ALEC Legislation - 2/3rds Majority for Tax Increases - Real Deal

Ever wonder where the legislation in your state came from

requiring a 2/3 majority to raise taxes?

It came from ALEC.

It is ALEC “model legislation” -  This is what happens when our legislators are sitting at the table with private sector companies – writing “model legislation” on taxation.

Source:   ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index - 2009 American Legislative Exchange Council

QUOTE

Supermajority Act: An ALEC Model Summary

Supermajority requirements are based on the premise that tax increases fuel excessive government spending. Therefore, to more effectively control the budgetary process, the ability to raise taxes or enact new taxes should be made as politically difficult as possible, require broad consensus, and be held to a high standard of accountability. This Act calls for a constitutional provision requiring all tax and license fee impositions and increases to be approved by two-thirds of all members of each House. It provides for an exemption if there are insufficient revenues to pay interest on the state’s debt.

Model Legislation

“An Act concurring in a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State relating to the imposition of taxes or license fees.”

WHEREAS, an amendment to the Constitution of the State was proposed in the (session number) Legislature, being Chapter (number), Volume (number), as follows: This Act may be cited as an amendment to the State Constitution relating to the imposition of taxes or license fees.

This Act may be cited as an amendment to the State Constitution relating to the imposition of taxes or license fees. Be it enacted by the Legislature (two-thirds of all members elected to each House thereof concurring therein):

Section 1. Amend Article (number) of the Constitution of the state by adding a new Section thereto

as follows:

END OF DIRECT QUOTE

Source:   ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index - 2009 American Legislative Exchange Council

What can I say???

This is what happens when our legislators are sitting at the table with private sector companies – writing “model legislation” on taxation.

It speaks for itself.

I’d love to see all of the “ALEC Model Legislation” on taxation, and read them in their entirety…

–   but ALEC’s “Model Legislation” is not available for public review or comment.

–   Their “model legislation” in it’s entirety is on the password protected “members only” webpage.

Don't you see how inherently wrong this is?
This is WRONG!
This is NOT democracy!

As citizens we should not be paying legislators to participate in ALEC “educational” sessions with Coors, Koch, AT&T , Wal-Mart and other private sector companies, sitting around the table drafting, deliberating and approving model legislation for our states and our country -  “model legislation” such as the “Supermajority Act Act”.

Over 2,000 members of State Legislators belong to ALEC.  84 members of the US House and Senate are “Alumni” of ALEC.

Please request the elimination of any and all state and federal funding for state or federal legislators to belong to ALEC, to attend ALEC events and to buy products or publications sold by ALEC.

Founded in 1973, ALEC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that promotes free-market principles through “model legislation,” developed by its public- and private-sector members in eight Task Forces:  (Source:   ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index - 2009 American Legislative Exchange Council)