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Sunday New York Times Front Page Story on ALEC

Below is an excerpt of the April 21, 2012 front page New York Times expose on ALEC.

New York Times: Conservative Nonprofit Acts as a Stealth Business Lobbyist

By Mike McIntire

Desperate for new revenue, Ohio lawmakers introduced legislation last year that would make it easier to recover money from businesses that defraud the state.

It was quickly flagged at the Washington headquarters of the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, a business-backed group that views such "false claims" laws as encouraging frivolous lawsuits. ALEC's membership includes not only corporations, but nearly 2,000 state legislators across the country -- including dozens who would vote on the Ohio bill.

Right-Wing Operatives Take Up ALEC's Voter Suppression Agenda

Just as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) tried to distance itself from its role pushing parts of the NRA's gun agenda and making it more difficult for American citizens to vote, a controversial right-wing operation has announced that it will step in to help carry forward the "voter ID" agenda. The "National Center for Public Policy Research" (NCPPR) announced Wednesday that it will form a "Voter Identification Task Force."

This comes in response to ALEC's announcement Tuesday that it will dismantle its "Public Safety and Elections Task Force" through which corporate lobbyists and elected officials voted behind closed doors to approve "model" legislation that creates obstacles to American citizens voting through restrictive voter ID bills, as well as other damaging legislation, such as reckless gun laws that have been cited to protect violent vigilantes from being held accountable.

Hang onto that Paycheck! ALEC "Sharpens Focus on Jobs"

This week the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) announced that it would disband its controversial "Public Safety and Elections Task Force" to "Sharpen its Focus on Jobs, Free Markets and Growth." The disbanding of the source of a few of its more extreme proposals on voter ID, "Stand Your Ground/Shoot to Kill," and AZ SB1070 will do little to clean up ALEC's reputation. Each of ALEC's nine task forces is a little shop of horrors of legislative proposals that only Milton Friedman could love.

Wisconsin Governor Faces Protests at Home and On the Road

sign that says "go home"Wisconsin's Governor Scott Walker was in Illinois, speaking to the Illinois Chamber of Commerce on April 17, and a huge crowd of protestors was there to "unwelcome" him.

While Walker compared himself to Honest Abe on the inside of the Lincoln Hotel in Springfield, an estimated 4,000 workers rallied on the outside. Props included a giant rat and a large Walker image on a board imprinted with the words "don't Badger us."

WI Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs Gets New Post

Chief Tubbs announces he is accepting new position with Dane County (source: Leslie Peterson)Wisconsin Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs announced today that he will be assuming a new position with Dane County starting in June. In a press conference held at the County Executive's Office, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced that he had selected Tubbs as the new Director of Dane County Emergency Management.

Tubbs was applauded by many for his handling of the massive protests against Governor Walker's collective bargaining bill in the winter of 2011. Tubbs was responsible for the security and safety of Capitol staff as well as protestors inside and outside the Capitol building. Despite an 18-day Capitol occupation and protests topping 100,000 on a regular basis, there were no injuries and few arrests. Tubbs was praised by many protesters for his respectful communication, which helped maintain a peaceful atmosphere. In more recent months, Tubbs has received some criticism regarding the rising number of arrests in the Capitol.

ALEC Disbands Task Force Responsible for Stand Your Ground, Voter ID, Prison Privatization, AZ's SB 1070

Under growing public pressure and the departure of multiple corporate members, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has announced it is disbanding the Task Force that has been responsible for some of the organization's most controversial pieces of legislation. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker introduced several bills approved by that Task Force when he was a legislator in the 1990s and early 2000s.

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