[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 163 (Saturday, December 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2568]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING FLORIDA STATE SENATOR PAULA DOCKERY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM H. PUTNAM

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 16, 2005

  Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a fellow public 
servant and dear friend, whose dedication and hard work has earned the 
admiration of not only the people of Florida, but public officials 
nationally as well. This is why I am proud to congratulate Florida 
State Senator Paula Dockery for her well-earned selection as Governing 
Magazine's 2005 ``Public Official of the Year.''
  Senator Dockery was one of only eight public officials from across 
the country, and the only Florida official, to be so honored. She was 
recognized by Governing Magazine ``in honor of her success in bringing 
diverse groups together to craft a sound and far-reaching water policy 
for the State of Florida.'' The magazine also stated ``Since being 
elected to the House in 1996 and subsequently to the Senate, Dockery 
has demonstrated the ability to build consensus among groups with a 
history of contention.'' Senator Dockery has also recently been awarded 
``Legislator of the Year'' by the American Water Works Association for 
her ``outstanding leadership and dedication in developing water supply 
legislation for the people of Florida.'' Additionally, the Florida 
Ocean Alliance presented the Senator with an award of appreciation for 
sponsoring legislation that established the Florida Ocean and Coastal 
Resource Council noting her ``leadership in sponsoring legislation to 
further conservation and management of ocean and coastal resources.''
  Yet, this is only a small portion of Senator Dockery's long history 
of bringing together disparate interests to craft sound environmental 
policy. As a defender of private property rights and protecting 
Florida's environmental resources, she constantly recognizes the 
importance of sound conservation principles in a rapidly growing State.
  I had the opportunity to serve with Senator Dockery in the Florida 
State House of Representatives for 4 years, and it is her dedication to 
the common good, passion for legislating, and ability to inspire her 
colleagues, that has led the way to her success. In 1999, Senator 
Dockery authored the Florida Forever initiative, providing $300 million 
a year to purchase land for preservation. Business interests and 
environmentalists both praised the program. In addition, she followed 
this initiative with the goal of developing a water plan for Florida. 
Spending much of 2003 and 2004 developing legislation to conserve water 
for Florida's future, Senator Dockery successfully led the passage of 
SB 444 in 2005, creating comprehensive water legislation that provides 
$300 million to help local governments develop water supply through 
alternative resources.
  The constituents of Senate District 15 and the State as a whole are 
extremely blessed to have her leadership serving them in Tallahassee. 
As the Senator continues to proudly serve the good people of Florida, I 
look forward to many more accomplishments as she continues to lead and 
guide the future of our great State.

                          ____________________