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More ALEC News

Corporate Interests Take Aim at Local Democracy Across America, corporate interests are taking aim at local government. With Congress gridlocked and a majority of state legislatures controlled by right-wing interests, cities have become laboratories of democracy for progressive policies like a higher minimum wage, LGBTQ protections, or parental leave. In response, corporate interests and groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have increasingly been turning to state "preemption" measures to override an array of progressive policy gains at the city or county level. Read the rest of this item here. Reporters Guide on the Koch Right to Work Playbook West Virginia is the latest front in a national battle to undermine worker rights bankrolled by the billionaire Koch brothers. The effort in West Virginia to enact a Right to Work law (Senate Bill 1) and repeal the state's prevailing wage (HB4005) is following the same playbook used in Michigan and Wisconsin, involving a similar cast of Koch-backed out-of-state characters to drive the agenda. Read the rest of this item here. "National School Choice Week" Fueled by Major Right-Wing Funders and Corporate Lobby Groups With 32 governors proclaiming a "School Choice Week," and more than 16,000 scheduled events listed on the promotional website, #NationalSchoolChoiceWeek has become a big deal, and not by accident. Launched five years ago by the Gleason Family Foundation—which spent more than $4.3 million on the project in 2014—the week has grown rapidly through the backing of advocacy groups and deep pockets of funders focused on promoting charters, vouchers, and tax credits that aid private schools, including religious and for-profit ventures. In federal and state budgets, "school choice" policies often divert or reduce Americans’ tax dollars available for traditional public schools. Read the rest of this item here. ALEC's "Rich States, Poor States" Paints a Happy Face on Failing State Policies The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) rolled out another edition of its "Rich States, Poor States" publication. The publication annually slaps a fresh coat of paint on the flawed fiscal and economic austerity policies favored by the group and its corporate patrons. It's going to take a lot of paint this year. Read the rest of this item here.