What message do small business owners want to send to President Obama in advance of tomorrow's State of the Union address? Stay out of the way. According to the Chamber's latest Small Business Outlook Survey, 80% of small business owners do not want handouts, they want less interference from Washington legislators and regulators.

When the president delivers his third State of the Union address, small business owners are hoping that his agenda will include lower taxes, a more simplified tax code, and some clarity on what to expect from the new health care law that is expected to go into effect this year. Furthermore, as a recent Gallup poll confirmed, small business owners’ biggest challenge is complying with government regulations and they would like to see regulatory costs reduced.

House Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) wrote in POLITICO today about what he thinks small businesses need to hear in the State of the Union:

They don’t want to hear about more proposals, “shovel ready” projects or directives. They want to be set free — free to prosper without costly government interference.

As we have seen over and over, government does not create jobs or produce long-term economic growth. The private sector does. The faster Washington releases the reins, the faster we will see Americans back on the job and economic prosperity abound.

Click here to read Graves' full opinion piece.