Hello,

One of my favorite things about being home in Eastern Washington is getting to talk with so many people. As I listen to their stories, and hear from them directly, I’m constantly reminded that you just never know who you’re going to meet — and what their story is.

Since passing the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act last December, I have heard many stories from people who have hope and are optimistic again. Here are a few of the stories from right here at home about why Eastern Washington is Better Off Now thanks to tax reform and our growing economy:

• The Tin Roof: Consumer confidence is at a near 18-year high. For this family-owned furniture store in Spokane, business is better. So they are purchasing two new trucks, increasing wages, and offering health insurance to their employees for the first time in nearly a decade.
  
• Home Depot: Employees at the Home Depot’s 45 locations in Washington state, including in Spokane, received bonuses because of tax reform.
  
• Sonderen Packaging: As a result of tax reform, 90% of Americans saw their paychecks increase. That includes employees at Sonderen Packaging in Spokane, who saw their paychecks go up by $70-300 each month.
  
• Hope House: Because of tax reform, Hope House, a woman’s shelter in Spokane, received $1 million from Premera Blue Cross to triple its capacity and help more women find permanent homes.
  
• Dry Fly Distilling: The owner of this small business said tax reform is responsible for a reduction in his Spokane distillery’s production cost. As a result, he’s investing in an expansion, special projects, and more jobs.
  
• “For me, they’re not crumbs”: In February, a young woman from Spokane called to tell me that she was so excited to see $47.98 more in her paycheck each month. That is about $1,200 per year. She said, “For me, they’re not crumbs. It’s more money to help me put food on the table. I’m so happy I wanted to tell everybody, the whole world, that these tax cuts work… I’m so excited.”
  
• Northwest Bancorp: INB banks in Spokane have raised their starting wage to $15 per hour and awarded $500 bonuses to each of their employees.
• Starbucks: Thanks to tax reform, Starbucks expanded its sick and parental leave policies for their employees. Now, working parents, like Brian in Spokane, have more flexibility at work to take care of their children. 
• Children with Disabilities: One family told me they are seeing $400 more in their take home pay each month. This pay increase has made a real difference in helping them care for their daughter living with a disability.
  
• Vaagen Brothers: This family-owned lumber business logs and provides timber and is one of the largest employers in Colville. Because of tax reform, they gave pay raises not once, but TWICE, to their employees.
  

In our community, Republican pro-growth policies are making a difference and improving people’s lives. With more jobs, fairer taxes, and bigger paychecks, families and workers in our community are Better Off Now.

Warmly,
Cathy

P.S. in case you missed my email last week: An accountant with decades of experience in Spokane ran his own analysis of Republican tax reform. He ran 30 scenarios of typical families in Eastern Washington, and found that every household type at every income level is saving money under the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act.

Click here to read more in the Spokesman-Review.