ALEC Exposed:Community portal

Tell Us What You Think (This page will be updated and reviewed regularly.) To join the discussion and share what ALEC-modeled bills have passed in your state, which of your legislators are ALEC members, and what corporations you've discovered are rewriting laws in your state through ALEC, you can: Visit, "like," and comment on our Facebook Page Tweet your discoveries using the hashtag #alecexposed Email confidential tips to editor AT ALECexposed.org Call-in tips to our Madison office at (608) 260-9713 OR Post your key discoveries to this wiki! Learn how! Make suggestions and request information on the Community portal Discussion ("Talk") page Add your key discoveries about ALEC below:

What Articles Need Work If you are looking for a way to help with editing, you can note pages needing more work here or take on pages that have been put on this list. Before you add a page to the "missing" list, please be sure to look for it both on ALECexposed.org and on its sister site, SourceWatch.org. Articles on specific corporations and individuals are most likely located on SourceWatch, which is a specialized collaborative encyclopedia of the companies, people, and front groups attempting to influence public opinion and public policy. Articles on each bill Articles on what has happened in each state Articles about additional politicians, corporations or non-profit groups (please create these on the SourceWatch site)

CMD needs your help! Record tips on how legislation introduced in your state resembles ALEC model bills. Sign up to add the information to ALECexposed.org under your state's header on this page by clicking on the "Edit" tab at the top of the page. If your state isn't listed yet, add it! Here is an example of how to add a tip. Here is an example of how to properly reference your contributions. Thanks!

State Legislation Resembling ALEC "Models," by State

(This page includes tips from reporters, citizens journalists, and others identifying bills (introduced or passed) that resemble ALEC model legislation. CMD encourages the use of this forum and encourages further detailed research to verify all claims.)

Alabama

See Alabama.

Alaska

See Alaska.

Arizona

See Arizona.

Colorado

See Colorado.

Connecticut

See Connecticut.

Florida

See Florida.

Georgia

See Georgia.

Idaho

See Idaho.

Illinois

See Illinois.

Iowa

See Iowa.

Kansas

See Kansas.

Louisiana

See Louisiana.

Maine

See Maine.

Maryland

See Maryland.

Michigan

See Michigan.

Minnesota

See Minnesota.

Mississippi

See Mississippi.

Missouri

See Missouri.

Montana

See Montana.

Nebraska

See Nebraska.

New Hampshire

See New Hampshire.

New Jersey

See New Jersey.

New Mexico

See New Mexico.

North Carolina

See North Carolina.

Ohio

See Ohio.

Oregon

See Oregon.

Pennsylvania

See Pennsylvania.

South Carolina

See South Carolina.

Tennessee

See Tennessee.

Texas

See Texas.

Virginia

See Virginia.

West Virginia

See West Virginia.

Wisconsin

See Wisconsin.

State Legislation Resembling ALEC "Models," by Topic

Environment

The EPA's Regulatory Train Wreck is a campaign of the American Legislative Exchange Council aimed at rolling back and dismantling environmental regulation. If the campaign is successful, it would benefit many of ALEC's corporate members.

Bills and Resolutions Proposed and Passed

A number of states have taken action in favor of ALEC's position on the environment and environmental regulation. ALEC's website lists the following bills and resolutions:

• Alabama - House Joint Resolution 197
• Alaska - House Joint Resolution 22
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida - House Memorial 1375, Senate Resolution 1260
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois - House Resolution 265, Senate Resolution 171
• Indiana - House Resolution 13 (adopted 1/24/11), Senate Resolution 39 (adopted 4/5/11)
• Iowa - House Resolution 52 (adopted 5/6/11), House Study Bill 61
• Kansas - House Resolution 6008 (adopted 3/28/11), Senate Resolution 116 (adopted 3/3/11)
• Kentucky - House Concurrent Resolution 126
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan - House Resolution 19 (adopted 3/2/11), Senate Resolution 10 (adopted 2/24/11)
• Minnesota - Senate File 322
• Mississippi
• Missouri - House Concurrent Resolution 42 (adopted 5/11/11), Senate Concurrent Resolution 13
• Montana - Senate Joint Resolution 10 (adopted 4/1/11)
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota - House Concurrent Resolution 3028 (adopted 3/28/11)
• Ohio - House Concurrent Resolution 15
• Oklahoma Senate Concurrent Resolution 13
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania - House Resolution 87 (adopted 5/3/11), House Resolution 233
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas - House Concurrent Resolution 66, Senate Concurrent Resolution 20
• Utah - House Joint Resolution 19 (adopted 3/2/11)
• Vermont
• Virginia - Senate Resolution 29, House Resolution 72 (adopted 2/23/11)
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming - Senate Joint Resolution 6 (adopted 2/18/11)

