Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear Urged to Protect E-Commerce Tools for Small Business

HARTFORD, Kentucky (May 21, 2020) – Community leaders and small businesses throughout Kentucky sent a letter calling on Governor Beshear and other state policymakers to preserve access to business- critical digital tools and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic and the long recovery period ahead. Led by the Connected Commerce Council (3C), the letter was signed by over 80 Kentucky-based leaders representing a range of digitally empowered small businesses, including Sansom Farm Collies in Hartford.

“Access to online tools enables websites, analytics, digital ads, online marketplaces, and e-commerce platforms to empower retailers, restaurants, service providers, and Kentucky small businesses of all types,” wrote Kentucky business leaders. “Now, more than ever, businesses and the Kentuckians they serve benefit from the stability, scale, and security of these tools.”

The letter also cautioned Governor Beshear that controversial campaigns against U.S. tech companies like Google and Facebook create unnecessary instability for millions of American small businesses using these tools and services to run and operate their businesses.

“With storefronts closed across the country, the tools offered by companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon have become vital economic lifelines for countless small business owners and entrepreneurs,” said 3C President Jake Ward. “We’re fortunate to have leaders like Governor Beshear who understand what it takes for Kentucky to compete in the digital economy, but we continue to see misguided anti- tech campaigns that create needless uncertainty for small businesses just working to stay afloat.”

“Local small businesses like mine depend daily upon online tools to connect with customers and transact commerce, and that reality has become even more pronounced during this pandemic,” said Larry Sansom, owner of Sansom Farm Collies in Hartford.

“Access to free and low-cost digital platforms is vital to Kentucky’s entrepreneurs, workforce, and communities. As we work toward reopening the economy, it’s important that elected leaders understand the role technology is now playing and avoid policy mistakes that could slow our recovery.”

A copy of the letter and a list of signers is available here.