Rep. Shelly Short receives Washington State Farm Bureau’s 2013 Legislator of the Year Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 10, 2013

CONTACT: Brendon Wold, Deputy Communications Director – (360) 786-7698

Rep. Shelly Short receives 2013 Legislator of the Year Award from Washington State Farm Bureau

During a ceremony in November, Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, received the 2013 Legislator of the Year award by Washington state’s premier agriculture and farming organization, the Washington State Farm Bureau.

“It’s an absolute honor to receive this recognition by the Washington Farm Bureau,” said Short. “Ranchers, farmers and orchardists make up a significant part of our economy in Central and Eastern Washington, and especially the Seventh Legislative District. With much of Olympia being dominated by urban, Puget Sound interests, the need to constantly educate my fellow legislators on the needs of our rural agriculture-based economy is paramount.”

Short, who serves as the ranking Republican on the House Environment Committee, continually works to inject common sense into the environmental debate while combating an extreme environmental agenda constantly being waged in the Legislature and state agencies.

During the 2013 regular session, Short introduced legislation to increase accountability and transparency within the Departments of Ecology and Fish and Wildlife. Her bills, HB 1112 and 1113, require the agencies to specifically identify the peer-reviewed science, scientific literature, and other sources of information reviewed and ultimately relied upon before taking significant agency action related to certain agency programs. In effect, requiring state agencies to “show their work.”

Both bills were signed into law after several years of research and educating fellow legislators.

“There are folks in Olympia who believe so passionately in their version of ‘environment’ that they sometimes fail to connect the dots of reality. There needs to be balance in the discussion, but most of all there needs to be the opportunity to analyze all the scientific information, not just what the agencies want, which is sometimes lacking,” said Short. “Not only do we need to see what scientific information was used when making decisions that impact the people of this state, we also need to see which scientific information was NOT used. The days where state agencies can just ‘cherry pick’ the information they want to use in order to justify their actions needs to end.”

Short joins several other Seventh District legislators who have won the award in the past:

Rep. Joel Kretz – 2009 and 2007

Former Sen. Bob Morton – 2000

Former Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rogers – 1997

“Joining this list of area legislators who’ve received this award in the past is humbling,” said Short. “However, there is more work to be done to continue to ensure our region remains the best place in the state and nation to live, work and raise a family.”

For more information about Rep. Short, visit: www.representativeshellyshort.com.

Photo Caption: “Rep. Shelly Short receives the Washington State Farm Bureau’s 2013 Legislator of the Year Award from bureau President Mike LaPlant.”