Seriously?:
The mission of the American Legislative Exchange Council is…
…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….
[emphasis added]
Really?
The Private Enterprise board of ALEC:
Private Enterprise Board Chairman
Mr. W. Preston Baldwin, Centerpoint360 (2011 Chairman)
Private Enterprise Board Members (as of December 1, 2010)
Ms. Sano Blocker, Energy Future Holdings
Mr. Don Bohn, Johnson & Johnson
Mr. Jeff Bond, PhRMA
Mr. Bill Carmichael, American Bail Coalition
Mr. Derek Crawford, Kraft Foods, Inc.
Mr. John Del Giorno, GlaxoSmithKline
Mr. Matt Echols, Coca-Cola Company
Mr. Jim Epperson, Jr., AT&T Services, Inc.
Mr. Michael Hubert, Pfizer Inc
Ms. Teresa Jennings, Reed Elsevier, Inc.
Mr. Ken Lane, DIAGEO
Mr. Kelly Mader, Peabody Energy
Mr. Bernie McKay, Intuit, Inc.
Mr. Mike Morgan, Koch Industries, Inc.
Mr. Kevin Murphy, ExxonMobil Corp.
Mrs. Sandra Oliver, Bayer Corporation
Mr. David Powers, Reynolds American Inc.
Ms. Maggie Sans, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Mr. Russell Smoldon, Salt River Project
Mr. Toby Spangler, Altria Client Services, Inc.
Mr. Roland Spies, State Farm Insurance Co.
Mr. Pat Thomas, United Parcel Service
Mr. Jerry Watson, Chairman Emeritus
[Emphasis added]
Like any of these folks would ever hang with DFHs?
It gets even better. On their Board of Scholars:
….Arthur B. Laffer is the founder and chairman of Laffer Associates, an economic research and consulting firm. As a result of Dr. Laffer’s economic insight and influence in starting a worldwide tax cutting movement during the 1980s, many publications have named him The Father of Supply Side Economics….
Reagonomics, eh?
Their Board of Directors:
National Chairman
Rep. Noble Ellington, Louisiana
Rep. Dave Frizzell, Indiana
Rep. John Piscopo, Connecticut
Rep. Linda Upmeyer, Iowa
Rep. Liston Barfield, South Carolina
Immediate Past Chairman
Rep. Tom Craddick, Texas
Board Members
Sen. Curt Bramble, Utah
Rep. Steve McDaniel, Tennessee
Rep. Harold Brubaker, North Carolina
Sen. Ray Merrick, Kansas
Sen. Jim Buck, Indiana
Sen. Bill Raggio, Nevada
Sen. Kent Cravens, New Mexico
Sen. Dean Rhoads, Nevada
Rep. Jim Ellington, Mississippi
Sen. Chip Rogers, Georgia
Sen. Billy Hewes III, Mississippi
Sen. William Seitz, Ohio
Spkr. Bill Howell, Virginia
Rep. Curry Todd, Tennessee
Sen. Owen Johnson, New York
Sen. Susan Wagle, Kansas
Sen. Michael Lamoureux, Arkansas
Noble Ellington, republican
Dave Frizzell, republican
John Piscopo, republican
Linda Upmeyer, republican
Liston Barfield, republican
Tom Craddick, republican
Curt Bramble, republican
Steve McDaniel, republican
Harold Brubaker, republican
Ray Merrick, republican
Jim Buck, republican
Bill Raggio, republican
Kent Cravens, republican
Dean Rhoads, republican
Jim Ellington, republican
Chip Rogers, republican
Billy Hewes, republican
William Seitz, republican
Bill Howell, republican
Curry Todd, republican
Owen Johnson, republican
Susan Wagle, republican
Michael Lamoureux, republican
“…through a nonpartisan public-private partnership of America’s state legislators…”
Really? They don’t even try for an appearance, do they?
Why should we care?:
One of the most important resources ALEC provides to its members is model legislation. Through the combined effort and unique partnership of public and private sector members, model legislation is drafted, deliberated and approved by one of ALEC’s eight Task Forces. These bills provide a valuable framework for developing effective policy ideas aimed at protecting and expanding our free society.
While ALEC provides the resources, our members, long known for their legislative activism, introduced hundreds of bills based on ALEC model legislation. During the latest legislative cycle, dozens of ALEC model bills were enacted into law.
Model legislation, like:
Federal Affairs Resolutions
Constitutional Convention Amendment
States’ Initiative Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
Resolution Reaffirming Tenth Amendment Rights
Government of the People Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
Madison Amendment
Accountability in Government Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
Resolution Requesting Congress of the United States to Enact Legislation that Requires Congress to Specify the Constitutional Authority for the Enactment of Laws
Article V/Repeal Amendment: Resolution Calling for the Congress of the United States to Call an Amendment Convention Pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution to Propose a Constitutional Amendment
Tenthers!
Follow any of those resolution links and you get:
The page you have attempted to access is restricted to our members.
If you are an existing member, please log in to gain access to the protected areas of our site.
You are not currently logged in, please click here to do so.
[emphasis in original]
Though the list could explain the majority party’s legislative agenda in Missouri:
HCR 9 Barnes, Jay
Submits an official application by the State of Missouri for the calling of a federal amendment convention (LR# 0420L.02I)
HCR 12 Rowland, Lyle
Claims sovereignty for the State of Missouri under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government(LR# 0682L.01I)
HCR 19 Gatschenberger, Chuck
Submits an official application by the State of Missouri for the calling of a convention for proposing amendments to the United States Constitution(LR# 0497L.02I)
HCR 44 Barnes, Jay
Urges the United States Congress to propose a constitutional amendment under Article V of the United States Constition for ratification by the states regarding state sovereignty(LR# 1983L.02I)
There’s even stuff at ALEC on restricting environmental regulation:
Air Quality
….State Sovereignty for Air Quality and Visibility Act
Resolution in Opposition to EPA”s Regulation of Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources
Resolution In Opposition To EPA”s Plan To Regulate Greenhouse Gases Under The Clean Air Act…
And, in Missouri:
HCR 42 Funderburk, Doug
Urges the United States Congress to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions or to take action on climate change(LR# 1644L.01I)
There’s a lot more.
Coincidence? Just asking.