OLYMPIA — State Sen. Derek Kilmer was named Tuesday as a 2009 “Legislative Hero” by the Washington Restaurant Association.

In announcing the award the association said “In the three sessions as the state senator for Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, Bremerton and the Olympic Peninsula, Sen. Kilmer has proven to be a true friend to business.”










 

The association noted Kilmer’s “tireless efforts” to curb business taxes.

“I am grateful for this honor,” said Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor. “My main job as a state senator is to create jobs. Restaurants and other small businesses are the backbones of our economy and I will continue working to help them grow and succeed.”

The association is the leading business association for Washington’s restaurant industry, which employed over 200,000 workers on average in 2008 at more than 12,500 restaurants.