Reposted from VLTP.net
Op-Ed by Exec. Dir. Bob Sloan
As pressure has been brought to bear upon the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) over the past couple of years, many of their far-right conservative initiatives were brought into the light along with that organization's secretive memberships and vast influence.
Articles began surfacing advising voters of ALEC's involvement in crafting and urging passage of key state legislation designed to suppress voter rights, tort reform (to limit consumer protections) and on social issues involving abortion, separation of church and state, privatization of public schools, utilities and abolishing or repealing the Affordable Care Act. They have written and disseminated labor legislation to end collective bargaining, reduce Union and worker wages and other legislation beneficial to their corporate members.
Most Americans were completely unaware of ALEC from it's conception in 1973...and those who did know ALEC existed, were uninformed as to what ALEC actually did. All of that changed in May 2011 when hundreds of ALEC's documents were turned over to the Nation Magazine and the Center for Media and Democracy by a concerned whistle-blower. In July CMD and the Nation launched "ALEC Exposed" a joint project to fully expose ALEC to the public. When the site went public, there was less than 18 months remaining until the 2012 election, requiring those of us knowledgeable about ALEC to work quickly to make voters fully aware of ALEC.
Other organizations and groups joined CMD in helping to pull ALEC from the dark shadows and expose their activities to all Americans. Groups such as Common Cause, Color of Change, PFAW, Progress Now, Democracy Now and Walden Asset Management joined with CMD in an effort of enlightening everyone about ALEC - and demonstrating why their activities were so dangerous to democracy and the very fabric of our Nation. Jointly they issued state reports identifying ALEC state legislative members, the legislation they were responsible for writing and passing in each state. They issued reports on the corporate members of ALEC that funded and co-wrote free market legislation for the state members to introduce and pass in each state.
Here at VLTP we launched in-depth reports informing of ALEC's involvement at the federal level, the 100 + ALEC alumni serving in congress and their exporting of a conservative American agenda to foreign countries through the formation of a UK based affiliate, the Atlantic Bridge Charity and an ALEC International Relations "Task Force".
With the final results we learned that many of our efforts were successful. Voters in Wisconsin were informed of the long and close relationship between ALEC and former Governor and Senator Tommy Thompson and defeated him at the polls, choosing Tammy Baldwin instead. Similarly in Virginia, ALEC's alum and former US Senator and Governor, George Allen was exposed and then beaten at the polls by former VA Governor Tim Kaine. This was important as Allen was the first "ALEC Federal Forum Task Force" Co-Chair in 2005-06.
Education
An additional plus was the defeat of Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Bennett. Bennett has been criss-crossing the US advocating and lobbying for ALEC's educational legislation and policies. He is particularly fond of Common Core Standards and has pursued passage of that nationally.
Bennett presented the pro-Common Core case to the board of ALEC . Dr. Bennett is also on the Board of Directors of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), one of the two trade associations managing the Common Core Standards (along with the National Governors Association). Additionally, he is the Chairman of Chiefs for Change, an initiative of Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education. The Foundation for Excellence in Education and CCSSO have received $1,000,000 and $70,000,000, respectively, from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the primary force financing and pushing the Common Core.
Bennett was defeated by a Democrat who issued statements Tuesday night that two immediate reforms she will make in Indiana is the repeal of Common Core and ensuring that public money is used to fund public schools. This represents a 180 degree change from what this state has been subjected to under Bennett.
In a win for labor and education, voters in Idaho rejected two referenda to uphold 2011 education laws that had limited collective bargaining for teachers. Proposition 1 to limit teacher contracts failed, with 43 percent voting for and 57 percent against. Proposition 2 also failed, with 42 percent voting for and 58 percent against.
Unfortunately Georgia voters weighed in on a proposal to give the state legislature the right to create public charter schools. The measure passed, with 58.5 percent voting for and 41.5 percent voting against. An ALEC win.
Washington State voted on a proposition to allow the creation of 40 charter schools in the next five years. It has been called the "billionaires initiative" because its signature drive was primarily funded by Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and the parents of Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. The measure passed, with 51.24 percent voting for and 48.76 percent against. Another ALEC win.
In Idaho teachers opposed Propositions 1, 2 and 3 - in an effort to overturn the so-called "Luna laws." These harmful education laws, which are named after the state's schools Superintendent, Tom Luna, are now history. All three propositions were rejected.
Amendment 8 in Florida was pushed by its supporters as a matter of religious freedom when it would have actually allowed the state to publicly fund religious schools and institutions, taking away resources from public schools (more ALEC initiatives). Voters saw through the misleading rhetoric and defeated the measure.
Criminal Justice
Other legislation ALEC has been responsible for are laws dedicated to keeping the "War on Drugs" going. The laws written by them and passed nationwide has been responsible for imprisoning more than 2 million Americans, imposition of long and harsh sentences for marijuana use, possession or cultivation. Related laws involving privatizing prisons, criminal bonds and prison healthcare have resulted in huge profits to corporations involved in each - such as former ALEC members, Geo Group and Corrections Corp. of America - began to experience fear for bottom lines as two states (Colorado and Washington) legalized recreational marijuana use, effectively decriminalizing the drug which will reduce jail and prison populations and costs of imprisonment overall.
