Back in September, I wrote about a Small Business Survival Index that ranks states by how "business-friendly" their governing policies are. Now the Washington, D.C.-based Small Business Survival Committee is at it again with a ranking of all 50 state Congressional delegations' voting records on small-business issues. The scorecard rates how members of Congress voted last year.

What does this mean to you? Well, as primary season for the mid-term election heats up across the country, you might like to know how your Senators and Representatives voted on the things that matter to growing your business. After all, small businesses create 75 percent of all new jobs.

SBSC's scorecard rates lawmakers based on 12 key votes in the House and 12 votes in the Senate impacting small businesses. Included are votes on reducing taxes and regulations, death-tax elimination, capital-gains tax relief, expanding U.S. markets overseas, cutting dependence on foreign energy, and making healthcare more affordable. The state-delegation ratings are simply the average of all of the House and Senate members scores in each state.

So how'd they rank? The top 10 Congressional delegations voting in favor of small business are: 1) Idaho, 2) Alaska, 3) Kentucky and New Hampshire (a tie), 5) Oklahoma, 6) Wyoming, 7) Kansas, 8) Alabama, 9) Utah and 10) Nebraska.

On the flip side, the 10 state delegations most hostile to small businesses are: 41) New York and Washington (another tie), 43) Maryland, 44) West Virginia, 45) Delaware, 46) Vermont, 47) Rhode Island, 48) Hawaii, 49) North Dakota and 50) Massachusetts. For a complete list of states and legislators, go to www.sbsc.org.

"Small businesses provide the bulk of innovations, goods, services, and jobs in our economy. And while practically all members of Congress say they support small businesses, their voting records sometimes reveal a different story," says SBSC chief economist Raymond J. Keating. "In particular, high tax and regulatory burdens take a big toll on small businesses, their employees, and therefore, the economy in general."

Signs of an economic rebound are starting to appear just about everywhere—from higher consumer confidence and sustained spending to housing starts and productivity increases. On the other hand, unemployment isn't expected to top out for a while.

When it comes to elections, people often "vote their pocketbooks." This year, it makes more sense than ever to know how those in Congress voted regarding your business' pocketbook.