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ALEC News

Cashing in on Kids: 172 ALEC Education Bills Push Privatization in 2015 Despite widespread public opposition to the corporate-driven education privatization agenda, at least 172 measures reflecting American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) model bills were introduced in 42 states in 2015, according to an analysis by the Center for Media and Democracy, publishers of ALECexposed.org and PRWatch.org. (A PDF version of this report may be downloaded here.) One of ALEC's biggest funders is Koch Industries and the Koch brothers' fortune. The Kochs have had a seat at the table—where the private sector votes as equals with legislators—on ALEC's education task force via their "grassroots" group Americans for Prosperity and their Freedom Partners group, which was described as the Kochs' "secret bank." The Kochs also have a voice on ALEC's Education Task Force through multiple state-based think tanks of the State Policy Network, ALEC's sister organization, which is funded by many of the same corporations and foundations and donor entities. Read the rest of this item here. Koch-ALEC Right to Work Power Play Exposed in a Small Illinois Village Last month, four unions sued the Village of Lincolnshire in federal court in Chicago. The unions representing engineers, construction workers, and carpenters--including three affiliated with the AFL-CIO--filed suit on February 18, 2016, to have Lincolnshire's anti-union "right-to-work" ordinance declared invalid and prevent its enforcement. Two days after the federal lawsuit was filed, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 filed a related lawsuit alleging that Lincolnshire Mayor Elizabeth Brandt wrongfully barred two men from speaking against the ordinance when it was originally being considered in December. So how did a town with a population of 7,280 become a frontline in the national fight to destroy unions? Because Lincolnshire is in the vanguard of the latest, localized scheme to dismantle unions drawn directly from the Koch playbook. Read the rest of this item here. Bankruptcy Filing Shows Arch Coal Funding for Climate Denial Legal Group Chris Horner E&E Legal Senior Legal Fellow The Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E Legal), a group best known for filing lawsuits seeking climate scientists' personal emails, has secretly received funding from Arch Coal, one of the largest coal producers in the United States. The funding is revealed in documents recently filed as part of the Arch Coal bankruptcy proceedings which list the coal company's creditors. The Arch funding is revealed just months after Alpha Natural Resources, another coal company facing bankruptcy, was identified by The Intercept as providing funding to a group closely connected to E&E Legal, the Free Market Law Clinic, as well as funding directly to E&E Legal's lawyer, Chris Horner. The two organizations share staff and fellows, often working together to bring lawsuits. Although E&E Legal is listed as a creditor, the Arch court filing does not provide any other details that would indicate the size of the funding nor when any payment or payments were made. Read the rest of this item here.