Why Are Taxpayers Paying for ALEC Legislator's Travel?

This morning I found the infamous minutes from the South Dakota legislature Executive Committee that had been in the news three weeks ago regarding ALEC.

And while reading the minutes I found this paragraph:

A LEGISLATOR, WHO HAS BEEN SELECTED AS A MEMBER OF A COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATORS, THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS, THE AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL, OR THE MIDWESTERN LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE WILL BE REIMBURSED FOR EXPENSES. ANY MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE NCSL, CSG, , ALEC, OR MLC WILL BE REIMBURSED FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES TO ATTEND BOARD MEETINGS.

Can someone, anyone - please - please - tell me

after all the documentation that is out there

Why are taxpayers paying for ALEC legislators to go to meetings of the American Legislative Exchange Council?  

Corporate funded "scholarships" pay the legislator's expenses to ALEC meetings.

Why are ALEC legislators dipping into the state funds to pay for expenses that have already been paid for with a "scholarship" from ALEC corporate lobbyists?

Corporate funded "scholarships" pay the legislator's expenses to ALEC meetings.

AGAIN

From the files of Common Cause:

ALEC Spring Task Force Summit:

1. Spring Task Force Summit Reimbursement Form: ALEC Task Force Members are reimbursed by ALEC up to $350.00 for travel expenses. Receipts must be forwarded to the ALEC Policy Coordinator and approved by the Director of Policy.

2. ALEC Task Force Members’’ room & tax fees for up to a two-night stay at the host hotel are covered by ALEC.

3. Registration fees are not covered; however, Task Force Members may submit registration expenses for payment from their state scholarship account upon approval of the State Chair.

  

ALEC Annual Meeting :

State Scholarship Reimbursement Form: State scholarship funds are available for reimbursement by approval of your ALEC State Chair. Expenses are reimbursed after the conference, and may cover the cost of travel, room & tax, and registration. Receipts are to be submitted to the State Chair, who will then submit the signed form to the Director of Membership.

ALEC States & Nation Policy Summit:

1. States & Nation Policy Summit Reimbursement Form : ALEC offers two scholarships per state to cover the cost of travel, room & tax, and registration not to exceed $1,000.00 per person for a total of $2,000.00 per state. ALEC scholarship recipients must be named by the ALEC State Chair. Expenses are submitted to the State Chair and reimbursed after the conference. The State Chair submits the signed form to the Director of Membership. 

Possible Scenarios

How much double dipping is going on?

     Legislator can present his expenses to the State - and get reimbursed.

     Legislator can present his expenses to ALEC "scholarship fund" and get paid.

     Legislator can list ALEC meetings on his campaign finance expenses and reimburse themselves.

Double Dipping?

Triple Dipping?

Going to an ALEC meeting could become a way for legislators to supplement their income.

Wake up people!
Why are taxpayers paying for ALEC legislators to go to meetings of the American Legislative Exchange Council?  Corporate funded "scholarships" pay the legislators expenses to ALEC meetings.

STOP IT!

Why are ALEC legislators dipping into the state funds to pay for expenses that have already been paid for with a "scholarship" from ALEC corporate lobbyists?

STOP IT! 

Don't believe me?
Need proof that ALEC corporations pay the expenses for your ALEC legislator to go to ALEC meetings?
READ THIS REPORT 
from the Center for Media and Democracy

And then sit down and calculate how many tax payer dollars have needlessly gone into the pockets of ALEC members.