Colorado and Montana Vote Against Citizens United. Colorado's Amendment 65 and Montana's Initiative 166 are ballot propositions designed to challenge the Supreme Court decision on Citizens United v. FEC that lifted bans on corporate political spending.
Massachusetts voters passed a proposition to legalize medical marijuana.
California voters approved a softening of the state's "three strikes" sentencing law but upheld the death penalty.
Labor
California's Proposition 32 has been called the "Paycheck Protection" Initiative -- a name straight out of the playbook of ALEC. As CMD has reported, this proposition has been spun as campaign finance reform but would actually "eviscerate labor" by banning employers from withholding union dues and reimbursing the union.
The measure failed to pass, with 43.8 percent voting for and 56.2 percent voting against, but labor spent$75.2 million to hold off the attack. Similar measures have failed twice before in California.
Healthcare
Voters in Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Montana, and Wyoming weighed in on propositions to block aspects of 2010 federal health care legislation, the Affordable Care Act or "ObamaCare." ALEC has been pushing similar laws nationwide.
The measures fared as follows: passed in Alabama, failed in Florida, passed in Missouri, passed percent in Montana, and passed in Wyoming.
Miscellaneous
Michigan
Michigan's controversial Emergency Manager Law, 2011 Public Act 4, allowing the governor to appoint emergency managers to take over local municipalities in place of elected officials was on the ballot in that state. Volunteers collected over 200,000 signatures to get a referendum -- Proposal 1 -- on yesterday's ballot to overturn the law. The measure to keep the law in place failed, with 48 percent voting for and 52 percent against, successfully overturning the law.
Michigan voters also voted on a proposition sponsored by the front group Michigan Alliance for Prosperity (again taken right from ALEC's playbook). The Michigan Taxation Amendment, Proposal 5, is similar to ALEC's Super-Majority Act and would amend the state constitution to require a 2/3 majority in the legislature to enact an increase in state taxes.
The measure failed, with 31 percent voting for and 69 percent against.
Maryland
Maryland voters upheld their state's DREAM Act, which ensures that all Maryland kids whose families pay Maryland taxes are able to pay in-state tuition.
Minnesota
Voters in Minnesota* rejected a voter restriction amendment, which would have placed additional burdens on voting. This marks the first time a popular vote has rejected voter restriction tactics.
It is important to note that though the GOP in Congress is adamantly claiming that the electoral outcome on Tuesday is not a "mandate" for the President's policies and agenda, that claim is totally false. Those considering whether this claim has merit or not should include the voter suppression factor when calculating the actual will of the people.
Efforts by ALEC Alums Governor Kasich and Sec. of State Husted in Ohio to install voter ID laws, limit early voting and reduce the number of days of early voting had an as yet undetermined impact upon voters. The Ohio efforts were mirrored nationwide by states that had passed similar laws or were implementing regulations to reduce the time for early voting and requiring ID's - such as in Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and more than 20 other states. Efforts of suppressing the vote to prevail in key races failed - but undoubtedly those laws did affect turnout of minorities; African Americans, Latino's, Senior citizens and College Students (unable to use their school ID's to vote) - and thus had a measurable impact upon electoral outcome(s).
The President won the popular vote by a margin of approximately 3 million votes. The latest estimate of the number of voters who were disenfranchised by these ALEC voter ID laws has been reported as 5 million. Thus, the margin of President Obama's victory could/should have been by as much as 8 +/- million votes. There is no way of estimating how the disenfranchised would have impacted the final results in other state and national races or upon referenda, ballot issues or questions. Without the extensive voter suppression laws put in place by the GOP through ALEC model legislation, the election outcome would have been considered a landslide rather than just an ass whipping.
What Karl Rove and the donors to his PAC's and dark money funds got in return for the hundreds of millions contributed to advancing the ALEC/GOP agenda was a lessening of the number of voters able to cast their ballots. While they didn't prevail in the face of a huge turnout of Democrats, if left in place such voter laws will have an impact upon the 2014 and subsequent election cycles. An effort must be made immediately to begin to repeal such laws to enable the electorate to vote freely without intimidation or further suppression efforts put in place by one party. Hopefully repeals will be introduced between now and 2014 in the states or better yet, a federal bill to prohibit such suppression.
UPDATE
Republicans are looking forward to 2016. Unfortunately so is ALEC. In this just concluded election cycle ALEC had several alumni or affiliated GOP candidates upon the Republican Presidential and key Congressional tickets. As a refresher; Newt Gingrich (alumni), Michele Bachmann (alumni), Rick Perry (ALEC award recipient), Herman Caine (frequent ALEC speaker) and less known, PA. Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-12)(Greenleaf ran in the NH primary only then withdrew. Fortunate for us, none of the hard core ALEC candidates survived the primary to make it into the general election.
AS I wrote above, George Allen and Tommy Thompson came close to becoming two more ALEC alumni in our Congress. We dodged a bullet.
