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ALEC News

ALEC Exposed: 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 under the Paris international climate agreement, and the goal for Virginia is modest compared to surrounding states. "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—thankfully not by veto-proof majorities. Virginia should be leading the way on clean energy, but sadly, we lag far behind. I will continue to work hard to push for meaningful progress, moving Virginia toward a new clean energy economy." Read the rest of this item here. Barring Plastic Bag Bans, another ALEC Law Takes Aim at Local Democracy The pay-to-play model of government advanced by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) scored another victory this week. On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Senate voted along party lines to approve a bill that would prohibit local communities from issuing their own rules on plastic bags and other containers. This is part of an emerging national trend. Preventing local governments from banning, charging a fee for, or otherwise regulating plastic bags is part of a national strategy by corporate interests and groups they fund, like ALEC to override progressive policy gains at the city and county level. Read the rest of this item here. CMD Calls on ALEC to Disclose Information during Sunshine Week In the spirit of national Sunshine Week, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) has written a letter to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and its state chairs (see list) calling on them to live up to their own statements about the importance of transparency and release basic information about their legislative operations. "It's interesting that ALEC has touted the principles of public transparency for government accountability," said CMD executive director Lisa Graves. "Now we'd like to see ALEC apply those principles to their own legislative activities and interactions between ALEC legislators and ALEC corporations that undermine accountability." Read the rest of this item here.