Washington State Rep. Cindy Ryu, a 32nd District Democrat representing portions of Edmonds and Lynnwood as well as Mountlake Terrace, received an Outstanding Legislator award from the Washington Association of Sewer & Water Districts (WASWD).

Both Ryu and State Sen. Mark Mullet, a Democrat from the 5th District, were honored for their “significant efforts to ensure the success of special purpose water and sewer districts in the state of Washington, which in turn provides positive outcomes for utility customers,” WASWD said in a news release announcing awards.

From her initial involvement as a Shoreline city councilmember and mayor, to her election to the state House in 2010, Ryu has focused on community development and consumer protection — core tenets shared by special-purpose utility districts, the news release added.

Ryu’s efforts during the 2023 legislative session included sponsoring and shepherding legislation to provide equal treatment for all local governments undertaking public works procurement processes. Despite not serving on the House Local Government Committee, Ryu negotiated with her colleagues on that committee to secure strong bipartisan support for the bill.

Thanks to Ryu’s support, the bill was signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on May 4,  allowing special purpose districts the same conditions for performing work in-house, which will ultimately save on ratepayer bills, WASWD said.

Mullet’s current position as vice chair of the Senate’s Ways and Means Committee has been key to negotiating the capital budget, including several efforts with specific benefits to special-purpose utility districts, WASWD added.