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Revision as of 17:22, 2 March 2016

More ALEC News

Ford Becomes Latest Major Corporation to Dump ALEC

Ford Motor Company confirmed to the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) that it is cutting ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization that has drawn heavy criticism for promoting climate change denial and for opposing the development of renewable energy sources.

"As part of our annual budget review, we have adjusted our participation in several groups. We will not be participating in ALEC in 2016," wrote Christin Baker, a Ford spokesperson in an email to CMD.

Its products might be "Ford Tough," but in making the decision to stop funding ALEC, Ford executives are responding to consumer concern over its membership in the controversial, Koch-funded ALEC, which has both an extreme anti-worker agenda as well as an anti-environmental agenda.

The departure makes Ford the 108th identified company to cut ties with ALEC in recent years. Read the rest of this item here.

Koch-Fueled Playbook against WV Working Families Exposed by CMD

West Virginia Senate President Bill Cole's spokesman said Monday that Cole "will travel throughout West Virginia and beyond...." to talk about his legislative agenda that limits workers' rights.

And, boy, did he go beyond, according to David Gutman of the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Cole flew to a world far away from West Virginia when he traveled this weekend to the luxurious Esmeralda resort, which describes itself as creating “an atmosphere of luxury and relaxation unmatched” in Palm Springs, California. Read the rest of this item here.

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.

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-<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/02/13029/2016-ALEC-local-control Corporate Interests Take Aim at Local Democracy]</h3>
+<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/02/13043/ford-becomes-latest-major-corporation-dump-alec Ford Becomes Latest Major Corporation to Dump ALEC]</h3>
+Ford Motor Company confirmed to the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) that it is cutting ties with the [http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed American Legislative Exchange Council] (ALEC), an organization that has drawn heavy criticism for promoting climate change denial and for opposing the development of renewable energy sources.
-Across America, corporate interests are taking aim at local government.
+"As part of our annual budget review, we have adjusted our participation in several groups. We will not be participating in ALEC in 2016," wrote Christin Baker, a Ford spokesperson in an email to CMD.
-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.
+Its products might be "Ford Tough," but in making the decision to stop funding ALEC, Ford executives are responding to consumer concern over its membership in the controversial, Koch-funded ALEC, which has both an extreme anti-worker agenda as well as an anti-environmental agenda.
-In response, corporate interests and groups like the [http://www.alecexposed.org 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 [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/02/13029/2016-ALEC-local-control here].
+The departure makes Ford the 108th identified company to cut ties with ALEC in [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Corporations_that_Have_Cut_Ties_to_ALEC recent years]. Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/02/13043/ford-becomes-latest-major-corporation-dump-alec here].
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-<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/02/13031/reporters-guide-koch-playbook-right-work Reporters Guide on the Koch Right to Work Playbook]</h3>
+<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/02/13030/koch-fueled-groups-launch-offensive-against-wv-working-families Koch-Fueled Playbook against WV Working Families Exposed by CMD]</h3>
-West Virginia is the latest front in a national battle to undermine worker rights bankrolled by the billionaire Koch brothers.
+West Virginia Senate President Bill Cole's spokesman [http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/20160201/wv-senate-president-bill-cole-speaks-at-retreat-organized-by-koch-brothers said] Monday that Cole "will travel throughout West Virginia and beyond...." to talk about his legislative agenda that limits workers' rights.
-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.
+And, boy, did he go beyond, according to David Gutman of the ''Charleston Gazette-Mail''.
-Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/02/13031/reporters-guide-koch-playbook-right-work here].
+Cole flew to a world far away from West Virginia when he traveled this weekend to the luxurious Esmeralda resort, which describes itself as creating [http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pspsr-renaissance-indian-wells-resort-and-spa/ “an atmosphere of luxury and relaxation unmatched”] in Palm Springs, California. Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/02/13030/koch-fueled-groups-launch-offensive-against-wv-working-families here].
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-<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/01/13024/national-school-choice-week-fueled-major-right-wing-funders-and-corporate-lobby "National School Choice Week" Fueled by Major Right-Wing Funders and Corporate Lobby Groups]</h3>
+<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/02/13029/2016-ALEC-local-control Corporate Interests Take Aim at Local Democracy]</h3>
-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.
+Across America, corporate interests are taking aim at local government.
-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.
+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 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 [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/01/13024/national-school-choice-week-fueled-major-right-wing-funders-and-corporate-lobby here].
+In response, corporate interests and groups like the [http://www.alecexposed.org 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 [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/02/13029/2016-ALEC-local-control here].
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