Governor Bill Lee signed legislation on August 21, 2020 that escalated penalties for camping on Tennessee state property from a misdemeanor to a Class E felony punishable by up to six years in prison and permanent disenfranchisement—a transparent effort to suppress Black Lives Matter protests that …
Bill LeeTennessee General AssemblyRandy McNallyCameron Sextonprotest-suppressionvoting-rightsfelony-disenfranchisementracial-discriminationlegislative-capture+2 more
In October 2012, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) adopted the ‘Electricity Freedom Act’—a model bill co-written with the fossil fuel-funded Heartland Institute that called for the nullification of state Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (RPS). The legislation was …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Heartland InstituteJames TaylorEdison Electric InstituteAmerican Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers+2 morealecrenewable-energyfossil-fuelsmodel-legislationregulatory-capture+3 more
Seven major corporations—Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mars, Kraft Foods, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and software maker Intuit—announced they were dropping their memberships in the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in April 2012, along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ceasing new …
Color of ChangeCoca-ColaPepsiCoKraft FoodsMcDonald's+3 morealeccorporate-corruptionaccountabilitycivil-rightslegislative-capture+1 more
The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), in cooperation with The Nation magazine, launched the ‘ALEC Exposed’ web project on July 13, 2011, posting 850 model bills created by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) over a 30-year period and exposing the systematic corporate …
Center for Media and DemocracyThe NationAmerican Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Common CauseKoch Industriesaleclegislative-capturecorporate-corruptioninvestigative-journalismregulatory-capture+1 more
In 2007, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) launched its first annual ‘Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index’ report, co-authored by economist Arthur Laffer, Stephen Moore, and ALEC staff. The report ranked all 50 states based on 15 …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Arthur LafferStephen MooreJonathan WilliamsKoch Industriesaleccorporate-corruptiontax-policyrace-to-bottompropaganda+4 more
On May 5, 2000, the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) Natural Resources Task Force adopted the ‘Environmental Literacy Improvement Act’ at ALEC’s Spring Task Force Summit, with full approval by ALEC’s Board of Directors in June 2000. The model bill was …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Sandy Liddy BourneHeartland InstituteKoch IndustriesExxonMobil+4 morealecclimate-denialeducationdisinformationmodel-legislation+3 more
By 2000, ALEC’s membership had grown to include over 2,000 state legislators, representing approximately one-quarter to one-third of all state legislators nationwide (out of approximately 7,400 total state legislators across all 50 states). This level of penetration meant that in most state …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)State Legislatorscorporate-capturelegislative-capturealecstate-legislaturespolitical-penetration+1 more
In 1996, ALEC adopted an internal business plan that explicitly redefined the organization’s purpose in commercial terms, cementing its pay-to-play structure for moving pro-corporate legislation through state legislatures. The plan stated: “ALEC must begin to function more like a …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)corporate-capturelegislative-capturealecpay-to-playcorporate-lobbying+1 more
Between 1990 and 2010, the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) Environment Task Force—directly funded by Koch Industries, ExxonMobil, and Peabody Energy—systematically passed over 100 model bills designed to weaken state environmental protections. The task force operated as a …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Koch IndustriesExxonMobilPeabody EnergyDuke Energy+2 morealeclegislative-captureregulatory-capturefossil-fuelsclimate-denial+3 more
U.S. businesses and the Mexican government launch a $25 million coordinated lobbying and public relations campaign to secure Congressional approval of NAFTA, overcoming fierce opposition from labor unions and environmental groups. The Business Roundtable, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and National …
Business RoundtableU.S. Chamber of CommerceNational Association of ManufacturersAmerican ExpressMexican Government+2 morenaftacorporate-lobbyingtrade-policylabor-oppositionbusiness-roundtable+2 more
On January 31, 1985, the Republican-controlled Idaho Legislature overrides Democratic Governor John Evans’ veto to enact so-called “Right-to-Work” legislation, making Idaho the 21st state to prohibit union security agreements that require workers to pay union dues or fees as a …
Idaho Republican PartyIdaho LegislatureGovernor John EvansIdaho Department of LaborMining unions+1 morelabor-suppressionright-to-workanti-unionwage-suppressionlegislative-capture
By 1984, ALEC’s corporate membership had grown so rapidly that Executive Director Kathleen Teague reported corporations were overwhelming the organization’s capacity. Major corporations supporting ALEC that year included Edison Electric Institute, Procter & Gamble Co., Mary Kay …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Kathleen TeagueEdison Electric InstituteProcter & GambleEli Lilly+5 morecorporate-capturelegislative-capturealeccorporate-membershiplobbying+1 more
In 1981, ALEC formalized its systematic corporate legislative capture mechanism by establishing seven Cabinet Task Forces that worked directly with the Reagan administration on policy development. President Ronald Reagan formed a national Task Force on Federalism headed by U.S. Senator Paul Laxalt …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Ronald ReaganPaul LaxaltTom StiversJohn Kasichcorporate-capturelegislative-capturealecreagan-administrationstate-level-politics+2 more
Legislative aides and representatives from business and industry, particularly members of the National Association of Manufacturers, draft committee bill H.R. 3020 that becomes the Taft-Hartley Act during 1947, with Congressman Donald O’Toole of New York later revealing that the anti-union …
National Association of ManufacturersRobert TaftFred HartleyDonald O'TooleJoseph Ball+2 moretaft-hartleylabor-suppressioncorporate-lobbyingnamlegislative-capture+1 more
President Truman signs the Employment Act of 1946 on February 20, a dramatically weakened version of the Full Employment Bill of 1945. The original bill would have guaranteed a federal job to every American seeking work and required the government to maintain full employment. After intensive …
CongressHarry TrumanNational Association of ManufacturersU.S. Chamber of CommerceCouncil of Economic Advisers+1 morecorporate-influencelabor-policyeconomic-policylegislative-capturederegulation
President Harry Truman delivers a special message to Congress on September 6, 1945, presenting an ambitious 21-point program for postwar America that includes full employment legislation, minimum wage increases, national health insurance, expanded Social Security, and permanent Fair Employment …
Harry TrumanCongressNational Association of ManufacturersU.S. Chamber of CommerceConservative Coalition+1 morenew-deal-rollbackcorporate-influencelegislative-capturelabor-policypostwar-politics
The House of Representatives passes the Pinckney Resolutions, authored by Henry L. Pinckney of South Carolina, establishing what becomes known as the “gag rule”—a resolution automatically “tabling” all antislavery petitions, prohibiting them from being printed, read, …
Henry L. PinckneyJohn Quincy AdamsU.S. House of RepresentativesAmerican Anti-Slavery SocietyPro-slavery Democratsgag-ruleslave-powerlegislative-capturecensorshipfirst-amendment+1 more
Congress passes and President James Monroe signs the Missouri Compromise, federal legislation that balances the desires of northern states to prevent the expansion of slavery with those of southern states to expand it. The compromise admits Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state …
Henry ClayJames MonroeU.S. CongressSlave Power advocatesslave-powerinstitutional-corruptionterritorial-expansionlegislative-capturemissouri-compromise