What You Should Know About ALEC (that ALEC Doesn't Want You to Know)

ALEC, also known as the American Legislative Exchange Council, is the nation’s largest non-partisan, individual public-private membership association of state legislators (at least, that is what they claim to be on their website, but we will get to that later).

Founded almost five decades ago in Chicago, a small group of nonpartisan lawmakers got together aimed at creating a smaller, more limited government, promoting a free market, and making a shift towards a federalist state.

Even today, those affiliated with ALEC claim that they are representing the minority, attempting to make a better United States. Each year, nearly 1,000 bills are introduced that are at least somewhat based on ALEC Model Legislation. An average of 20 percent of these bills eventually become law.

What started out as a small group of lawmakers unhappy with the system has now turned into more than 2,000 individuals from the Senate, the House, and some of the country's largest corporations, including Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, Walmart, Coca-Cola, Intuit and Exxon.

ALEC has been shaping our government, our laws, our politicians and more for decades. State-based legislators have developed ties that are far too close knit with what was supposed to be a nonpartisan not-for-profit designed to encourage a free market.

The pockets of the organization have become so fat with donations from some of the United States most successful companies, that ALEC has gained the ability to buy the laws they want, and buy the rights to turn down the laws they dislike.

By focusing on state legislation, rather than federal law, ALEC is able to fly under most peoples' radar while taking advantage of the trust of the citizens. ALEC's large bankroll and litany of high-powered members allows the group to veto proposals and ideas that aren't to their liking. ALEC has also been known to propose measures that are quickly turned into model bills that create consistent messages across the country.

Companies with Ties to ALEC:

• The Koch Brothers Industries
• AT&T
• The Altria Group
• Exxon
• Shell
• Mobile
• Kraft Foods
• PhRMA
• Bayer
• State Farm
• The United States Postal Service
• American Express
• AstraZeneca
• Walmart
• and the list goes on...

Notable Members of ALEC:

• William Carmichael, national chair of the American Bail Corporation
• Daniel Smith, board member at Altria
• Cynthia Bergman, executive at Exxon
• Mike Morgan, head of Koch Companies Private Sector
• Steve Seele, chairmain of SAP America
• Don Bohn, VP at Johnson and Johnson
• Derek Crawford, VP at Kraft
• Gene Rackley, Director of Public Affairs at Coca-Cola
• and again, the list goes on...

The original founders of ALEC probably never would have had that first meeting if they could predict where the organization would be today.

Here is a list of headlines that expose the true motives of ALEC, and are excellent portrayals of why this group must be stopped:

• ALEC Lashes Out at Google for "lies" Regarding Climate Change
• Google Cuts Ties with ALEC Over Disagreements Over the Groups Intentions, Exxon, Shell and Mobile Stay Put
• Toronto Star Derails Attempts by ALEC to Deny Climate Change
• While Tech Companies Like Google and Microsoft Drop ALEC, Kock Brothers Industry, Big Tobacco and PhRMA Remain
• ALEC Agenda in Dallas: Eviscaration of Medicaid, School Privatization and Expansion of Gas Exports
• ALEC Politicians Caught Plagiarizing Draft of Bill
• Pesticide and GMO Companies Back ALEC with Record Breaking Contributions
• ALEC Drafts a Bill for the House Called "Stand Your Ground" - Bill Passes Into Law
• ALEC Tampers with Wisconsin Constitution

What was meant to be about lessening the power of the government, reducing the size of the government, promoting a free market and working towards equal distribution of power has now become a massive entity in our government driven by power, money and greed.

ALEC exposed was created by the CMD (Center for Media Democracy), a group that accepts no outside contributions, and is fueled by its desire to educate an unaware public.

Unlike ALEC, the CMD provides all information pertaining to the organization to any member of the public who is interested. They don't make deals behind closed doors that benefit the few, but rather work on a low budget relentlessly attempting to expose the corruption and greed that has fueled ALEC to this day.

Through their website, ALECexposed.org, the CMD provides a litany of evidence of corporate misconduct and misuse of government authority on the part of ALEC and its members.

What ALEC has been doing is against the law, it violates the rights of us citizens, and it makes an already unever playing field that much more uneven. It is time we all open our eyes to the corruption going on between our government, our lawmakers, and the corporate powers that have a hand in ALEC's pocket.

The influence corporations and money have on our political system has gotten out of hand. By bringing more and more attention to issues like ALEC, we are making it harder and harder for them to remain so descrete. Don't turn a blind eye on your future, your children's future, and our country's future. Expose ALEC today.