Politics

News

GOP Vote Rigging Stalls in Virginia and Florida but Pushes On in Wisconsin and Michigan -- Why?

by Brendan Fischer — January 28, 2013 - 9:20am
  • Topics: Democracy, Politics

    • Virginia's governor has come out against a partisan effort to reallocate electoral college votes by Congressional district, but the plan is far from dead in other states, with governors in Wisconsin and Michigan voicing support for similar measures. The split between Virginia and other states on this issue may not be explained entirely by cooler heads prevailing -- it might be part of a political calculation about how best to elect a Republican president in 2016.

    News

    ALEC Has Opposed "Popular Vote" Efforts Which Would Protect Against Partisan Rigging of Electoral College

    by Brendan Fischer — January 25, 2013 - 10:39am
  • Topics: Corporations, Democracy, Politics
  • Projects: ALEC Exposed

    • The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has actively lobbied against state plans to implement a national popular vote for president, urging state legislators to preserve the Electoral College -- which GOP legislators are now trying to rig to ensure the the next president is a Republican. In late 2011, ALEC officially changed its policy on the Electoral College to implicitly support allocating electoral votes by congressional district.

    News

    Five Days Before Latest College Shooting, TX Legislator Introduced ALEC/NRA Bill to Allow Guns on Campus

    by Brendan Fischer — January 23, 2013 - 8:58am
  • Topics: Lobbying, Politics
  • Projects: ALEC Exposed

    • Just days before three people were shot in an altercation on a college campus in Texas, fourteen Texas State Senators co-sponsored a National Rifle Association-backed bill to prohibit colleges from restricting concealed handguns on campuses. The legislation closely resembles a "model" adopted by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

    News

    Another Walker Aide Sentenced to Prison in Secret "John Doe" Investigation

    by Brendan Fischer — January 22, 2013 - 3:47pm
  • Topics: Ethics, Politics

    • Another top official to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker during his tenure as Milwaukee County Executive has been sentenced to two years in prison for embezzling funds intended for families of veterans. The sentencing appears to close a chapter in the ongoing "John Doe" investigation into corruption and misconduct in the Walker County Executive's office, but the book remains open.

    News

    The NRA and Koch-Backed ALEC Have Fought Gun Buyback Programs Across Country

    by Brendan Fischer — January 15, 2013 - 7:43am
  • Topics: Corporations, Democracy, Politics
  • Projects: ALEC Exposed

    • The National Rifle Association (NRA) is threatening legal action if the Tucson Police Department tries to destroy the guns it acquired through a voluntary gun buyback program -- thanks to legislation advanced by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and then passed in Arizona.

    News

    FreedomWorks Putting Its War Chest to Work for ALEC’s Anti-Union Agenda in the States

    by Brendan Fischer — January 14, 2013 - 8:57am
  • Topics: Democracy, Labor, Politics
  • Projects: ALEC Exposed

    • The Tea Party-affiliated group FreedomWorks -- the right-wing organization that helps connect "Tea Party" groups with talking points, rallies, and more -- is gearing up to direct its sizeable war chest towards advancing anti-union initiatives in the states, supporting an agenda set by groups like David Koch's Americans for Prosperity and the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). This strongly suggests that the battle for the future of private and public sector unions in America is beginning a new phase of combat.

    News

    What Will Scott Walker Lift from the ALEC Agenda in 2013?

    by Brendan Fischer — January 9, 2013 - 9:33am
  • Topics: Corporations, Democracy, Politics
  • Projects: ALEC Exposed, Wisconsin Protests

    • Wisconsin's 2011-2012 legislative session saw the introduction of 32 bills or budget provisions reflecting American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) model legislation -- including Governor Scott Walker's contentious attack on public sector collective bargaining, voter ID legislation, and bills that make it harder for Americans to hold corporations accountable when their products injure or kill -- and 19 of those proposals became law.

    News

    CMD Joins Amicus Brief Asking U.S. Supreme Court to Allow All Americans to Access Public Records

    by Brendan Fischer — January 4, 2013 - 10:33am
  • Topics: Democracy, Politics
  • Projects: ALEC Exposed

    • The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) has joined an amicus brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the right of all Americans to access public records, regardless of which state they call home.

    News

    $12M Donation to FreedomWorks Laundered through a "Shell Corporation" May Have Violated Federal Law

    by Brendan Fischer — January 3, 2013 - 9:14am
  • Topics: Election 2012, Corporations, Democracy, Politics

    • New details are emerging about how a multi-millionaire used shell corporations to funnel money to the Super PAC associated with embattled Tea Party group FreedomWorks for America -- and how those laundered contributions may have violated federal law.

    Editorial

    A New Year's Message to Our Readers

    by Lisa Graves — December 31, 2012 - 11:04am
  • Topics: Campaign Finance, Corporations, Democracy, Economy, Energy, Environment, Media, Politics

    • You helped make the world a better place this year. You helped expose corruption and thwart efforts to distort our democracy.

    1. You helped force 42 major corporations and 70 legislators to do something they did not want to do, leave the American Legislative Exchange Council.

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