ALEC Member Oped Misleads Montana

Oh – my –

I get so, so tired of ALEC members and staff misleading the public.

Think about it – IF ALEC was  - - an honorable organization,
   the members would not need to mislead others.

Today it is an OpEd written by the state chair in Montana.

Sen. Roger Webb

ALEC public sector state chair for Montana

Billings

And it’s a doozy when it comes to misleading the public.

ALEC is a thoughtful, democratic organization

A recent letter suggested that new voting laws in Montana come from the American Legislative Exchange Council, a group of which I am a member. This assertion is incorrect, and I'd like to explain the actual focus of the organization.

Nice lead-in for an OpEd that is full of incorrect assertions.

The American Legislative Exchange Council is a nonprofit membership organization that brings together state legislators, policy analysts and members of the business community to share ideas and create draft model solutions to issues facing the states. ALEC members are guided by the principles of limited government, free markets and federalism, and the issues ALEC members work on and the model policies they create are all on the ALEC website for anyone to see.

“the issues ALEC members work on and the model policies they create are all on the ALEC website for anyone to see.”

No – they are not

And readers should remember this, from 2013 - from ALEC - -

If companies or associations already have initiated policy, it will be grandfathered in for the upcoming meeting.

Only ALEC legislative members can introduce draft model policy, and after the discussions are had and the votes are taken, only the 23-member ALEC Board of Legislators can approve what model policy the organization adopts. ALEC is guided by legislators, just as members are guided by the principles of limited government, free markets and federalism.

“Only ALEC legislative members can introduce draft model policy,”

Nice play on words
 - - -he doesn’t specifically say

“Only ALEC legislative members can WRITE draft model policy,”

In fact corporations and right-wing stink tanks still write the majority of the legislation for ALEC meetings and then give it a ALEC member to “introduce”

As noted in a 2013 article on this issue

“This change is intended to preserve and protect the unique and valuable nature of our public-private partnership,” Bowman wrote. “Private-sector members are free to work with legislators to introduce, draft, model policy.”

Nowhere on the website will you find any model policy or research relating to voting rights.

Why?

Because ALEC intentionally does not include the policy or research on their webpage.

ALEC intentionally misleads the public.

But you CAN find the model legislation

ALEC VOTER ID ACT

>>>HERE<<<

As a state legislator, it is my job to be informed as well as to inform others. I'm a member of ALEC because I want to learn how to better solve the problems in my state, and I want to share with others what's working here at home. I encourage every Montanan to visit the ALEC website to see for yourself the work ALEC members have thoughtfully drafted.

“I encourage every Montanan to visit the ALEC website”

Should be followed up with

BUT I DON’T “encourage every Montanan to ATTEND an ALEC meeting”

because ALEC is NOT that DEMOCRATIC, 

cause even it you were to attend, 

you would be barred from attending the meetings where corporate and right-wing stink-tank legislation is introduced by willing legislators.

#VoteNo2ALEC

ALEC is one nasty, evil organization.

ALEC hates the control of the Federal government.

ALEC hates control at the local level.

They only want evil, fascist ALEC state legislative members to have control.

Its why they refer to STATES rights

It's why they are concerned with STATE sovereignty.