Meet the Twenty-eight Lawmakers Who Have Quit ALEC This
Month
April 26, 2012
The exodus of
major corporations from the corporate front group American Legislative Exchange
Council (ALEC) has made headlines nationwide as the group’s agenda has been
increasingly scrutinized by the general public.
Zaid Jilani is
Communications and Outreach Coordinator for United Republic. He is the former
Senior Reporter-Blogger for...
But as these
corporations have fled ALEC, there has also been one other little-noticed
exodus from the group: that of legislators. Source Watch and Keystone
Progress have been tracking the defections of
lawmakers. Here are 28 who have left so far:
- Sen. Nan
Orrock (D-GA): “As a member of the
American Legislative Exchange Council for several years, having joined ALEC with
the primary goal of better understanding the corporate-dominated organization,
I know first-hand that ALEC is not the innocuous organization it claims to be.”
[4/17/12]
- Sen. Greg
Cromer (R-LA): “‘It has been brought to my
attention that there have been meetings and/or activities with ALEC staff
members within the state of Louisiana that I have not been privy to,’ Cromer
wrote in his resignation letter that went out as an email to key lawmakers and
staffers.” [4/17/12]
- Sen. Mike
Colona (D-MO): “‘Their agenda is radical
and wrong for Missouri. I was a member and saw firsthand the sort of extreme
legislation they push on state legislators around the country,’ Cromer said in
a statement to the organization “Progress Missouri.” [4/12/12]
- Pennsylvania
Reps. Kate Harper (R), Sandra Major (R), Mark Mustio (R), Harry Readshaw (D),
and Sen. John Pippy (R) [4/26/12]
- Rep. Ted
Vick (D-SC): “Recent revelations
concerning ALEC’s funding sources from radical elements have proven to be the
final straw for me. ALEC has become too partisan and too extreme.” [4/24/12]
- Nebraska
Senators Danielle Conrad (D), Tony Fulton (R), Health Mello (D), and Jeremy
Norquist (D)[4/26/12]
- Texas
Democratic Party Reps. Alma Allen, Armando Martinez, Dawnna Dukes, Hubert Vo,
Harold Dutton, Chente, Quintanilla, Eddie Rodriguez, José Menéndez, Ruth
Jones McClendon, Eric Johnson, Tracy King, Ryan Guillen [4/2012]
- Rep. Kevin
Van De Wege (D-WA): “My membership status is
increasingly becoming a divisive issue this year, and I prefer to put my time
and energy into efforts that unite our district rather than divide it.” [4/11/12]
We applaud these
legislators for leaving the corporate front group, which has been responsible
for pushing destructive special interest legislation, from climate change
denial in schools, to anti-union and anti-consumer bills, to the controversial
Voter ID and Stand Your Ground laws.
April 26,
2012
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