State Legislator of the Month – KS Representative Tory Arnberger

For this month, we are pleased to announce Kansas Representative Tory Arnberger as the August State Legislator of the Month. This award is used to highlight substantive state policy successes by State Legislators – bringing their local story to a national platform. The award is highlighted by a partnership of liberty-loving organizations: FreedomWorks, Turning Point USA and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). This partnership is second to none in highlighting the tireless work of state legislators.

Representative Arnberger is a young state lawmaker guided by the principles of limited government and federalism. In Kansas, Governor Kelly issued an executive order regarding mandated masks in public that allowed county boards to make the final decision for their counties. Not only did Representative Arnberger encourage Kansans to voice their concerns to local leaders, but she also encouraged county boards to be responsive to their constituents. As a former teacher, she believes re-opening schools should be addressed in the same, decentralized way – by empowering local decisionmakers to act in the best interest of their constituents.

And, August 2020 marks the 100-year anniversary of the ratification of the 19^th Amendment, securing female voters a seat at the table. But in Kansas, legislation was passed granting women the right to vote in 1912, making it one of the many states to approach the issue with a state-first mentality – just like we have here at ALEC. This year, Representative Arnberger and her colleagues in the Kansas legislature honored those brave women and men who worked tirelessly with a piece of legislation their own: a house resolution in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the 19^th Amendment.

Representative Arnberger works every day to advance the principles of limited government and federalism in Kansas. During the pandemic, she has been a true leader for her constituents – emphasizing local control in the face of state mandates and utilizing her experience as a former school teacher to inform policy discussions on education in the COVID-19 era.

Thank you, Representative Arnberger, for protecting individual liberty and free enterprise in the states. Congratulations on being the newest State Legislator of the Month.