July 21, 2009
Contact: Jorge Amselle
(202) 742-8536
jamselle@alec.org
Vukmir honored as "Legislator of the Year" by peers at national gathering
(Atlanta, Ga.) — Wisconsin State Rep. Leah Vukmir was honored as “Legislator of the Year” by her peers at the 36th Annual Meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in Atlanta on Friday, July 17. This award goes to state legislators who are ALEC members in good standing and have distinguished themselves by advancing, introducing and/or enacting policies based on the fundamental Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism and individual liberty.
Rep. Vukmir is a Registered Nurse and Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. In November of 2002, Rep. Vukmir was elected to her first term as Representative to Wisconsin’s 14th Assembly District. She serves as the former Chair and Ranking Member of the Assembly’s Committee on Health and Health Care Reform. She also serves on the Public Health Committee and is a member of the Assembly committees on Education and Education Reform. Rep. Vukmir worked tirelessly to stop a government-run health care proposal in Wisconsin in 2007. She is a stellar legislator who introduces many ALEC HHS model bills each session.
“Thanks to ALEC, I have enjoyed the privilege of working with some of the finest legislators and policy experts in the country. To have been chosen for this distinction is an honor for which I will always be grateful and proud,” said Vukmir.
ALEC’s Annual Meeting featured former U.S. Senator and Georgia Governor Zell Miller, along with Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and others who addressed an audience of nearly 1,600 state legislators and business leaders in Atlanta at the American Legislative Exchange Council’s 36th Annual Meeting held July 15 to 18.
“The annual Meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council provides a unique opportunity for legislators from all 50 states to come together to discuss policy solutions collectively along with public-policy experts and the private sector,” said Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, Bill Howell, ALEC's 2009 National Chairman. “ALEC's process of producing principled model legislation is unparalleled among its type,” he added.
Other notable speakers included Dr. Art Laffer, renowned economist & author; Stephen Moore, Wall Street Journal editorial board member; syndicated radio host Herman Cain; and Daniel Hannan (MEP).
ALEC’s annual meeting also featured special workshops on medical innovation, higher education, energy and economic recovery, virtual learning, state budget transparency, legal reform, and climate change.
Most of the business conducted at ALEC occurs in one of its nine Task Forces which include; Health and Human Services; Natural Resources; Education; Tax and Fiscal Policy; Public Safety and Elections; Civil Justice; Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development; Telecommunications and Information Technology; and International Relations. These Task Forces have considered, written, and approved hundreds of model bills, offering real policy solutions for states on a wide range of issues. Each year, state legislatures consider close to 1,000 bills that are based, at least in part, on ALEC Model Legislation. Hundreds of these bills are enacted every year.
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The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is the nation's largest nonpartisan, individual membership organization of state legislators. www.alec.org
