ALEC Exposed

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Is an ALEC Member

With Fox personalities defending the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the Wall Street Journal publishing editorials criticizing its detractors (including the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), by name), some have wondered whether or not Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, which owns Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, and many broadcast licenses, is an ALEC member.

Yes, News Corp. is an ALEC member. It has funded ALEC operations.

Amazon.com 16th Corporation to Dump ALEC

Message to Amazon.com Shareholders (Source: ProgressNow)Amazon.com General Counsel Michelle Wilson announced at a shareholder meeting in Seattle this morning that Amazon has decided not to renew its membership in the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) this year. Dave Johnson, a Fellow at Campaign for America's Future, is reporting from the shareholder meeting and confirmed to the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) that he heard the announcement.

Members of ColorOfChange.org, CREDO Mobile, People for the American Way, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, SumOfUs, and Fuse Washington carried a petition to the shareholder meeting containing over 500,000 signatures and calling on Amazon.com and other corporations to stop funding ALEC. According to ColorOfChange.org, organizational representatives tried to deliver the petition signatures to the meeting but were turned away.

Scantron 15th Corporation to Dump ALEC

Scantron formScantron Corporation, a $200 million for-profit educational testing and online tutoring company that makes, among other things, those ubiquitous scan forms for standardized tests (please make sure you fill in the bubble completely and clearly with a #2 pencil, etc.), joined the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) late in 2010, but a company spokesperson told CMD that it is no longer a member. Scantron's departure makes it the 15th corporation to cut ties with ALEC.

CMD Calls on Reps. Fitzgerald and Suder to Comply with WI Open Records Law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2012

CONTACT: Brendan Fischer, brendan@prwatch.org

Lawful Open Records Requests for Their ALEC-Related Records Have Been Disregarded for Months

The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is calling on Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald and Assembly Majority Leader Scott Suder to follow Wisconsin's open records law and release emails relating to the controversial American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Fitzgerald is a long-time ALEC member and Suder is the ALEC Public Sector Co-Chair for Wisconsin, and both legislators are known to have received ALEC-related records in their office and email systems. Yet neither legislator has made these records available to the public, as is required by law.

CMD Applauds Senator Van Wanggaard's Move to Distance Himself from Corporate-Funded ALEC Scholarships, Asks That He Renounce ALEC Membership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 18, 2012

CONTACT: Sara Jerving, sara@prwatch.org

The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) applauds Senator Van Wanggaard's move to distance himself from the corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) "scholarship" program, and is asking that he now renounce his membership in the organization.

CMD Releases New Report: "ALEC Exposed in Wisconsin: The Hijacking of a State"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 17, 2012

CONTACT: Sara Jerving, sara@prwatch.org

 

Groups Call for Attorney General Investigation

of ALEC Lobbying Activities

MADISON -- Today, the Madison-based Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) released a new report that details the exclusive network of corporate lobbyists and special interest groups that influence the Wisconsin legislature through the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

CMD Special Report: New Documents Confirm Koch Was on ALEC Crime Task Force Led by NRA (Part One)

PART ONE: New documents show that Koch Industries had a seat on the controversial "Public Safety and Elections Task Force" of the American Legislative Exchange Council as of at least 2011. (Part two of this special report detailing the extent of the gun agenda over the past two decades is available here.)

ALEC Exposed - A project of CMDALEC announced it was dropping that task force in the wake of the controversy over the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin and so-called "Stand Your Ground" (SYG) laws. However, the co-leader of that task force, Rep. Jerry Madden (R-TX), revealed ALEC's announcement to be a PR maneuver when he reassured The Christian Post that his task force's work would continue through other ALEC task forces.

Quid pro Status Quo: ALEC & State-Sanctioned Corruption in Ohio

Part 1: Legislative Service with a Smile

"Quid pro quo: something given or received for something else"

-- Merriam-Webster Dictionary

ALEC Exposed - A project of CMDAt about ten o'clock on the morning of March 23, 2011, Faith Williams walked into the office of Ohio House Majority Whip John Adams (R-District 78). Williams, a lobbyist with firm, Bricker & Eckler, LLP, (Bricker) had an appointment to speak with Adams about an "economic development study" created by some of her clients in the life insurance industry.

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