ALEC Exposed

Through ALEC, Global Corporations Are Scheming to Rewrite YOUR Rights and Boost THEIR Revenue

Through the corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council, global corporations and state politicians vote behind closed doors to try to rewrite state laws that govern your rights. These so-called "model bills" reach into almost every area of American life and often directly benefit huge corporations. In ALEC's own words, corporations have "a VOICE and a VOTE" on specific changes to the law that are then proposed in your state. DO YOU? Numerous resources to help us expose ALEC are provided below. We have also created links to detailed discussions of key issues, which are available on the left.

Who Is Behind ALEC?
What Is ALEC? Who Funds ALEC? ALEC Corporations Corporations That Have Cut Ties to ALEC ALEC Politicians (all states) Legislators Who Have Cut Ties to ALEC ALEC Non-Profits and Think Tanks ALEC State Chairs ALEC "Scholars" ALEC Boards & Task Forces ALEC's Koch Connection Common Cause Trove of ALEC Task Force Docs

Essential ALEC Resources

Report on ALEC "Scholarships" (UPDATED!) CMD Fact Sheets on Key Topics ALEC Press by Date and State CMD's PRWatch Articles on ALEC CMD's SourceWatch Resources on ALEC The Nation Special Edition on ALEC Common Cause Trove of ALEC Task Force Docs DBA Press ALEC Archive Voter's Legislative Transparency Project (VLTP) ProPublica Database of ALEC Corporations' Election Spending Abolish ALEC (Daily Kos blog)

Hot Topics
Lobbying and Ethics Complaints ALEC & NCSL Comparison Democracy & Voting Privatizing Education Repealing Labor Rights Health & Tobacco Limiting Environmental Protections Changing Civil & Criminal Law Immigration Corporate Prisons PRWatch Articles on ALEC SourceWatch Resources on ALEC

ALEC's "Model Bills"

Worker and Consumer Rights bills here. Analysis here. Tort Reform and Injured Americans bills here. Analysis here. Privatizing Schools and Higher Education bills here. Analysis here. Health, Big Pharma, and Social Welfare bills here. Analysis here. Environment, Energy, and Agriculture bills here. Analysis here. Democracy, Voting, and Federal Relations bills here. Analysis here. Tax & Budget bills here. Analysis here. Guns, Prisons, Crime and Immigration bills here. Analysis here.

State Reports

Arizona (CMD) Colorado (Common Cause) Florida (Progress Florida/ PFAW/CMD/Florida Watch Action/CC) Georgia (Better Georgia) Iowa (Progress Iowa/ CMD/PFAW/CC/Progress Now) Louisiana (Common Cause) Maine (Maine's Majority Education Fund) Michigan (Progress Michigan/ Michigan Citizen Action/CMD/CC/PFAW) Minnesota (Common Cause) Missouri (Progress Missouri) Nebraska (Bold Nebraska) Nevada (Progress Now Nevada) New Hampshire (Granite State Progress) (supplemental on "Right to Work for Less") New Jersey (PFAW/CMD/CC/Progress Now) Ohio (CMD/Progress Ohio/PFAW/CC)] Pennsylvania (Keystone Progress) and PA Education Report (CMD) Texas (CC/CMD) Utah (PFAW/CC/Alliance for a Better Utah/CMD) Virginia (Progress VA) Wisconsin (Center for Media and Democracy) State Bill Comparisons

ALEC News

ALEC Plans “Confidential” Helicopter Border Tour in Texas for Board Members ALEC will take its legislative board members on a “confidential border tour” on Monday, August 12, just before the start of it’s Annual Meeting in Austin, according to documents obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy. Read the rest of this item here. Coke, Pepsi Drop Trade Association Pushing Plastic Ban Bans Plastic Industry Association works with ALEC to block regulation of single-use plastics. Read the rest of this item here. ALEC Says “Strike!” Just Do It Without Unions The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has gone on the record as supporting the right of workers to bargain collectively, and even strike, for better working conditions — as long as they do it without a union. Read the rest of this item here. Comcast Is Latest Telecommunications Company to Drop ALEC Comcast, one of the remaining telecommunication members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), has left the corporate bill mill. Read the rest of this item here. ALEC Teams up with Anti-LGBT Alliance Defending Freedom to Promote So-Called “Campus Free Speech” Bills ALEC is actively working with Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian Right litigation nonprofit that pursues an anti-LGBT agenda, to push so-called “Campus Free Speech” bills in the states. Read the rest of this item here. ALEC’s Washington State Chair Discussed Violence, Surveillance Against Constituents Washington State Rep. Matt Shea (R-Spokane) has found himself back in the spotlight again, this time for messages sent and received through the Signal app discussing acts of violence against and surveillance of left-wing activists. Read the rest of this item here.

More ALEC News

Trump Appoints Stephen Moore, ALEC’s Favorite Economist, to Fed Stephen Moore, Trump’s recent appointment to the Federal Reserve Board, has served as the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) leading voice for austerity and anti-labor policies for over a decade. Read the rest of this item here. CMD Continues to Throw Spotlight on Legislators Heralded by Secret Group ALEC seems to have stopped recognizing its rising stars with its “Legislator of the Week” award, switching instead to a monthly award. Read the rest of this item here. State Bills to Criminalize Peaceful Protest of Oil & Gas “Critical Infrastructure” Lawmakers in several states are introducing bills that would increase criminal penalties for people who trespass “critical infrastructure” facilities, such as oil and gas pipelines, power plants, and petrochemical refineries. Read the rest of this item here. ALEC Corporations Are Leaders in Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Since 2000, corporate members of ALEC piled up almost $150 million in fines, penalties, and court settlements in cases involving racial and age discrimination and harassment. Read the rest of this item here.

