Sen. Tim Sheldon (D),
35th Legislative District

Sens. Janéa Holmquist (R) and Jim Honeyford (R), 13th Legislative District

Rep. John Driscoll (D),
6th Legislative District

Rep. Joel Kretz (R), 48th Legislative District

Senate Democrat Business Star:

Senator Sheldon was a strong supporter of business issues in 2009, and is appreciated for his steady and consistent support of fiscal responsibility and tax fairness.

Senator Sheldon's service to the state continues outside Olympia, as he is a County Commissioner and small business owner in Hoodsport.

Senate Republican Business Co-Stars:

Senator Holmquist showed extraordinary leadership this past session as a vocal proponent on business issues; especially regarding the Worker's Privacy Act, UI & Retro.

Senator Holmquist lives in Moses Lake and works as an independent insurance consultant.

Senator Honeyford has demonstrated throughout his years in public service to be a consistent and strong champion for the private sector. This past session, his leadership was effective both in the open and behind-the-scenes.

Senator Honeyford lives in Sunnyside, where he is a farmer.

Senate Democrat Business Star:

Representative Driscoll was the only individual in his entire caucus who stood out amongst his caucus peers on business issues. He was particularly strong on five core competency issues for the business community during the Legislative Session.

Rep. Driscoll lives in Spokane and is Executive Director for Project Access.

Senate Republican Business Star:

Representative Kretz was not only a strong advocate for the business community during the 2009 Legislative Session, but he also helped organize his caucus in supporting the private sector. Undaunted by the severity of the budget crisis, Rep. Kretz became a voice for smart, creative budget solutions.

Rep. Kretz is a rancher in Wauconda.

Sen. Derek Kilmer (D), 26th Legislative District

Sen. Curtis King (R), 14th Legislative District

Rep. Mike Armstrong (R ), 12th Legislative District

Rep. Deborah Eddy (D), 48th Legislative District:

During the 2008 session, Senator Kilmer made sure that economic development and business growth were factored into his voting decisions on legislation. He worked diligently for better workforce training programs, fair taxation, and to reduce the regulatory burden in Washington state.

Derek and his wife Jennifer live in Gig Harbor with their daughter, Sophie. He is a Manager for the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County.

Throughout the 2008 Legislative Session, Senator King made sure legislative proposals did not adversely affect business -- particularly small business. He asked the pertinent questions and made the difficult, but correct decisions in working in a bipartisan fashion on very controversial issues, much of the time achieving success.

Curtis and his wife, Lois, have two grown daughters and one grandson. He and his brother run a successful commercial cabinet company in Yakima.

Representative Armstrong deserves a significant amount of credit for keeping the business viewpoint in front of his caucus during this session. He was willing to work across the aisle on a number of tough issues from burdensome regulatory oversight to healthcare.

Mike and his wife, Mary, have three children. They live in Wenatchee where Rep. Armstrong is the facilities manager for the Chelan County PUD.

Throughout the 2008 Legislative Session, Representative Eddy recognized that working for a cleaner environment also required working with the business community to strike a balance between protecting our environment and supporting job growth.

Deb and her husband, Jon, live in Kirkland and have three grown children and two grandchildren. She has dedicated her professional life to serving others.