Today - November 9, 2012, I read an article in the Columbus Dispatch that Governor John Kasich may be listening to GOP suggestions that he make a bid for a Presidential run in 2016...just three days after a thorough ass whipping, here is the introduction of the possibility of an ALEC favorite and (one of the noted early and influential ALEC members going back to the mid 1970's) preparing to become an early entry in the next Presidential cycle:
"At that meeting, in September 1973, state legislators, including then Illinois State Rep. Henry Hyde, conservative activist Paul Weyrich, and Lou Barnett, a veteran of then Gov. Ronald Reagan’s 1968 presidential campaign, together with a handful of others, launched the American Legislative Exchange Council. Among those who were involved with ALEC in its formative years were: Robert Kasten and Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin; John Engler of Michigan; Terry Branstad of Iowa, and John Kasich of Ohio, all of whom moved on to become governors or members of Congress. Congressional members who were active during this same period included Senators John Buckley of New York and Jesse Helms of North Carolina, and Congressmen Phil Crane of Illinois and Jack Kemp of New York."
This is a key indicator that though we have made great strides in exposing ALEC and making their name and the names of their members toxic, there is much to be done...and ALEC has no intention of going quietly into the night. Instead they are doing precisely what the cabal has always done; "doubling down." This is what other powerful ALEC alums such as Eric Cantor and John Boehner have been doing for the past four years now. We've seen their obstructionism on the economy, healthcare, confirmations of Presidential nominees and in many other areas being used to stifle democracy.
As you read above - and are no doubt fully aware - in Ohio Kasich and fellow ALEC alumni sitting as the OH. Sec. of State, Jon Husted did everything possible to suppress votes in that state. ALEC members in the states of PA., FL., AZ., TX., and more than two dozen other states put the same efforts to work in their states. All of their efforts failed but of more importance, though Democrats know it was the GOP doing this, most fail to realize it was ALEC that bore responsibility for such efforts. It wasALEC model legislation that was written and funded by corporate lobbyists that was used nationwide to disenfranchise the millions of voters mentioned above. The ALEC Voter ID Act isn't the only model legislation they wrote and lobbied for - read the full list of voter or election related model bills here. Below are just a sampling of other ALEC "bills" from CMD's SourceWatch site:
ALEC Express Mail Delivery for Military Ballots Act
An Act to Provide Public Information on Convictions of Public Officials
Model Resolution Restricting the Use of Random Sampling
Resolution in Opposition to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
Resolution in Support of the Citizens United Decision
Resolution in Support of the Cornyn-McCarthy Military Voting Protection Act
Resolution in Support of the Electoral College
Resolution on Military Voting Rights
Resolution Opposing Federal Takeover of State Election Procedures
Resolution Opposing Taxpayer Financed Political Campaigns
Resolution Supporting Citizen Involvement in Elections
Resolution Supporting the First Amendment in Elections
Resolution to Preserve the Legislative Process
Resolution to Reform the Ballot Initiative Process
Uniform Faithful Presidential Electors Act
This is an ongoing battle for everyone opposing the ultra-right Conservative ideologies and efforts put forth by the ALEC led, Koch funded cabal. This is not the time to rest and fill ourselves with a belief that because President Obama was re-elected all is well in America and democracy is safe. Clearly it is not. So far we have successfully managed to get more than 7
0 ALEC legislative members to resign their ALEC memberships and another 40+ lost in the election last Tuesday. This is simply a start. ALEC claims nearly 2,000 state legislative members, so the "wins" we've realized are not nearly enough.
ALEC's vision of "limited government, free markets, federalism, and individual liberty" translates to the majority sacrificing our liberty, our freedoms and our rights guaranteed by the government so that the minority can have that as well as our wealth they've already taken through their free-market operations.
I am advocating and hope others will assist in going forward with an increased effort of eliminating ALEC from our legislative and political landscapes. As long as they exist, buying lawmaker's votes, representing and advancing the desires of wealthy billionaires and multi-national corporations, none of our indeed our democracy will ever be safe - or guaranteed.
Between now and the 2014 mid-term election cycle, we have to work to fully identify each current ALEC member (and their alumni serving in Congress or elsewhere within our government), state by state and put forth a public campaign to inform voters not just of who they are...but also the laws they're responsible for introducing and passing, the corporations and billionaires contributing to their campaigns, the ALEC events they attend and the initiatives they are lobbying for.
If we fail to abolish this crowd, we are doomed to re-fight the battles we've already been fighting since 2000. Every election cycle they will try and get their ilk elected by hook or by crook - more legislation to restrict voting rights to property owners and the "elite", exclude Latino's, the elderly and African-Americans from participating in the electoral processes. Elections will no longer be about genuine issues important to our nation and society, our national safety, manufacturing and education. Instead it will be about corporate controls, accumulating the wealth from several classes into the top few hundred of us and about voting to choose which ideology will govern.
I know some will think this is a far-fetched analysis of the future, but if you've been keeping up - this is precisely what happened between 2008 and this past Tuesday. ALEC and the cabal "just missed" with this shot, please don't think they are not even now reloading and taking better aim for subsequent shots.