For championing public safety, advocating for the arts, supporting school nutrition programs and leading Washington's movement against expansion of the Iraq War, State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D- Seattle, has been recognized recently.

Washington Ceasefire gave Kohl-Welles the Ancil Payne Leadership Award, which is awarded to a business leader or elected official who has used his or her unique role to raise awareness and reduce gun violence during the past year.

The Jewish Federation gave her a tzedakah box for her efforts on its behalf in supporting funds in the state budget for security upgrades to its offices, which were the site of a horrific shooting last year in which one woman was killed and five others wounded. The word tzedakah comes from the Hebrew word that means justice. The Jewish people do not see the giving of charity solely as an act of kindness, but as a duty - part of tikkun olam, which means "repairing the world."

The Washington State Arts Alliance gave Kohl-Welles its Louise Miller Arts Advocacy Award for her work in promoting the arts.

The School Meals Access Coalition, which includes 2,400 members of the Washington School Nutrition, in addition to members of the Children's Alliance and the Lutheran Public Policy Office, honored her for her efforts to strengthen school meal programs during the past legislative session. "You were a champion for children, families and school districts as you advocated for funding the elimination of the 40-cent reduced-price lunch family co-pay for grades K-3 as well as for continued funding promoting access to school breakfast and the summer food service program," the citation read.

The Progressive States Network honored Kohl-Welles for her state-level work against the Iraq War and her introduction of Senate Joint Memorial 8003, requesting the U.S. Congress to refrain from funding an escalation of the American presence in Iraq and to require the president to seek congressional approval prior to any escalation. She was one of three state legislators in the country to receive the "Legislator of the Year" award from the organization at its April 19 gala in Washington, D.C.

Earlier this year, Kohl-Welles received the 2006 Legislator of the Year award from SEIU-Local 775.