ALEC stands for...
American
Legislative
Exchange
Council
The mission of A.L.E.C. is, according to its own official website, to...
Seems benign enough. Link here.
This non-profit organization, 501(c)3 and everything, has maintained a very low profile for decades.
Then a University of Wisconsin professor named William Cronon wrote something in a blog about A.L.E.C. and its connections to the recent political events in Wisconsin. Link here.
Now A.L.E.C. is getting some unwanted scrutiny, and Professor Cronon is the subject of an FOIA request for his e-mails from GOP operatives loyal to A.L.E.C.
The legislation designed to strip public unions of their collective barganing rights in Wisconsin is believed to have been originally drafted by A.L.E.C.
There is also a more local connection to A.L.E.C. right here in our back yard.
42nd District State Senator Doug Ericksen has some relationship with A.L.E.C.
Senator Ericksen was published in the organization's July 2010 newsletter: Inside ALEC. He co-authored an article about health care reform.
It is not clear at this time what other relationship Senator Ericksen might have with this union-busting conservative think tank. I am currently unable to ascertain if Senator Ericksen was merely asked to write an article for the newsletter or if the Senator is a member of A.L.E.C. There is no public listing of A.L.E.C.'s membership roster.
At the recent Town Hall Meeting in Lynden, Senator Ericksen as well as the other elected representatives from 42nd legislative district declined to give any kind of endorsement of the A.L.E.C. supported actions taking place in Wisconsin.
Senator Ericksen did mention something to the effect that he felt the collective bargaining arrangement in place now for public employees in Washington state is not entirely satsifactory to him, but he didn't go so far as to advocate for the outright elimination of collective bargaining for organized public employees.
And plenty of public employees were at the meeting to ask him.
If you are in a union, and he is your Senator, you might want to ask him yourself.
American
Legislative
Exchange
Council
The mission of A.L.E.C. is, according to its own official website, to...
... advance the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty, through a nonpartisan public-private partnership of America's state legislators, members of the private sector, the federal government, and general public.
Seems benign enough. Link here.
This non-profit organization, 501(c)3 and everything, has maintained a very low profile for decades.
Then a University of Wisconsin professor named William Cronon wrote something in a blog about A.L.E.C. and its connections to the recent political events in Wisconsin. Link here.
Now A.L.E.C. is getting some unwanted scrutiny, and Professor Cronon is the subject of an FOIA request for his e-mails from GOP operatives loyal to A.L.E.C.
The legislation designed to strip public unions of their collective barganing rights in Wisconsin is believed to have been originally drafted by A.L.E.C.
There is also a more local connection to A.L.E.C. right here in our back yard.
42nd District State Senator Doug Ericksen has some relationship with A.L.E.C.
Senator Ericksen was published in the organization's July 2010 newsletter: Inside ALEC. He co-authored an article about health care reform.
It is not clear at this time what other relationship Senator Ericksen might have with this union-busting conservative think tank. I am currently unable to ascertain if Senator Ericksen was merely asked to write an article for the newsletter or if the Senator is a member of A.L.E.C. There is no public listing of A.L.E.C.'s membership roster.
At the recent Town Hall Meeting in Lynden, Senator Ericksen as well as the other elected representatives from 42nd legislative district declined to give any kind of endorsement of the A.L.E.C. supported actions taking place in Wisconsin.
Senator Ericksen did mention something to the effect that he felt the collective bargaining arrangement in place now for public employees in Washington state is not entirely satsifactory to him, but he didn't go so far as to advocate for the outright elimination of collective bargaining for organized public employees.
And plenty of public employees were at the meeting to ask him.
If you are in a union, and he is your Senator, you might want to ask him yourself.
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