What do Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Fla. State Rep. Dennis Baxley and Fla. State Rep. Rachel Burgin have in common? They are among the whooping one third of elected officials in the country, according to Doug Clopp from Common Cause, who are tied to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the corporate-backed group that drafts legislation for state lawmakers. As corporations drop their support for the organization, we turn our efforts to asking the lawmakers still supporting ALEC to cut their ties.
We’re asking legislators to legislate without rubber-stamping ALEC’s pre-packaged agenda. In concert with ALEC, lawmakers and corporations have been responsible for creating (often controversial and discriminatory) laws like the Stand Your Ground law that George Zimmerman has cited as a possible defense for the killing of Trayvon Martin, as well as voter discrimination and anti-immigration laws throughout the country.
Under mounting pressure, many corporations have cut ties with ALEC but many still remain. See a full list here, it’s long. ALEC Exposed also has the full list of politicians who are still affiliated with ALEC. That list is long, too. But you can help target ALEC’s remaining supporters through a raft of petitions.
The Center for Media and Democracy PR Watch has created a petition to demand that private corporations withdraw their support of ALEC. And if you’re from Michigan you may be interested in this: Progress Michigan, a progressive organization that aims service the public’s interest through holding public officials and government accountable, has created a similar petition for Michigan politicians.
