Alabama
Health Plan Appeals to Small Businesses
Gov. Bob Riley (R) has proposed allowing business owners with 25 or fewer employees to deduct twice the amount they pay in health care premiums from their state income taxes.
Source: The Montgomery Advertiser

Arizona
Businesses Ask State to Keep Tax Cuts
Business groups are calling on the governor and the Legislature to make permanent a three-year suspension of a state business property tax. The tax is scheduled to go back on the books in 2010, collecting more than $200 million.
Source: The Arizona Republic

Michigan
Retirement Plan Sought for Small Business
House lawmakers introduced legislation requiring the state to recruit a private investment planner to create a 401(k)-style retirement plan and make it available to all businesses, even those with only one employee.
Source: Detroit Free Press

Texas
Obesity Costs Businesses Billions
Obese workers cost state businesses some $3 billion in 2005, according to a report by the Comptroller's Office. If left unchecked, obesity could cost the state's employers $16 billion annually by 2025. These expenses are calculated based on health care, absenteeism, decreased productivity, and disability.
Source: The Houston Chronicle

Virginia
State Tops Business-Friendly List
Virginia is the most business-friendly state, according to a study by an Illinois corporate relocation firm. Its annual listing of the top 10 pro-business states is based on more than two dozen factors, including taxes, energy costs, and the labor climate.
Source: The Virginian-Pilot