Health Care

ALEC's "Health Care Freedom Act" is a campaign of the American Legislative Exchange Council aimed at outlawing (via state constitutional amendments) a crucial element of the 2010 federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: the requirement that nearly everyone buy insurance or pay a penalty. If the campaign is successful, it would benefit many of ALEC's corporate members.

Bills and Resolutions Proposed and Passed

According to ALEC & The Tenth Amendment Center, a group which focuses on legislation blocking the Affordable Care Act, the states with notes below have introduced a version of the "Health Care Freedom Act":

• Alabama - State Constitutional Amendment enacted 4-1-10.
• Alaska - Introduced 2010, passed House 4-11-11.
• Arizona - Enacted statutory measures and constitutional amendment.
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado - Constitutional Amendment failed 11-02-10 on ballot.
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida - Statutory measure vetoed & amendment struck from ballot by Supreme Court.
• Georgia - Statutory measure passed Senate. 2 Constitutional amendments failed to garner a two-thirds vote. (3-18 - 3/22 2010)
• Hawaii
• Idaho - Enacted statutory measure (3-17-2010).
• Illinois
• Indiana - Introduced 2009, 2010, 2011 without action.
• Iowa - Introduce 2010, 2011. Passed House 2011 (2-2-11)
• Kansas - Failed in House 2010. Passed legislature 2011, enacted (6-1-11).
• Kentucky - Introduced 2011, no committee action.
• Louisiana - Enacted statutory measure (7-2-10).
• Maine -
• Maryland - Introduced 2011, no committee action.
• Massachusetts
• Michigan - Introduced 2010, 2011, no committee action.
• Minnesota - Introduced 2010, 2011. Failed 2010, no action taken 2011.
• Mississippi - Failed in committee, 2010.
• Missouri - Enacted statutory measure (8-3-10).
• Montana
• Nebraska - Introduced 2011.
• Nevada
• New Hampshire - Voted 'inexpedient to legislate' (2-3-10).
• New Jersey - Introduced 2010.
• New Mexico - Introduced 2010.
• New York - Introduced 2010, 2011.
• North Carolina - Passed Legislature and Vetoed (2-24-11). Override failed (3-9-11).
• North Dakota - State Constitutional Amendment failed 2010.
• Ohio - Statewide referendum approved 2011, scheduled 2012.
• Oklahoma - Constitutional Amendment enacted (11-2-10).
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania - Introduced 2009-2011.
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina - Introduced 2010, 2011.
• South Dakota - Introduced 2010, 2011.
• Tennessee - Enacted statutory measure (3-19-11).
• Texas - Introduced 2011.
• Utah - Enacted statutory measure (3-22-10).
• Vermont
• Virginia - Enacted statutory measures (2010).
• Washington - Introduced 2010, 2011.
• West Virginia - Introduced 2009, 2010.
• Wisconsin - Introduced 2010.
• Wyoming - Died in committee 2009, failed introduction vote 2010, introduced 2011.

According to ALEC, in the following states, legislators have publicly announced their intentions to introduce a version of the "Health Care Freedom Act":

• Montana

Federal-level legislation resembling ALEC bills

• HR 2018, the "Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011" sponsored by John Mica (R-FL) and Nick Rahall (D-WV), bears a striking resemblance to several pieces of ALEC model legislation. HR 2018 would allow states to opt out of abiding by federal water quality standards if they disagree with them, and it would prevent the EPA from making changes to the Clean Water Act's water quality standards without first getting states' approval. The bill resembles several similar ALEC model bills, including the "State Sovereignty Through Local Coordination Act," The "State Implementation of the Clean Water Act Requirements," "State Sovereignty for Air Quality and Visibility Act," the "State Protection of Air Quality Related Values Act" and the "Resolution to Retain State Authority over Coal Ash as Non-Hazardous Waste." The fact that the bill was introduced at the federal level may indicate ALEC's influence has grown beyond state houses.

