In an age when soundbites are currency, no matter how dishonest, state Representative Kirsten Engel of Tucson eschews the default grandstanding mode of legislating in Arizona in favor of a law-school-professor-does-her-damn-homework style of soundbite that puts most of her peers to shame. In her role on the House Judiciary Committee, Engel was a tireless advocate for criminal justice reform, despite an unsavory alliance between Chair John Allen and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery that kept common-sense bills from getting heard. As a member of the Environment Committee, Engel's expertise in environmental law helped her ask some of the most incisive questions on Arizona's most critical issue: water. Even when more trivial-seeming matters were at stake — such as state Representative David Cook's bill prohibiting nonmilk products from being labeled milk — Engel's wit delivered a breath of fresh air. "Have you ever heard of coconut milk?" she asked Cook. "It could be coconut beverage,'' Cook said. "Peanut butter? Butter comes from cows," Engel responded. "That would seem to violate this law."