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Parlette and Condotta
receive 'Legislative Business Star' awards
12th District legislators
Sen. Linda Evans Parlette and
Rep. Cary
Condotta have both received a 2007 “Legislative Business Star”
award from United for Washington, a group of employers, employees and
other business community activists dedicated to promoting a legislative
agenda in Olympia that creates a vibrant economy and preserves private
sector jobs. Condotta and Parlette, who are two of just four legislators
to receive the honor, accepted their awards yesterday during a luncheon
held in their honor at the Westin Hotel in Seattle.
The Legislative Business Star award was given to a Republican and
Democrat in both the state Senate and House of Representatives that
demonstrated outstanding legislative leadership and accomplishments on
behalf of Washington’s private sector. This was the group’s first annual
Legislative Business Star awards ceremony.
Parlette, R-Wenatchee, has served as lead Republican on the Senate
Labor, Commerce, Research and Development Committee, and has focused
heavily during her 11 years in the Legislature on passing bills that
will create jobs. In 2006 and 2007, she successfully led the charge to
pass legislation in the Senate that would give small employers more
options for providing affordable health insurance to their employees.
Also this year and last, Parlette joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers
in working through solutions to a complicated court decision that placed
much of Washington’s beer and wine distribution system – and the jobs
that went with it – in jeopardy. She also recently served as co-chair of
the state’s Unemployment Insurance Task Force, a group formed to improve
Washington’s business climate as it relates to unemployment taxes. In
2006, the National Federation of Independent Business named Parlette its
“Legislator of the Year” for her commitment to jobs and business issues.
“I’m truly honored to receive this award, especially in the very first
year it was offered,” said Parlette. “I am especially excited because it
was given in part for working in a bipartisan way to promote policies
that help create jobs in our state. Working in a bipartisan fashion is
something I’ve always tried to do, and that’s why I was so humbled and
proud to receive this award.”
Condotta, R-East Wenatchee, who serves as the ranking Republican member
on the House Commerce and Labor Committee, has been a catalyst for
ground-breaking changes in the state’s unemployment insurance system and
other pro-business issues before the Legislature. During the 2007
session, Condotta introduced legislation to move the negotiations to
expand tribal gambling from the governor to the Legislature, offered
several business and economic development bills and led the opposition
to the paid family leave legislation until an agreement between business
and labor can be reached.
“I was honored to receive the Legislative Business Star award this
week,” Condotta said. “I firmly believe it’s the Legislature’s job to
encourage, through sound policies, private-sector business growth and
job creation. Entrepreneurs risk their own capital to build businesses,
provide good jobs and grow the state economy. The least I can do is work
to make sure we’re fostering a healthy place for start-up and relocating
companies. As a small-business owner for more than 25 years, I know what
it takes to help our state’s private employers be successful. It’s nice
to know that influential groups like United for Washington have
recognized my efforts to improve our state’s overall business climate.”
Formed by business leaders in 1972, United for Washington is made up of
more than 500 businesses, trade associations and community leaders,
including the Washington Roundtable, Association for Washington
Business, the Washington Policy Center and the Washington Research
Council, dedicated to promoting and sustaining a vibrant free economy
for all Washingtonians and promoting a pro-business agenda in Olympia.
The group’s Business Institute, formed in 2006, assists businesses and
their employees in understanding how legislation is created and the
significant role legislators play in establishing laws that affect
business climate issues.
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For more information, contact:
Bobbi Cussins, Public Information Officer: (360) 786-7252
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