Republican state lawmakers, corporate lobbyists, and right-wing operatives are descending on Orlando this week for the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) ready to fight “woke capitalism,” extend a lifeline to big polluters, ban ranked-choice voting, attack bodily autonomy, and consider an array of other model policies.

The significance of ALEC choosing to hold its biggest event of the year at the four-star JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes—less than 10 miles from Walt Disney World—and invite Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) to headline a group of speakers that includes U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL), Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R) is not lost on anyone who has noticed ALEC’s strange shift away from championing the free market in favor of the big hand of government.

Read more on ALEC's meeting agenda here.

Here’s the latest on other recent CMD investigations you may have missed:

 
 
 
 
 
 

ALEC Considers Blacklisting Companies That Voluntarily Recognize Unions

Republican state lawmakers and corporate lobbyists in the American Legislative Exchange Council will consider model legislation this week that creates new barriers to union organizing efforts across the country.

 

ALEC Plots Post-Dobbs Strategy at 50th Annual Meeting

At ALEC's 50th annual meeting in Orlando this week, outlawing abortion is clearly on the docket.

 

ALEC’s Funding Revealed

A review of hundreds of tax filings by the Center for Media and Democracy has uncovered 39%—or $16.4 million—of the $41.7 million ALEC received in contributions between 2017 and 2021.

 

Leading Anti-ESG Lobbyists Represent Firearms and Fossil Fuel Industries

Representatives from the firearms industry and free-market think tanks are criss-crossing the country advocating for legislation that severely curtails—and often outright prohibits—state governments from considering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors when making decisions about investments and contracts. 

 
 

House Republicans Grease Dark Money Wheels in “Election Integrity” Bill

Buried in the 200-plus page bill known as the ACE Act are provisions that would gut donor disclosure requirements and allow nonprofits to circumvent certain campaign finance regulations, paving the way for an even larger deluge of dark money in politics under the aegis of protecting the political speech of conservative donors and corporations from government overreach.

 
 

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House GOP Joins the War on ESG, Brought to You by Big Oil

New research reveals that both House Republicans and the witnesses they’ve called to kick off “ESG month”—a series of GOP-led hearings in July intent on preventing companies from responding to the climate crisis—have deep financial ties to the fossil fuel industry.

 
 

ALEC State Lawmakers Lead Campaign to Conceal Conservative Donors

Seventeen states have enacted broad anti-disclosure laws since 2018 that will further conceal the influence of dark money in politics based on model language first developed by the American Legislative Exchange Council.

 
 

Walmart Heirs, Freedom Foundation Behind Latest Attack on Arkansas Teachers

With very little fanfare, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a host of new legislation in April—including SB 473, a bill that prohibits union dues from being automatically deducted from public school teachers’ salaries.

 
 
 
 
 

CMD Around the Web

 
 
 
 

CMD's research was recently cited by the following publications:

  • Wisconsin Watch: Wisconsin billionaires bankrolling effort to shrink social safety net
  • The Guardian: US dark-money fund spends millions to back Republican attorneys general
  • Media Matters for America: Local news outlets subscribing to The Center Square’s wire service are pushing right-wing talking points on their readers
  • The American Independent: Dark money is fueling Republican efforts to roll back child labor laws
  • WhoWhatWhy: The MAGA Fool’s Gold That Turned RFK Jr. From Gadfly to Global Threat
  • Accountable US: Roundup of Conflicted Characters Cheerleading the Predatory Lender Lawsuit Against CFPB
  • Baptist News Global: Conservative Baptist Network got $50,000 from far-right political group last year
  • Important Context: Who is Funding the Brownstone Institute?
 

Thank you for supporting the Center for Media and Democracy and following our investigations at Exposed by CMD!

Arn H. Pearson
Executive Director
 

CMD is a 501(c)(3) national watchdog and media group that conducts in-depth investigations into corruption and the undue influence of corporations on media and democracy. Our work is regularly cited by news outlets, policymakers, and grassroots activists working to build a more sustainable future and just society. CMD is reader-supported. Please make your tax-deductible donation today. Thank you!

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