VA State Senator Herring Honored as BIO Legislator of the Year
Virginia State Senator Mark Herring (D) of Leesberg has been selected by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) as Legislator of the Year for 2009-2010. Senator Herring received the award in the Virginia pavilion at the 2010 BIO International Convention taking place this week in Chicago, IL.
“As a sponsor of the Science and Technology Research Development and Commercialization Act, Senator Herring skillfully negotiated a compromise that ensured the bill’s passage,” said Patrick Kelly, BIO’s vice president of State Government Relations and Alliance Development. “Senator Herring is helping to ensure that his state remains a globally recognized center for science and technology.”
“This year, Senator Herring sponsored and passed the Virginia Innovation Investment Act, which offered targeted, long-term capital gains tax exclusion for Virginia bioscience investments,” said Mark Herzog, executive director of the Virginia Biotechnology Association. “This is a first-in-the-nation policy that has earned broad bipartisan support.”
The BIO award was established to honor public servants such as Senator Herring for their leadership and commitment to advancing biotechnology and promoting the public’s health and well-being.
