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Bailey selected by NFIB for
'Outstanding Legislator' award
Rep. Barbara Bailey,
ranking Republican on the House Health Care Committee, has learned that
she has been selected by the National Federation of Independent Business
(NFIB) of Washington to receive its “Outstanding Legislator of the Year”
award.
In confirming the
selection, Washington State NFIB Director Carolyn Logue said, “Barbara
Bailey received one of only four Outstanding Legislator Awards that were
given out this year because of her tireless work to try and bring
affordable health insurance to small business.
"Health care is the number
one problem for small business," continued Logue, "and to have a
freshman legislator put that kind of effort into our number one problem
and stick by us until the bitter end means a lot. It shows the level of
dedication she is willing to give to the state’s number one economic
engine – small businesses and their workers."
Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, said
she was "very much surprised and honored" by the award.
"When I work in the
Legislature, it’s not to seek recognition. However, this has really been
a nice testament to some of the things I worked very hard for during
this last session," said Bailey. "Small business is the backbone of our
economy. Statistics show that one out of every four people work for
small business. With that in mind, we know that we need to keep our
business climate healthy in order to stimulate the economy."
Bailey said one of her top
priorities during the 2004 session was to improve options that would
help small businesses afford health insurance for their employees.
"We know that a lot of
small businesses simply can’t afford to pay for insurance for their
employees because it is very expensive. So we were looking for avenues
where we could change that, including an adjustment of state mandates
which have contributed to the cost," noted Bailey. "Although some
changes were made during the 2004 legislative session to help small
businesses to afford health insurance, it was not all that we had hoped
for. We need to continue working into the future to make health
insurance more affordable and accessible to businesses and their
employees."
Bailey said she will
continue working for broader health insurance reform to help all
businesses.
The award will be
presented to Bailey during the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce luncheon
meeting, 11 a.m., July 15 at the Roller Barn, 98 NE Barron Drive, Oak
Harbor.
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
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