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Peter Callaghan is a local columnist. He’s covered the statehouse and state politics since 1981. Before joining The News Tribune in 1985, the Stadium High grad worked for newspapers in Everett and Lewiston, Idaho, and for The Associated Press in Olympia and Seattle. Email Peter

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Let's talk politics.
Monday, March 17th, 2008
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 10:11:33 am

After 10 years in the Legislature, Rep. Shay Schual-Berke, D-Normandy Park, will retire.

What I will remember of her: How fun it is to say her name.

From the press release:

“Whenever you see a Washington license plate with the colorful children’s handprints, you are seeing a Shay Schual-Berke idea for raising funds to combat child abuse in our state,” said Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park, who chairs the House Committee on Early Learning and Children’s Services.

Schual-Berke earned a reputation for being a tireless advocate for her local district’s interests, including state funding for local parks, Highline Community College and noise-abatement efforts to help children in schools near the airport.

[More:]

In Olympia, however, state leaders tend to remember Schual-Berke for standing firm against powerful special interests and achieving big-ticket statewide reforms in education, children’s issues, health care and insurance reform.

"Rep. Shay Schual-Berke has been a tremendous consumer advocate in working towards reforming our health care system," said Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. "I am particularly grateful for her efforts to establish mental health parity and for her support this year in restoring transparency and consumer protections to the individual health insurance market. Washington consumers owe her a great deal of thanks."

The scope of Schual-Berke’s legislative achievements is reflected in the variety of awards she earned while serving as a state representative. At various times, she has been named “Legislator of the Year” by the Children’s Alliance, Washington State Medical Association, and Washington Academy of Family Practitioners.

In her current two-year term, Schual-Berke earned the Washington Association of School Administrators 2007 Golden Gavel Award for “exceptional service contributing to the enhancement of public education in Washington.” She also received the March of Dimes Maternal and Child Health Award in recognition of “outstanding leadership to ensure lifesaving treatments for Washington's babies.”

Categories: Lt. Governor