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Citrus Heights Messenger

Retired Assemblyman Cooley Awarded at Council of State Governments West

Nov 29, 2023 01:44PM ● By Special Release from Former Assemblymember Ken Cooley

Ken Cooley was bestowed the prestigious Bettye Fahrenkamp Award for Distinguished Legislative Leadership on Monday, November 13, at the Council of State Governments West 76th Annual Mtg in Los Angeles, Calif. In the image with him is the Presiding Officer at this year’s main sessions, California Assemblymember Mike Gipson of Carson, California, making the official presentation. Photo courtesy of CSGWest



LOS ANGELES, CA (MPG) - On Monday, November 13th, The Council of State Governments West (CSG West) conferred its prestigious Bettye Fahrenkamp Award for Distinguished Legislative Leadership on behalf of Western States to retired California Assemblymember Ken Cooley.

The honor was bestowed amidst the first day’s proceedings as CSG West kicked off its 76th annual meeting in Los Angeles.

The annual Fahrenkamp Award presentation recognizes leaders whose legislative careers display an ability to see and work beyond the border of their own states in the interest of the West. The award honors Senator Bettye Fahrenkamp of Fairbanks, Alaska, who served with distinction in the Alaska State Senate from 1979 until her untimely death in 1991.

During Ken’s time in the California Assembly, he was regularly active in CSG West and in 2015 was among the “by-invitation-only” participants in its Western Legislative Academy. (The WLA is held annually at conference facilities in Colorado Springs, Co.)

This year’s Fahrenkamp Award presentation highlighted Ken’s leadership role in Chairing, during 2019-2020, the inaugural Legislative Oversight Working Group at CSG West. In December 2020, the working group published for use by the CSG West member states a first-ever Western Legislative Oversight Handbook. (The western states making up CSG “West” are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.)

Ken is often quoted to the effect “effective oversight is the most vital superpower the Legislature must exercise on a bicameral and bipartisan basis to fulfill its “People’s House” duty.” He believes legislative bodies must be the eyes and ears of the public they represent to perform their “check and balance” role ensuring executive branch accountability. To this end, in 2014 he led the creation of a California Assembly Oversight Handbook which is now online.

The Council of State Governments West (CSG West) champions excellence in state governance by providing state legislators and staff with collegial growth opportunities around substantive educational programs on vital contemporary matters of common concern across the west.