No one narrates the small-business story more effectively than a small-business owner. On June 7, Stephanie Camarillo, who owns Molly Maid of Boise and the Treasure Valley, addressed a joint meeting of the Senate Finance Committee and Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee. She emphasized the importance of making the 20% Small Business Deduction permanent, which is due to expire at the end of 2025.
Camarillo shared her experience with the deduction: “Many of our 42 employees are single mothers, some from immigrant families. Most have never attended college or trade school. It’s easy to think that working for a cleaning company is a dead-end job. There is a lot of dirty work, but my small business has had a unique opportunity to impact the lives of our workforce and their families in ways that can address underlying issues and create generational change. It’s what makes mine and other small businesses like it such a vital part of a thriving community. We have learned that one of the most powerful ways to grow our company and retain the very best talent is to invest in our people.”
She provided an example involving an employee named Jasmine: “In 2018, the Small Business Deduction (Section 199A) allowed us to make a meaningful investment in an employee named Jasmine. Jasmine is a single mom who felt trapped and unable to advance in her life. She started working for us as a housecleaner about six years ago. She cleaned during the day and at night she worked to finish her GED. Because of the tax savings through the Small Business Deduction (Section 199A), we were able to give Jasmine the raise and promotion she had earned and now she is on our management team. She has continued to spread her wings and is bound to be promoted again. Tax relief saves jobs and elevates working families.”
The roundtable was led by Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo and Indiana Sen. Todd Young, focusing on Research & Development, Section 179 expensing, and Section 199A’s Small Business Deduction. Making this deduction permanent stands as NFIB’s top congressional priority.
Reflecting on her experience in Washington D.C., Camarillo stated, “It was really an amazing experience, and I’m so thankful to NFIB for the opportunity. I got to see firsthand how the whole team works tirelessly to support small business.” NFIB expressed gratitude towards Camarillo for presenting an impactful real-life narrative on this critical issue.
Suzanne Budge, NFIB’s Idaho state director remarked, “Stephanie Camarillo is a great small-business champion…Every state would be blessed to have a small-business asset like Stephanie.”
Photos from this event feature Stephanie Camarillo with Sen. Mike Crapo along with images from her testimony before both committees.
