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ALEC News

ALEC's "Rich States, Poor States" Paints a Happy Face on Failing State Policies

Yesterday, 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.

The poster child for the ALEC anti-tax, low-wage policy agenda is Koch Industries' home state, Kansas, which has been plugged by Governor Sam Brownback as a "real live experiment in supply side economics. But Brownback's tax cuts have thrown the state into fiscal crisis, saddling the state with a projected budget deficit of $190 million for the next fiscal year, no reserves, slashed public services, and lagging job growth. Although wealthy taxpayers and businesses have reaped big benefits, it's an economic disaster for working families. Read the rest of this item here.

CMD Submits Evidence of ExxonMobil Funding ALEC’s Climate Change Denial to CA Attorney General

he Center for Media and Democracy has submitted evidence to California Attorney General Kamala Harris showing how ExxonMobil has promoted climate change denial through the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). CMD believes this information is relevant to her office's investigation into whether ExxonMobil deceived its shareholders and the public about the impact that burning fossil fuels has on climate change.

CMD has identified at least $1,730,200 in funding from ExxonMobil to ALEC between 1998 and 2014, based on publicly available disclosures, although the actual total is likely higher. CMD has documented Exxon funding for ALEC at least as early as 1981.

This funding makes ExxonMobil one of ALEC's biggest financial supporters as ALEC has promoted legislation, resolutions, presentations, and publications seeking to stop efforts to address climate change, and has indoctrinated thousands of state legislators with the idea that "a great deal of scientific uncertainty" surrounds the science of climate change and that carbon emissions "may even be beneficial." Read the rest of this item here.

Koch Self-Interest in Criminal Justice Reform, Exposed

Charles and David Koch have received positive press for backing a bipartisan effort to reform American criminal justice laws, which have helped make the U.S. the world's biggest jailer and whose burdens have fallen disproportionately on people of color.

But, as the Kochs ride the wave of momentum toward criminal justice reform, it is becoming increasingly clear that part of their agenda would actually make it harder to prosecute corporate violations of environmental and financial laws that protect the public from corporate wrongdoing. The changes would make it harder to hold executives and their employees responsible for violating U.S. laws and would protect their financial interests, at the public's expense. Read the rest of this item here.

