Businessman, philanthropist, and former state legislator Art Pope collected an honor tonight in Asheville from the State Policy Network, a group that supports America’s state-based free-market think tanks.

Pope, who played a leading role in forming the John Locke Foundation, won the 2009 Thomas Rowe Award for his work in supporting JLF and other conservative and libertarian groups.

In the clip below, Pope describes why legislators need help from principled policy groups.

Watch the entire 36:29 award presentation by clicking play below.