BRADENTON — Former Florida Senator Paula Dockery, who served 16 years in the state legislature, is joining the board of the League of Women Voters of Florida.

Dockery, a moderate Republican who wasn't afraid to buck the system, earned praise on both sides of the aisle for standing up on prison privatization, a suspect CRX/Sunrail deal and ethics laws governing public officials.

"I've long admired what the League does for our political process, and I feel that the League stands for many of the things that I believe in," said the Lakeland Republican who served as House Majority Whip, Environmental Protection Chair and General Government Appropriations Chair. She was the author and primary sponsor of the Florida Forever Act.

Dockery was Senate Majority Whip from 2003-04 and chair of the Criminal Justice Committee. While serving as Senate Environmental Protection Committee Chair she brought diverse groups together in crafting the Water Sustainability Act, earning her bipartisan efforts recognition by Governing Magazine, who in 2005 named her one of its Public Officials of the Year.

Dockery noted her support for the League's work in reducing gerrymandering, protecting voting rights, advocacy for environmental protection, and commitment for transparency and accountability for government.

"We are thrilled to have someone with Paula's political experience and willingness to fight for Florida's environment, and so many other issues, on the League's state board," LWVF President Deirdre Macnab said. "She will help direct the future course of the League's work and provide a knowledgeable and politically seasoned voice on our board."

Term limited from running again for the State Senate in 2012, Dockery was coaxed into writing political opinion columns and launched a new career as a political columnist. Her syndicated columns appear in more than 20 newspapers across Florida.

Dockery joins other former elected officials on the League board including former Republican Majority Leader Alex Villalobos, Democratic Congresswoman Pat Schroeder and Representative Annie Betancourt.

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