ALEC, of course, is not a person. ALEC is the American
Legislative Exchange Council, a self-described “nonprofit” organization of
conservative state legislators and private sector representatives who draft “model
legislation” to be introduced into state governing bodies around the country.
An example of an ALEC proposal, according to reports, is the omnibus education
bill—known as Senate 451—which seeks to redefine public and private education
in West Virginia to benefit the state’s elite while draining funds from public
schools and punishing teachers who went on strike last year to fight for a
meager pay raise.
Nearly all of ALEC’s funding is provided by corporations
including—but not limited to—Koch Industries, Exxon Mobil, Reynolds American (big
tobacco), Philip Morris Tobacco (now called Altria), Energy Future Holdings,
Peabody Energy and Walmart, and trade associations including the
pharmaceutical industry's PhRMA. The organization uses its funds to buy state
legislators who then meet behind closed doors with ALEC representatives to
rewrite state laws that govern individual rights, including:
* Expanded voter identification laws to restrict minority voting;
* Anti-environment laws that rebuke climate change, encourage
fossil fuel consumption and discourage the use of alternative energy sources;
* Laws to lower or eliminate other environmental regulations;
* Pro-life statutes and laws to restrict or ban abortions;
* Bills to reduce corporate taxes;
* Right to Work and other laws designed to damage, cripple or kill labor unions;
* “Stand Your Ground” pro-gun legislation; and
* Legislation to privatize certain institutions, including
prisons and public schools.
Bills promoted by ALEC are not designed to improve the lives
of every day citizens; they are almost always written to directly benefit their
corporate patrons and benefactors. For example, in several states, ALEC worked
to overturn laws that required utility companies to produce a percentage of
their electricity using alternative sources such as water, wind and solar. That
left utilities free to burn more fossil fuels—specifically coal and natural
gas—which benefits the businesses of the Brothers Koch.
ALEC provides the basic templates for bills that members may
customize and introduce for debate in their own state legislatures.
Approximately 200 of ALEC’s model bills become law each year.
I don’t know what other bills ALEC has generated for this session
of the West Virginia Legislature but you can bet than none of them will do the
average state resident any good. I’m also looking for a list of state lawmakers
who are supported by ALEC or members of its legislative council. Here is a
partial list, culled from several sources:
* State Senator Patricia Rucker, (R-16), Harpers Ferry, State
Chair, said to be a driving force behind SB 451;
* Delegate Eric Householder (R-56), Martinsburg, State Chairman
and Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force member;
* Delegate Gary Howell (R-49), Keyser, member of ALEC Energy,
Environment and Agriculture Task Force; and
* Larry Kump (R-59), Falling Waters.
(Funny how they all seem to hail from the same general area
of the state, wouldn’t you say?)
For the present, I encourage West Virginia voters to continue to oppose legislation that would undercut public education in the state and any other pro-ALEC legislation you can identify. For the future, I’d suggest that the next time you
encounter your elected representatives, you ask them if and how they are
affiliated with ALEC and what they’re getting from the organization for their
support. Then, if any of them has the stones to own up to it, I strongly
encourage you to vote him or her out of office the very next time you get the opportunity.
That’s because if you’re an average West Virginian—like
me—ALEC is not interested in your welfare. Not in the least. But don’t take my
word for it. Following are some links you can follow to educate yourself about
ALEC, its sponsors and its goals. I strongly suggest that you click these links
and read up on ALEC before it’s too late.
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