The Washington state Senate unanimously passed a resolution Friday morning to recognize a Southwest Washington lawmaker and “a leader on international human rights.”
Linda Smith was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1983, the Senate in 1987 and Congress in 1994.
The resolution notes Smith was elected to Congress after “perhaps the first successful six congressional primary write-in campaign in United States history.”
Smith represented Wahsington’s Third Congressional District, which comprises most of Southwest Washington.
In Congress, Smith worked on campaign finance reform, reduced the influence of the tobacco industry, stopped congressional leaders from passing out special interest political action committee checks on the floor of Congress, pushed for balanced budgets amendment, chaired the Small Business Committee on small business taxation and worked to reduce regulations on small business owners.
After Congress, Smith started Shared Hope International, an organization “that seeks to prevent child sex trafficking, restore worth and dignity to those caught in the child sex trade, and bring justice to victims and education and prevention tools to the public,” according to the resolution.
Smith also started the War Against Trafficking Alliance, “an organization to coordinate regional and international efforts to fight sex trafficking.”
According to the resolution, Smith is also a published author on the “scourge of sex trafficking.”
The resolution recognizes Smith’s “contributions in state and federal government for advocating for children and families, and her contributions to uplift and restore individuals and families caught in the vicious cycle of sex trafficking.”
