Matthew Lebsack is the chairman of the Spokane Local 1505 SMART-TD Union. In this op-ed for the Journal of Spokane Business, he writes about the future of Spokane and why the reversal of the City Council’s ordinance was so important. An excerpt:

Our city can directly trace its development from the growth of the rail lines to our modern economy. Today, rail propels a variety of goods and commodities to foreign and domestic markets, resulting in a $28.5 billion economic impact for our state. Railroads are also the biggest investors in rail infrastructure, with Union Pacific and BNSF investing over $8 billion this year in safety and productivity improvements. These investments ultimately benefit everyone.

Read the full piece at the Journal of Spokane Business.