April 12, 2012

PRESS RELEASE FROM PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY

Contact: Justin Greenberg or Miranda Blue at media@pfaw.org

PHOENIX -- Legislators in Arizona continue to advance extremist legislation inspired by the American Legislative Exchange Council [3] (ALEC) and its out-of-state corporate backers, according to a new analysis [4] by People For the American Way Foundation, Common Cause, the Center for Media and Democracy and Progress Now. This report shines a new light on the Arizona Legislature's unprecedented ties to the secretive organization, which recently drew nationwide fire for its role in implementing radical policies across the country like "Shoot First" laws and voter suppression laws, and anti-worker measures. ALEC's extreme agenda has recently led companies such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Wendy's, KRAFT and Intuit to withdraw from the organization. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Monday also withdrew its support from ALEC.

The comprehensive report found that Arizona's large concentration of ALEC-member legislators, working hand-in-hand with the corporate leaders who make up ALEC's membership, are continuing to endorse special interest legislation that harms ordinary people by limiting consumers' rights, privatizing education and dismantling unions.

The report, ALEC in Arizona: The Voice of Corporate Special Interests in the Halls of Arizona's Legislature, updated for the Fiftieth Legislature, second regular session is available here [4].

"Recent polling shows that Arizonans are appalled by the out-of-touch and extremist agenda at their State Legislature. This report shows that agenda is no accident," said John Loredo, a member of Arizona Working Families and a former Arizona House Minority Leader. "Unfortunately, Arizona has one of the highest concentrations of ALEC legislators in the country, and that makes us a petri dish for anti-worker legislation and a host of other bad ideas."

"ALEC-member legislators are unabashedly continuing to push legislation straight from corporate headquarters to Arizona's lawbooks," said Marge Baker, Executive Vice President at People For the American Way Foundation. "Well-heeled special interests are circumventing the democratic system and bypassing Arizona's citizens, who can't match the level of access that ALEC provides. As a result, Arizonans are facing an endless assault from laws that serve the interests of the rich and powerful instead of everyday people."

"The more Arizonans learn about ALEC, its agenda, and its tactics in advancing that agenda, the more they wonder why their elected representatives and leading corporate citizens would be associated with such an organization," said Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause. "No business has a legitimate interest in limiting the right to vote or in undermining public education; no legislator can reasonably defend laws that protect the manufacturers of dangerous or defective products. In embracing ALEC, lawmakers and business people embrace these and other policies that betray the public interest."

"ALEC' state chair, Rep. Debbie Lesko, has claimed she gives equal access to ALEC corporation as Arizona citizens about changing the law, but this report shows how special interests outside of Arizona are crafting massive changes to the rights of state citizens behind closed doors," said Lisa Graves, Executive Director of the Center for Media and Democracy/ALECexposed.org, adding "Public records also document that Rep. Lesko raises funds from ALEC corporations to distribute to ALEC legislators that help advance ALEC's agenda so they can go on resort trips where politicians secretly vote on model bills such as these with corporate lobbyists voting as equals. This is distorting the law in ways that harm Arizona families and should be stopped."

The updated report demonstrates the scope of ALEC's policymaking influence with a side-by-side comparison of ALEC "model bills" with recently-submitted Arizona legislation, including:

• Anti-worker legislation designed to limit the freedom of public employees to voice their views by making it more difficult to collect professional association and union dues and blocking members from participating in professional association and union functions;
• Bills that make it easier for corporations to get away with wrongdoing and restricting consumers' ability to seek justice in a court of law; and
• Attacks on public education by replacing real teachers with private, for profit, "virtual classrooms."

ALEC Exposed, a project of the Center for Media and Democracy, has uncovered and analyzed approximately 800 ALEC "model" bills secretly voted on by corporations and politicians in an effort to reveal the undue influence major corporations hold, with the help of ALEC, in our democracy. Click here [5] for more information.