Democrats create an ALEC-killer

[question everything]

(Apologies if already posted, new to me..)

Chastened by the conservative movement’s startling success at using national money to dominate state legislatures, liberal activists this week will ask top donors to support a plan to reverse the precipitous Democratic decline in state governments, where the party was trounced yet again on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama’s former liaison to the states will launch a major new state-focused organization called the State Innovation Exchange — or SiX for short — before donors on Friday at the annual winter meeting of the Democracy Alliance liberal funding club.

SiX’s goal is an ambitious one: to compete with a well-financed network of conservative groups — including the American Legislative Exchange Council — that for years have dominated state policy battles, advancing pro-business, anti-regulation bills in state after state.

SiX ultimately plans to raise as much as $10 million a year to boost progressive state lawmakers and their causes — partly by drafting model legislation in state capitols to increase environmental protections, expand voting rights, and raise the minimum wage — while also using bare-knuckle tactics like opposition research and video tracking to derail Republicans and their initiatives.

More..

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/democrats-create-an-alec-killer-112733.html#ixzz3MpeCi754

[Wounded Bear]

1. Made me think of ALICE...

which was supposed to be a response to ALEC. When I hit my old link, it took me to SiX.

Much needed.

[Triana]

2. About a decade late, but I'll take it. n/t

[BrotherIvan]

3. +1

[global1]

4. It's About Time.....nt

[BumRushDaShow]

5. It's about damn time

This is how liberals and progressives can refine their policies - and eventually get them enacted into law.

[mountain grammy]

6. Glad to see resistance to the corporate agenda.

I will support SIX.

[Hekate]

7. Be still, my heart. At last! nt

[proverbialwisdom]

8. MUST READ: 2012 Truthout report on "the other ALECs' Corporate Playbook"

http://truth-out.org/news/item/9889-exposed-the-other-alecs-corporate-playbook

Exposed: The Other ALECs' Corporate Playbook

Thursday, 21 June 2012 00:00
By Steve Horn and Sarah Blaskey, Truthout | News Analysis

How is it that no matter whom we elect as our state representatives - Democrat, Republican, or other - we most often end up with policies that privilege the corporate agenda over the public interest?

It's a simple question, raised by laws promoting charter schools, fracking, union-busting, privatization, deregulation, and countless other corporate-friendly policies that have spread like wildfire around the country, particularly in recent legislative sessions.

As it turns out, the answer is relatively simple. Big business in the United States has perfected a legislative "playbook" - a methodical strategy for turning the wish list of multinational corporations into a state-level policy agenda with bipartisan support.

The specific details of legislative processes are many and intricate, yet the corporate playbook for exploiting state-level policy is straightforward and critical to understand.

<>

The three largest "other ALECs," and the most influential Groups in state politics are the Council of State Governments (CSG), the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the State Legislative Leaders Foundation (SLLF). There are similarities in processes and structure among these organizations, but there are also several important differences.

<>

However, the shared structure of all the Groups - their nonprofit tax status - allows them all to be exploited, albeit to varying degrees, by their corporate sponsors. Groups are granted their nonprofit, tax-exempt status due to their declared educational purpose. This tax exemption is just icing on the cake for corporate sponsors that gain access to Group legislative membership.

eg. legislation mandating Gardasil: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014512596
eg. pro-fracking legislation sponsored by (D) women and minority legislators in PA (attributed to membership in groups above by anti-fracking cancer activists)

[NEOBuckeye]

9. Dems in Ohio...

Are in dire need of help in state government. It's been a near unbroken virtual free-for-all for the GOP here since the early 1990s. Howard Dean gave us some relief and real hope with his 50 state strategy, but current national party leadership has been completely useless. Ohio deserves betterg government than what we've got with an asshat like Lehman Bros' John Kasich as governor.

[1step]

10. DUrec

[cui bono]

11. Not sure how this is supposed to be an ALEC killer.

Seems like politics as usual. Big money battles it out, the people get fucked. It's just like an election cycle. Where is the money going to come from? You don't think it's going to turn into the same give to both parties routine? And if it doesn't, then who's going to give the money to SiX, working people? Why the hell should the people pay to (try to) not have corporations write our laws? How about making that illegal as it really must already be somehow.