Fayette County's U.S. representative, Mac Collins, has been recognized by the National Sheriffs Association with an award of appreciation for support of local law enforcement.

Collins, R-3rd District, recently played a key roll in killing legislation that would have blocked the appointment of many local law enforcement officials to positions in the U.S. marshal's service. “Local law enforcement officials offer a lot of insight and experience to the U.S. marshals, so it does not make sense to insist that all promotions come from within the U.S. marshal's service,” Collins said.

Sheriff John Cary Bittick of Monroe County, Ga., a vice president of the National Sheriffs Association, presented Collins with an award of appreciation during the association's breakfast Thursday morning in Washington, D.C. Collins thanked the sheriffs for the award, and said that he was able to defeat the measure only through the help of sheriffs who are elected to their jobs in counties from coast to coast.

“This bill shows the value of grass roots organization,” he said to the sheriffs. The bill, HR 2336, was sponsored by Rep. Bill McCollum, R-Fla. His bill was expected to pass as part of a package of measures under suspension of the rules Nov. 10, but Collins forced a vote on whether the rules would be suspended because he believed the bill should be debated in full. His move delayed the procedure six days, which gave the National Sheriffs Association time to alert its members.

Sheriffs from across the country called their representatives so that the bill was defeated 231 - 183. “You did the work,” Collins told the assembled law enforcement officers. Bittick said Collins sprang into action the minute he notified him of the problem and has always been supportive of sheriffs and other law enforcement officers. “Mac has always been a friend,” he said.