Sen. Eide named legislator of the year by law enforcement group

OLYMPIA – For her outstanding commitment to the law enforcement community, Sen. Tracey J. Eide, D-Federal Way, has been named a 2006 “Legislator of the Year” by the Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs.

“Senator Eide’s steadfast support through the years for our public safety officers in communities across the state is deeply appreciated,” said Lee Reaves, government affairs director for the group. “Her door is always open and her ear turned to the concerns we have brought to her.”

For more than 35 years, the Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs has represented its membership of 4,700 officers before the state Legislature.

Last session, Eide sponsored a measure to cover the medical insurance premiums of surviving spouses and dependent children of police officers and firefighters in the line of duty. Now law, it applies to survivors of members of the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters (LEOFF) 2 retirement system. The bill passed both houses of the Legislature without a single dissenting vote.

“Helping our public safety officers and their families has always been one of my top priorities,” Eide said. “It’s just too easy to take for granted the enormous sacrifices they make each day for all of us. I’m proud to support them in the Legislature. I know that I do this on behalf of citizens across the state.”

Eide will be honored at a luncheon scheduled later this month.

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