Politics & Government

Sens. Litzow, Murray Honored for Bipartisanship

The Municipal League of King County chose the two legislators from Mercer Island and Seattle for the annual Warren G. Magnuson Memorial award, singling out the pair's efforts to legalize gay marriage in the state.

The Municipal League of King County honored Sens. Steve Litzow (R-Mercer Island) and Ed Murray (D-Seattle) Thursday night at the 53rd Annual Civic Awards Celebration Dinner in Seattle.

Murray, the State Senate majority leader, and Litzow, a first-term legislator, were presented with the Warren G. Magnuson Memorial award for in recognition of their bipartisan leadership during the 2012 legislative session. The organization specifically honored them for their roles in passing the bill that created Washington’s marriage-equality law in February.

“It was an absolute honor to be recognized and stand alongside Senator Murray to receive this commendation,” said Litzow. “I am pleased to have been part of this historic legislation because I believe it was the right thing to do.

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“The statesmanship on display during this year’s marriage-equality debate was indicative of the Senate’s bipartisan efforts throughout the past year. I’m grateful to the Municipal League of King County for its recognition of our collective effort, and I look forward to continue working with Senator Murray and others for many years to come.”

The accolade, named for the longtime Washington congressman, is presented to those who have made significant contributions to local government while serving in public office. 

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The Municipal League of King County is a non-profit organization that promotes productive and transparent government by working to help increase the caliber of elected officials and policy-making decisions.  It awarded the first Warren G. Magnuson Memorial to its namesake in 1981; other past winners include state Auditor Brian Sonntag and Secretary of State Sam Reed.

The other 2012 Award Winners are:

  • Citizen of the Year - Andy Conner, Founder of the Genesis Project in South King County. Conner, a King County Sheriff's Deputy, established this nonprofit on his own time to help young victims of domestic minor sex trafficking in the South King County area.
  • Public Official of the Year - Grant Degginger, Former Bellevue City Councilmember. Degginger has served the City of Bellevue in many roles - councilmember, deputy mayor and mayor. Degginger is appreciated by many for his thoughtful, moderate voice.
  • Public Employee of the Year: John Starbard, Director of the King County Department of Development and Environmental Services (DDES). Starbard spearheaded a comprehensive reform initiative resulting in increased efficiencies and better customer service.
  • Organization of the Year - King County Library System. KCLS serves more than 1.3 million people throughout King County with valuable, community-enhancing services such as world language outreach, mobile services, job search, new immigrant education and small business assistance.
  • Government News Reporting of the Year - West Seattle Blog. The West Seattle Blog's comprehensive coverage, high quality reporting and strong commitment to covering important local government issues is deserving of recognition.
  • James R. Ellis Regional Leadership Award - Dow Constantine, King County Executive. Constantine is being recognized for his years of public service, efforts to bring a culture of high performance to King County, the completion of several major projects and improved relationships with other jurisdictions.

— Information compiled from the Washington State Senate and the Municipal League of King County


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