Sens. Rodney Tom and Steve Litzow have been honored for their work on charter schools by the Washington Policy Center with with the Champion of Freedom Award. Tom, a Bellevue Democrat, and Litzow, a Mercer Island Republican, were recognized by the WPC during the center’s annual dinner at the Bellevue Hyatt Regency on Oct. 15 attended by over 1,600 guests.

Other past winners include Phil Smart, Bruce McCaw, Charles Pigott, and former Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn.

“This is a great honor for me to be included with such a distinguished list of award winners,” said Tom. “For me charter schools are about giving every student a chance to achieve academic success.”

As co-prime sponsors of the charter school legislation, Reps. Glenn Anderson and Eric Pettigrew also received the 2012 Champion of Freedom Award.