I run Stoop Kid Pictures, a small video production company in Portland. We help local businesses and organizations tell their stories on camera.

I know Mainers have enough to worry about right now. That’s exactly why I’m writing. Bills like the Credit Card Competition Act tend to slide through quietly while everyone’s attention is elsewhere. This one deserves a second look.

Here’s the deal: in my line of work, the bills come before the paychecks. Travel, gear rentals, location fees, insurance — it all goes on a business credit card before a client ever pays me back. When something goes sideways, a fraudulent charge, a dispute, whatever, the protections that come with my current card network are the only thing standing between me and a loss I can’t absorb.

Supporters are pitching this as a win for small business. I don’t buy it. The real savings go to big-box retailers with the leverage to negotiate, not a one-person production company like mine. Nobody’s guaranteeing that money trickles down to small businesses or customers. And the fraud protections we count on could get weaker in the process.

I don’t have a financial cushion to fall back on. What I need is a payment system I can actually trust. Small creative businesses are out here trying to grow and hire people in this state. I’m asking our representatives to oppose this bill and back something that protects us.

Alex Coppola
Portland