Have you ever wondered how corporations seem to get everything they want from much of the legislation passed at the state level? Well, one shortcut corporate America has been using is to write that legislation themselves. That's where Alec comes in. Not the good kind of Alec, (Baldwin), but the American Legislative Exchange Council.

ALEC is an organization that works directly with corporations to draft legislation favorable to their business interests whether it be allowing strip mining, opposing telecommunication competition or ensuring weaker safety standards for consumer products. If there is an ugly piece of legislation sure to poison our water and privitize our schools, chances are ALEC had a hand in crafting it. But their work does not stop with writing the legislation. ALEC has thousands of legislators who they work with directly to introduce and support ALEC legislation on behalf of these corporate special interests.

ALEC IN ACTION: Click here for an excellent example of how Koch, Exxon Mobil and other corporations are helping to write state laws.

The following factsheet on ALEC was written by Ginny Downie of Fredericksburg for her website www.justthoughtyoushouldknow.org

ALEC Helps Global Corporations Write State Law with Lawmakers

Founded:1973, as a non-profit 501(c)(3) membership association of statelegislators and corporate policy representatives

ALEC’s Motto:"Limited Government, FreeMarkets, and Federalism"          

Membership Affiliation: ALEC says it is “bipartisan;” however, all ALEC state officers are Republicans; only one of its 29 directors is aDemocrat. Other leadership? 87% of ALEC’s state leaders are Republicans,only 12% are Democrats and 1% is non-partisan.

Legislative Members: ALEC has over 2,000 legislativemembers from all 50 states, plus 85members of U.S. Congress (alumni, John Boehner and Eric Cantor), and 14 governors.State Legislative members pay $25.00 a year to belong to ALEC.

Corporate Members: ALEC’s 300 global corporate members (e.g., Koch Industries, AT&T, Walmart) pay up to $50,000 a year to belong to ALEC and to work with legislators writing law and having a direct link to the halls of congress. In one year alone, 1999-2000, 450ALEC policies were made into state laws.

"This is an emboldened, extreme group that thinks they'll never lose power."

Lisa Graves, Executive Director, Center for Media and Democracy

ALEC’s top priorities…

Fight against laws that protect public health and theenvironment.

Make it harder for students, seniors, and low-income Americans to vote.

Downsize government and remove regulations on corporations.

Break unions.

Toughen rules for voter initiatives, e.g., initiatives involving minimum wage laws and taxation.

Privatize education.

Make sure healthcare reform benefits insurance companies more than policyholders.

Is this legal?

Yes, it is. But somehow it just doesn’t seem right, so we . . .

Just thought you should know.

www.justthoughtyoushouldknow.org

Sources:  ALEC: American Legislative Exchange Council, http://www.alec.org, 7/21/11. “Corporate America’s Trojan Horse in The States,” ALECWATCH, http://alecwatch.org/index.html, 7/21/11. “Exposing ALEC: Why are Corporations Writing State Laws?” The Nation, www.thenation.com, 7/25/11.  John Nichols, “ALEC Exposed: Rigging Elections,” The Nation, www.thenation.com, 7/12/11. Julie Underwood, “ALEC EXPOSED: Starving Public Schools,” The Nation Magazine, 8/8/11. Lisa Graves, “ALEC Exposed: Koch Connection,” The Nation, http://www.thenation.com, 7/12/11. Ruth Conniff, “Center for Media and Democracy Exposes a Legislative Takeover with ALEC Exposed,” The Daily Page, www.thedailypage.com,7/21/11. Wendell Potter, “ALEC EXPOSED: Sabotaging Healthcare,” The Nation Magazine, 8/8/11.

Virginia Legislators with ALEC Ties

House of Delegates

• Del. John Cosgrove (R-78), ALEC State Chairman^[136]
• Speaker William (Bill) Howell (R-28), ALEC Board of Directors^[15][35] and Civil Justice Task Force Member
• Del. William R. Janis (R-56), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member
• Del. Lacey E. Putney (I-19), ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member
• Del. Terry G. Kilgore (R-1), ALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force Member
• Del. Kathy J. Byron (R-22), ALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force Member
• Del. Johnny S. Joannou (D-79), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member
• Del. Harry R. Purkey (R-82), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member
• Del. David B. Albo (R-42), ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member
• Del. Beverly J. Sherwood (R-29), ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member
• Del. Benjamin L. Cline (R-24), ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member
• Del. S. Chris Jones (R-76), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member
• Del. John O'Bannon (R-73), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member
• Del. Jimmie Massie (R-72), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member and Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Alternate
• Del. Christopher Peace (R-97), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member
• Del. Lee Ware (R-65), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Member
• Del. Robert Tata (R-85), ALEC Education Task Force
• Del. Marvin Kirkland Cox (R-66), ALEC Education Task Force
• Del. Mark L. Cole (R-88), ALEC Education Task Force
• Del. Riley E. Ingram (R-62), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member
• Del. John A. Cosgrove, Jr. (R-78), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member
• Del. Timothy D. Hugo (R-40), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force and Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member
• Del. Watkins M. Abbitt, Jr. (I-59), ALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force Alternate
• Del. Barbara J. Comstock (R-34), ALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force Alternate
• Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-31), ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Alternate
• Del. R. Steven Landes (R-25), ALEC Education Task Force Alternate
• Del. Glenn Oder (R-94), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Alternate
• Del. Daniel W. Marshall, III (R-14), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Alternate

Senate

• Sen. Stephen Martin (R-11), ALEC State Chairman^[137]
• Sen. Thomas K. Norment, Jr. (R-3), ALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force Member
• Sen. Ryan T. McDougle (R-4), ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member
• Sen. Stephen H. Martin (R-11), ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member
• Sen. Frank Wagner (R-7), ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Member
• Sen. Stephen D. Newman (R-23), ALEC Education Task Force
• Sen. Frank M. Ruff, Jr. (R-15), ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member