CLEVELAND — Ohio Senate President Keith Faber has been awarded a Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) Advocate of the Year Award for supporting small businesses in the state.

Faber opposed state operating budget recommendations last year to increase the commercial activity tax and to expand sales and use tax to a broader array of private businesses in Ohio. Faber understood that such measures would have been detrimental to many small businesses in Ohio.

With Faber’s support, those provisions were eliminated from the final state budget, which also included an across-the-board 6.3 percent income tax cut for all Ohioans.

“Operating a small business can often be difficult, and those original budget recommendations would have made it even harder for many Ohio small business owners,” said Steve Millard, COSE executive director. “Sen. Faber understands the challenges facing small businesses and is also aware of the tremendous number of jobs and tax revenue they generate, which benefits the entire state. Small business owners in Ohio are fortunate that we have an Ohio Senate president who understands the need to support small business.”

The Ohio Senate president is one of two recipients of the 2015 Advocate of the Year Award. The other recipient is Rep. Barbara Sears. The awards were presented Tuesday in Columbus during COSE Day at the Capitol.

“I am honored to receive this award from COSE,” said Faber. “The entrepreneurial spirit of small business is at the heart of Ohio’s progress, and I will continue to work to ensure our state provides opportunities for our small businesses to grow and prosper.”