To honor true champions of the rights of family farmers and rural residents, Missouri Farmers Union presented the 2004 Legislator of the Year Awards to former Senator Doyle Childers (R-Reeds Spring) and Representative Belinda Harris (D- Hillsboro). Rep. Harris was presented the award and addressed MFU members at the Sixth Annual Convention in Glasgow, Jan. 28. Russ Kremer, President of MFU, and Barbara Ross, Secretary of the MFU, presented the prestigious honor to Director Childers in a meeting held Mar. 11. “Both legislators have always been true friends and place the needs of rural constituents above special interests,” Kremer said. “That is a rare trait.” Childers was recently confirmed as the Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Previously he served the 132nd and the 141st District in the Missouri House of Representatives for seven consecutive terms and the 29th District in the Missouri State Senate for eight years. As a member of the Senate, Childers served on the Agriculture and Natural Resources committees, and worked to promote quality of life issues affecting Missouri rural communities and family farmers. Harris was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2002 representing District 110; Rep. Harris and her husband are self-employed farmers. She is a current Missouri Farmers Union member, and was instrumental in protecting family farm agriculture in the 2004 legislative session.
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