(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas)—Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) AGFUND recognized State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst and State Rep. DeWayne Burns for being strong champions for Texas agriculture in the Texas Legislature.
Kolkhorst and Burns were each presented the S.M. True Agricultural Champion Award at a special AGFUND banquet Dec. 2. The award is named in honor of former TFB President S.M. True, Jr.
“Sen. Kolkhorst has been one of the greatest champions for private property rights in the Texas Legislature for years. It didn’t start with eminent domain. It started with the Trans-Texas Corridor,” said TFB AGFUND President Russell Boening in presenting the award to Kolkhorst. “She has passed meaningful eminent domain legislation out of the Texas Senate, not once, not twice, but three times since 2015. Undeterred and unintimidated, she has been relentless.”
Boening said accomplishing any major legislative effort means you must have two champions, and Burns is AGFUND’s champion in the Texas House of Representatives.
“It’s been a tough road with extraordinary challenges faced by few members of the Texas House. He has taken every punch and never quit working to get a meaningful eminent domain bill through the Texas House,” said Boening in presenting the award to Burns.
Kolkhorst has represented Senate District 18 since 2014. She said she is very honored to receive the award.
“It's really, truly, probably one of the highest honors I've ever received in serving in the Texas legislature. The Farm Bureau is such a grassroots organization and has great clout not only in our state, but in our nation. And, so, to be honored by the Texas Farm Bureau, it's going to be one of my real highlights of my career,” Kolkhorst said.
Burns was first elected to represent House District 58 in 2014. He said the award means a tremendous amount to him and his family.
“Agriculture's been a part of who I am, for as long as I can remember. And this organization literally helped shape who I am as a young man and has been right there with me every step of the way through my professional career, and even political career,” Burns said. “To be recognized tonight for the work we've done to protect property rights around this state is, I can't put it into words. I appreciate it so much.”
The Texas Farm Bureau AGFUND Board of Directors established the S.M. True Agricultural Champion Award in 2011. | Contact:
Gary Joiner
Director, Communications
254.399.5007 (Office)
254.315.3415 (Mobile)
254.772.1766 (Fax)
E-Mail: gjoiner@txfb.org |