Rep. Mark Hargrove, R-Covington received the the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Guardian of Small Business Award for his efforts in the state Legislature.

He received a 100 percent voting grade by the group.

According to a report authored this year by the United States Small Business Administration, small businesses totaled 532,162 in Washington in 2009. They represent 98.1 percent of all employers and employ 53.3 percent of the private-sector workforce.