in forums like the one today in Mug's Cafe is that there are too many government hoops to jump through and overbearing rules and regulations. We need to cut the red tape and bureaucracy and focus on helping these businesses flourish. And that is exactly what I'll do as Arkansas's next U.S. Senator."