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-<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/12/13002/koch-criminal-justice-reform-trojan-horse Koch Self-Interest in Criminal Justice Reform, Exposed]</h3>
+<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/11/12982/alecs-rich-states-poor-states-paints-happy-face-failing-state-policies ALEC's "Rich States, Poor States" Paints a Happy Face on Failing State Policies]</h3>
-[[Image:Koch_Trojan_horse270px.jpg|270|center]]Charles and David Koch have received positive press for backing a bipartisan effort to reform American criminal justice laws, which have helped make the U.S. the world's biggest jailer and whose burdens have fallen disproportionately on people of color.
+[[Image:I_heart_ALEC_austerity270px.jpg|270|center]]Yesterday, 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.
-But, as the Kochs ride the wave of momentum toward criminal justice reform, it is becoming increasingly clear that part of their agenda would actually make it harder to prosecute corporate violations of environmental and financial laws that protect the public from corporate wrongdoing. The changes would make it harder to hold executives and their employees responsible for violating U.S. laws and would protect their financial interests, at the public's expense.
+It's going to take a lot of paint this year.
-Over at least the past five years, the Kochs and Koch-backed groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have been pushing to increase the "intent" standard for criminal violations, particularly for so-called "white collar" crime and executive suite criminals. Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/12/13002/koch-criminal-justice-reform-trojan-horse here].
+The poster child for the ALEC anti-tax, low-wage policy agenda is Koch Industries' home state, Kansas, which has been plugged by Governor Sam Brownback as a "[http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/04/kansass-failed-experiment/389874/ real live experiment] in supply side economics. But Brownback's tax cuts have thrown the state into fiscal crisis, saddling the state with a projected budget deficit of $190 million for the next fiscal year, [http://www.kansasbudget.com/ no reserves], [http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/05/19/3660279/kansas-extra-session-tax-cuts-repeal/ slashed public services], and [http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article29761057.html lagging job growth]. Although wealthy taxpayers and businesses have reaped big benefits, it's an [http://www.thinkncfirst.org/research/kansass-tax-cut-disaster-explained-in-five-charts economic disaster] for working families. Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/11/12982/alecs-rich-states-poor-states-paints-happy-face-failing-state-policies here].
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-<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/12/12998/alec-and-acce-pay-play-meeting-belly-beast-scottsdale ALEC and ACCE Pay-to-Play Meeting: in the Belly of the Beast in Scottsdale]</h3>
+<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/01/13021/ALEC_Exxon_climatedenial_california CMD Submits Evidence of ExxonMobil Funding ALEC’s Climate Change Denial to CA Attorney General]</h3>
-[[Image:ALEC_bluelogo-money-handshake-paytoplay270px.jpg|270|center]]Much like plastic debris makes its way into the innocent stomachs of our wildlife, I recently found myself in the belly of the proverbial beast—the [http://www.alecexposed.org/ American Legislative Exchange Council] (ALEC). ALEC held its annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, the first week in December. And, as a recently elected Councilmember from Tempe, Arizona, I attended on my own dime.
+[[Image:ExxonMobil-ALEC-logo270px.jpg|270|center]]he Center for Media and Democracy has submitted [http://www.prwatch.org/files/01-21-16_cmd_letter_to_ca_ag.pdf evidence] to California Attorney General Kamala Harris showing how ExxonMobil has promoted climate change denial through the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). CMD believes this information is relevant to her office's [http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-exxon-global-warming-20160120-story.html investigation] into whether ExxonMobil deceived its shareholders and the public about the impact that burning fossil fuels has on climate change.
+CMD has identified at least $1,730,200 in funding from ExxonMobil to ALEC between 1998 and 2014, based on publicly available disclosures, although the actual total is likely higher. CMD has documented Exxon funding for ALEC at least as early as 1981.
-In a new twist of the ALEC playbook, policymakers and lobbyists have formed a mini-ALEC called "ACCE," the [http://www.thenation.com/article/meet-alecs-little-brother-acce/ American ''City and County'' Exchange]. Its director, John Russell, has proclaimed that ACCE will do for cities what ALEC has done for states—which he described as serving as a "nonpartisan free market forum" for local elected officials to learn from "industry experts and policy analysts." Translation: while Congress is gridlocked, cities are driving progressive change, so let's use our fossil-fueled cash to put an end to such change. Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/12/12998/alec-and-acce-pay-play-meeting-belly-beast-scottsdale here].
+This funding makes ExxonMobil one of ALEC's biggest financial supporters as ALEC has promoted legislation, resolutions, presentations, and publications seeking to stop efforts to address climate change, and has indoctrinated thousands of state legislators with the idea that "a great deal of scientific uncertainty" surrounds the science of climate change and that carbon emissions "may even be beneficial." Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/01/13021/ALEC_Exxon_climatedenial_california here].
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-<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/12/12994/alec-dumped-major-electric-utility-over-opposition-clean-power-plan Major Electric Utility Dumps ALEC over Clean Power Plan]</h3>
+<h3>[http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/12/13002/koch-criminal-justice-reform-trojan-horse Koch Self-Interest in Criminal Justice Reform, Exposed]</h3>
-[[Image:AEP-corporate-sign270px.jpg|270|center]]The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has suffered the loss of another major corporate sponsor, the [http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/08/american-electric-power-ditches-alec-membership ''Guardian''] reported Tuesday, with the electric utility American Electric Power (AEP) announcing it will no longer provide the climate change denial group with funding from 2016.
+[[Image:Koch_Trojan_horse270px.jpg|270|center]]Charles and David Koch have received positive press for backing a bipartisan effort to reform American criminal justice laws, which have helped make the U.S. the world's biggest jailer and whose burdens have fallen disproportionately on people of color.
-AEP becomes the [http://sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Corporations_that_Have_Cut_Ties_to_ALEC 107th identified corporation] to have withdrawn funding since the Center for Media and Democracy launched the ALEC Exposed project in 2011, joining others such as Shell, BP, Google, Microsoft and Facebook.
-The loss of AEP will be particularly troubling for ALEC. AEP lobbyist Paul Loeffelman is still listed on the ALEC website as the private sector chairman for the group's Energy, Environment and Agriculture task force. This task force is the arm of ALEC promoting climate change denial to state legislators and driving its anti-environmental agenda. Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/12/12994/alec-dumped-major-electric-utility-over-opposition-clean-power-plan here].
+But, as the Kochs ride the wave of momentum toward criminal justice reform, it is becoming increasingly clear that part of their agenda would actually make it harder to prosecute corporate violations of environmental and financial laws that protect the public from corporate wrongdoing. The changes would make it harder to hold executives and their employees responsible for violating U.S. laws and would protect their financial interests, at the public's expense. Read the rest of this item [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2015/12/13002/koch-criminal-justice-reform-trojan-horse here].
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