ALEC efforts to influence Federal Legislation

• American Legislative Exchange Council Health and Human Services Task Force The State Legislators Guide to Repealing ObamaCare, Publication, 2011 - instruction manual to assist legislators in undermining the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act.

State Legislation Resembling Other Corporate and Lobbyist Wish Lists

Maine

"Confidential administration dossiers show Governor Paul LePage crafted significant portions of his regulatory reform agenda by literally copying and pasting passages from the memos his staff received from corporate lobbyists and their clients, turning swaths of it into little more than a set of giveaways to favored companies. . . . The documents show that . . . :

• "PRETI FLAHERTY'S ENVIRONMENT DIVISION had the most influence on the Phase I reform agenda, ghostwriting at least 17 of the governor's proposals. These included the notorious proposal to downgrade all the state's environmental laws and regulations to conform with weaker federal standards, as well as initiatives to eliminate the Board of Environmental Protection, impose a six year statute of limitations on all environmental law suits, to require a 'cost-benefit analysis' in all environmental rulemakings, and to weaken the Natural Resources Protection and Site Location of Development Acts, as well as the rules governing storage tanks. Preti and Robinson represent a variety of potentially interested parties, including the Maine Turnpike Authority, Maine Automobile Dealers Association, the Ski Maine Association, PhRMA, Merck, and the Toy Industry Association of America.
• "The state's largest law firm, PIERCE ATWOOD, wrote the language of at least 11 proposals on behalf of one of their most important clients, the MAINE PULP & PAPER ASSOCIATION. (The firm's distinctive document stamps are on each page of the association's memo to the transition team.) The paper industry was behind the governor's initiative to weaken various air pollution regulations — including lifting licensing and 'best technology' standards for smaller polluters and eliminating sulfur fuel and greenhouse gas standards — and various rules governing the storage and disposal of toxic waste. (Pinza also forwarded a measure to ensure that manufacturers do not have to pay to recycle their consumer products that was written by a thermostat recycling venture jointly owned by General Electric and Honeywell.) Pierce Atwood's other clients include companies and industry associations with potential interests in toxic-waste storage, consumer-products recycling, or air-pollution standards, such as the American Petroleum Institute, the American Chemistry Council, and Poland Spring's parent company, Nestle Waters North America.
• "One of LePage's most controversial proposals — to 'require that not less than 30%' of Maine's 10 million-acre unorganized territories be 'zoned for development' — was lifted from a memo co-authored by Jay Haynes and Tom Gardner, whose respective families control the H.C. HAYNES and W.T. GARDNER & SONS companies and their associated land holding entities, which have bought and sold entire townships in the North Woods. In addition to their declared interest in their memos to further develop their holdings, the two companies share a lobbyist, RODERICK CARR OF DOYLE & NELSON, who presumably wrote the 29-page draft law to reform LURC that was attached to the memo. In fact, Haynes and Gardner's memo provided the language behind all five of LePage's LURC reforms, including the elimination requirements that aim to avoid sprawl and unneeded construction in the largest contiguous forest in the eastern United States.
• "Ted Johnston's Fayette-based lobby shop, RESOURCE POLICY GROUP, wrote up at least four other agenda items to help his paying clients. The LAFAYETTE OCEANFRONT RESORT was the intended beneficiary of his proposed rule change exempting certain structures from rules governing construction on sand dunes (it passed) and an initiative to ensure "that the setback for shoreland feeding and roosting area[s] and waterfowl wading habitat" does not exceed 75 feet. (The hotel can now expand.) His other clients — the MAINE AGGREGATE ASSOCIATION and gravel and aggregate miner J.R. CARROLL — were behind LePage's proposal to force the DEP to streamline 'rules regulating the storage of petroleum products in gravel pits and quarries.'"

References

ALEC Exposed is a project of the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD). CMD does NOT accept donations from for-profit corporations or government agencies. More information about CMD is available here. You can reach the publisher of ALEC Exposed, CMD's Executive Director, Lisa Graves, via editor AT ALECexposed.org.

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