Senator Debbie Lesko has been named the 2016 Legislator of the Year by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Lesko was honored at the recent ALEC National Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Senator Lesko spearheaded fundamental pension reform in Arizona in 2016. The reform legislation passed the Senate unanimously, the House overwhelmingly, and voters strongly approved it in a May election. The pension reform lowers costs to taxpayers and places meaningful controls on the system while preserving an attractive benefit structure, doing it all in the difficult realm of public safety pensions. The reform is likely to become a national story and reform model.

The group also recognized Senator Lesko for her sponsorship of SB 1350, which prohibits municipal bans on short-term rentals such as Airbnb and HomeAway.

“Senator Debbie Lesko was an easy choice for ‘Legislator of the Year’,” said Lisa B. Nelson, Chief Executive Officer at ALEC. “She embodies the ALEC motto of limited government, free markets and federalism. Her enthusiasm is contagious and she works effectively in the Arizona Senate to make government more effective and accountable to the people it serves.”

Senator Lesko has served as chair of the ALEC Women's Caucus, a network of women lawmakers focusing on giving women a larger voice in public policy discussions and increasing the number of women state office holders.

ALEC described Senator Lesko as the most competent, no-nonsense State Chair who does the best job of bringing members to meetings, representing ALEC to her fellow legislators, and building unity and cohesion in her delegation.

“I ran for office to make a difference and that is why I take on big issues. I am very honored to be named ‘Legislator of the Year’ by such a respected national organization. Thank you ALEC for your decades of work with state legislators to promote limited government, free markets, and states’ rights,” said Senator Lesko.

The American Legislative Exchange Council is America’s largest nonpartisan, voluntary membership organization of state legislators dedicated to the principles of limited government, free markets and federalism. Comprised of nearly one-quarter of the country’s state legislators and stakeholders from across the policy spectrum, ALEC members represent more than 60 million Americans and provide jobs to more than 30 million people in the United States.