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ALEC News

ALEC "Right to Work" Law Tossed Out in Wisconsin Dane County Circuit Court Judge William Faust struck down the state's private-sector "right-to-work" law late today. In February 2015, Governor Walker and the Wisconsin legislature pushed through a private-sector right-to-work bill over the objections of thousands of workers and 450 Wisconsin construction firms who rallied against the bill. Workers in right to work states union and nonunion workers in RTW states have lower wages and fewer benefits, on average, than comparable workers in other states. have significantly lower wages and fewer benefits. The battle over "right to work" and the future of Wisconsin's workforce was the subject of a New York Times magazine cover story. CMD quickly exposed the bill as a verbatim American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) measure authored by ALEC member legislators, including ALEC's National Chair and Wisconsin State Senator Leah Vukmir. Read the rest of this item here. ALEC Touted "Transparency" in Pushing for the Panama Free Trade Agreement An unprecedented leak of millions of documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca has revealed how some of the world's most powerful figures hide their wealth from taxation and public scrutiny. But it also exposes the bankruptcy of the promises of transparency and better governance that helped corporate interest groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) sell the American public on "free trade" with Panama. The "Panama Papers" document how members of the global elite from Russian President Vladimir Putin, to multiple members of China's Politburo, to a FIFA ethics committee member have secreted billions of dollars—much of it likely acquired through corruption and questionable financial schemes. The growing scandal has already prompted Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson to resign, on April 5, has British Prime Minister David Cameron defending his family tax dealings in Panama, and much of the 3.4 terabyte leak has yet to be analyzed. Read the rest of this item here. Corporate Polluters Undermining Clean Power in Virginia The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter and the Center for Media and Democracy released ALEC EXPOSED: Corporate Polluters Undermining Clean Power in Virginia, a report that reveals the influence that ALEC and its political allies have exerted to stymie state climate and clean energy policies. The report focuses on ALEC's efforts to stop the Clean Power Plan, which sets the nation's first-ever protections against harmful carbon pollution by giving each state a carbon reduction goal to help cut national carbon pollution from power plants by 32% from 2005 levels by the year 2030. EPA has estimated that by 2030 the Clean Power Plan will prevent 150,000 asthma attacks and up to 6,600 premature deaths annually. The Clean Power Plan is an important part of the U.S. commitment to reduce harmful carbon pollution. "I was pleased that during the 2016 General Assembly session we were able—at least so far—to fend off ALEC's attempt to derail Virginia's plan to curb emissions and comply with the Clean Power Plan," said Virginia Delegate Rip Sullivan (D-48). "It is disappointing and troubling, though, that ALEC-inspired HB2 and SB21 passed the General Assembly." Read the rest of this item here.