Join the Conversation!

Breaking News
Watchdog groups sound the gerrymandering alarm on ALEC’s ‘redistricting’ workshops ThinkProgress Public Notice: The Wrong Way, The Right Way The Austin Chronicle Conservative Political Group ALEC Is Coming to Town The Austin Chronicle Track costs of lawmakers’ conferences The Citizens' Voice There is no conservative momentum for a carbon tax The Washington Examiner Meet the lobbyists and special interests who helped launch Pete Buttigieg's political career Center for Public Integrity Land transfer advocate and longtime agency combatant now leads BLM High Country News Despite California’s travel ban, lawmakers find ways to visit states with ‘anti-LGBTQ’ laws Los Angeles Times Columnist’s agenda should be made clear Great Bend Tribune States are where the substantive debates are happening The Times Record Four awful new state laws that punish citizens The Star Florida Groups Unite to Take on Preemption Next City New trade minister Liz Truss had private talks in US with libertarian groups The Guardian How US regulators embrace toxic pesticides & the corporations that make them RT Legal scholars say life lobbying ban might not be constitutional Politico A Red Deal Jacobin Backdoor Appointment At Interior Adds To Fears Of A Public Land Sell-off HuffPost Democracy is under attack. But how to protect it while Trump is in the White House? The Washington Post Editorial: Facade of dog-days calm giving way to high-stakes legislative maneuvers and arm-twisting WRAL.com Coke, Pepsi Drop Trade Association Pushing Plastic Bag Bans ExposedbyCMD Right-Wing Troika The Nation As plastic bans spread, industry went on attack Houston Chronicle Sen. Bailey wrong on economics of Navy Growlers at Whidbey The Daily Herald Four awful new state laws that punish citizens Florida Phoenix Koch, Bradley money fuels Trump's right-wing echo chamber ExposedbyCMD The Left Needs a Statewide Strategy Jacobin Magazine ANTI-IMMIGRATION POLICIES DRIVING CONVICT FARM LABOR TO LEVELS NOT SEEN SINCE JIM CROW ERA Milwaukee Independent Texas Governor Criminalizes Energy Pipeline Protests American Free-Press Fascism & #Fake Republicans Clean Technica SÓ LIXO: Como a indústria de plásticos luta para continuar poluindo o mundo The Intercept Brazil Combatting surveillance capitalism New Age States using, sharing model legislation poses a couple of risks Press of Atlantic City School takeovers fail. Is Houston next? (Opinion) Houston Chronicle As Charles Koch Cultivates Anti-War Image, Koch Industries Profits from Defense Contracts The American Prospect Coca-Cola, PepsiCo Leave Pro-Plastics Lobbying Association SB News Corruption Consultants Center for American of Progress Sen. Susan Wagle to seek Kansas GOP nomination for U.S. Senate Leavenworth Times Oklahomans paying to educate ‘ghost students’ in numerous districts City-sentinel 'Heartbeat bill:' Dem lawmakers plan strategy; petition seeks to delay start date SaportaReport Jonathan Williams to speak at Northwood University symposium Midland Daily News Koch, Bradley Money Fuels Trump’s Right-Wing Echo Chamber ExposedbyCMD Some Minnesota bills copied from other states, even written by special interests StarTribune Susan Wagle, GOP leader of Kansas Senate, launches bid to replace Pat Roberts in 2020 Kansas City Star After 48 Years, Democrats Still Haven’t Gotten the Memo The New Republic Combatting Surveillance Capitalism: An Orwellian Lesson in History from Ford to Google Counterpunch
Click here to find archived news articles.

ALEC - The Backroom Where Laws Are Born

This is a glimpse into the world of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a corporate-funded charity that pays for lawmaker trips to resorts where they leave with ready-to-pass bills. Neither ALEC nor the Georgia legislature would show us where the money comes from, or who it goes to.

A Charity for Lawmakers? ALEC Legislator Resigns to Become Lobbyist

Rep. Ben Harbin resigned after two decades as a Georgia legislator the same day as 11ALive reporters asked him for an interview about the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) meeting where he was found behind closed doors with the top state lobbyist for the cell phone industry. Atlanta's 11Alive follows up on its behind-the-scenes investigation of ALEC.

ALEC Exposed is a project of the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD). CMD does NOT accept donations from for-profit corporations or government agencies. More information about CMD is available here. You can reach CMD's Executive Director, Arn Pearson, via editor AT ALECexposed.org. Privacy policy: Other than material you post to this wiki in your name, our privacy policy is that we will not disclose private personally identifiable information or data about you, such as your name, email address, or other information, unless required by law. On copyright: ALEC Exposed considers contributions to this wiki to be released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License or in accordance with law. Information on how to provide us with notice regarding copyright is available at this link. Notices regarding copyright or other matters should be sent to our designated agent, Arn Pearson, via email (editor AT ALECexposed.org).

Worker and Consumer Rights · Tort Reform and Injured Americans · Privatizing Schools and Higher Ed Policy · Health, Pharmaceuticals and Safety Net Programs · Environment, Energy and Agriculture · Democracy, Voter Rights and Federal Power · Taxes and Budgets · Guns, Prisons, Crime and Immigration