![\"\"](\"https:\/\/alec.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lisa-Demi-CEO-Update.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nNot only that, but we held discussions on the biggest issues facing our states today, including data centers, energy affordability, education freedom, election integrity, tax reform, and so much more. If you weren\u2019t there, check out the video below<\/a> to learn why ALEC\u2019s Annual Meeting is THE best event of the summer.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n At the Annual Meeting, we heard from:<\/p>\n Dr. Bob McClure of the James Madison Institute and Former Speaker of the Florida House Steve Crisafulli on why the principles ALEC espouses\u2014free markets, limited government, and federalism\u2014have set Florida on the right track. \u00a0<\/p>\n Stephen Moore, Steve DelBianco, and Senator Paul Bettencourt on the data center race. While there, we also honored White House Chief of Staff and Florida native Susie Wiles as this year\u2019s Iron Lady Award recipient. Susie is the first woman to hold that position and now President Trump\u2019s longest serving Chief of Staff. <\/a>We were honored to have Susie make virtual remarks where she praised ALEC\u2019s role and discussed the critical work being done in the Trump administration.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Susie joins the company of incredible women such as Senator Ashley Moody and Congresswoman Victoria Spartz. What makes Susie so inspiring is her refusal to quit\u2014despite her recent cancer diagnosis, she continues to carry out her duties in one of the toughest jobs in the world!<\/p>\n Being with such incredible people over nearly three days always inspires me and reminds me of why ALEC\u2019s work across all 50 states is so important. I cannot thank our National Chairwoman and Florida State Representative Demi Bussata and our Florida members enough for being such amazing hosts. I\u2019m already excited about the States and Nation Policy Summit, taking place December 9-11 in Washington, D.C. Mark your calendars now and make plans to attend!<\/p>\n The discussions we had in Orlando are timely as we consider what\u2019s happening across the country even now. For instance, our pro-school choice allies in Arizona, ranked second in the nation in our latest Index of State Education Freedom,<\/a> are fighting tooth-and-nail to defend the state\u2019s education freedom scholarship program. Teachers\u2019 unions and their partners recently submitted enough signatures to place an initiative on the fall ballot to gut Arizona\u2019s education freedom program, pending certification by the Secretary of State. And this isn\u2019t the only place that left-wing groups are trying to take school choice from families\u2014in Arkansas, groups tried (and failed!) for a second time to gut that state\u2019s transformational program. The lesson is clear\u2014these groups will stop at nothing to prevent families from making the best educational choice for their children.<\/p>\n There was also plenty of discussion in our Policies and Procedures Task Force on election integrity, which President Trump addressed in a speech to the nation recently. By revealing China\u2019s attempts to influence America\u2019s elections and the intelligence community\u2019s refusal to disclose these attempts to the President, he made a clear case for strengthening both our election integrity laws and our resistance to foreign influence in so many aspects of American life. ALEC has led the charge in both areas, from model policies like the Valid Voter Identification Act<\/a> to our Statement of Principles Relating to the People\u2019s Republic of China.<\/a> We will continue to fight for the security of our most sacred right, the right to safe and accurate elections, and against the influence of America\u2019s enemies here at home.<\/p>\n However, without question, the biggest topic of discussion at this year\u2019s meeting was data centers and AI. While Governor Kathy Hochul of New York was bowing to the most radical elements of her party<\/a> and placing a moratorium on data centers in her state,<\/a> President Trump was working with 23 governors<\/a> in expanding the Ratepayer Protection Pledge.<\/a> This pledge will ensure that data center companies will pay for power expansion while investing in local workforce development. While China is helping to fund opposition to the critical expansion of data centers here in the U.S., President Trump and local leaders know that we must win the AI race\u2014and are working hard to ensure America leads the world in this important advancement.<\/p>\n We were honored to have John Solomon with us in Orlando. While there, he filmed an episode of Just the News where he discussed this critical issue. Check it out below:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014-<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014-<\/p>\n As we build on the momentum from Orlando, one thing is clear: the challenges facing our states are also opportunities for leadership. Whether defending education freedom, strengthening election integrity, advancing AI policy, or expanding economic opportunity, ALEC will continue equipping state leaders with the ideas and policies they need to keep America strong.<\/p>\n See you in the states!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you weren\u2019t with us in Orlando for the 53rd Annual Meeting, you missed an incredible, record-breaking event!…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":361783,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[139,141,140],"class_list":["post-361782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=361782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361782\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/361783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=361782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=361782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=361782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nErika Donalds on the importance of education freedom to the future of the American dream.
\nHugh Hewitt on why ALEC\u2019s work is important and how it can transform states. Hugh also hosted his show live from our meeting, and I was pleased to be his first guest from Orlando.<\/p>\n
\nSenator Phil Gramm on America\u2019s economic growth and the challenges with government price controls.
\nState Representative Jennifer Canady and Eva Moskowitz on the innovation education freedom brings.
\nCMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz on the Trump administration\u2019s work to root our waste, fraud, and abuse in healthcare\u2014and the critical work that ALEC\u2019s Government Efficiency Task Force does across the states.
\nTaiwanese Ambassador Alexander Yui Tah-ray on the ever-strengthening American-Taiwan ties and ALEC\u2019s longstanding support of Taiwan.
\nOklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on energy independence and its implications for national security, economic strength, and quality-of-life.
\nMark Weatherford of NVIDIA on the growth of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n