Here’s the Latest From CMD | |
For-Profit Bail Industry Teams Up with ALEC to Target Charitable Bail Funds The commercial bail industry sees the growth of charitable bail funds as a threat. That’s why they’ve teamed up with ALEC to push legislation in four states to restrict or outright eliminate charitable bail funds, which provide those unable to afford bail with enough cash to avoid being imprisoned while awaiting their day in court. “Restricting the operations of charitable bail organizations is like closing down a food pantry and claiming you’re curing hunger,” The Bail Project, a national nonprofit that advocates for the elimination of cash bail while also providing bail and support services, told us. You can read the full story here. | |
ALEC Pushes Anti-Union Playbook ALEC has just handed state lawmakers a new state-by-state playbook on how to dismantle unions and implement anti-worker laws. Although ALEC claims that its proffered labor reforms are designed to protect “worker freedom and flexibility,” its attacks on workers over the past 50 years have made it harder for them to organize, harder for local governments to support decent-paying jobs, and easier on big business. Read the full story here. | |
Koch Network Bets Big on Candidates with Military Experience After spending more than $31 million on Nikki Haley’s unsuccessful bid for the GOP presidential nomination, billionaire industrialist Charles Koch’s super PAC is now backing 26 Republican candidates running for the U.S. House and Senate this year. Almost half of these candidates have served in the military, a CMD investigation found. Read the full story here. | |
ALEC Lawmaker Proposes Preventing Voters from Choosing Presidential Electors A legislator affiliated with ALEC who served as a fake elector from Arizona during the 2020 presidential election is proposing legislation that state lawmakers — not voters — should get the final say on choosing Arizona’s presidential electors. Read the full story here. | |
Koch Still Funding Last Stand Against Medicaid Expansion The state of Kansas remains one of only 10 states that have refused to expand access to Medicaid under Obamacare, due in large part to resistance from state Senate President Ty Masterson. Now, the senator is using his new position as ALEC national chair to continue the fight across the country. Read the full story here. | |
Restrictions on ESG Investments at Issue in Missouri’s Gubernatorial Race Last year, when the Missouri General Assembly failed to pass legislation to discourage investments in companies, funds, and banks that promote ESG goals, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft took the matter in his own hands and did so by administrative edict. Ashcroft is now trying to curtail ESG investing in his bid for the GOP nomination for governor, which will be determined through the Republican primary on August 6. Read the full story here. | |
Our research has recently been cited by or featured in the following publications: - U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse: “Voting Rights, False Facts, and SCOTUS’s Disastrous Shelby County Decision”
- Greenpeace: “Connection Between Bitcoin Miners, Corporate Interest Groups, and Climate Deniers”
- Post and Courier: “Anderson Moms for Liberty Say School District Hid Books from Parents”
- Urban Milwaukee: “Bradley Foundation Bankrolls Trump’s Disinformation”
- KTBS: “Republicans in Louisiana Legislature File Bills Targeting Public Sector Unions”
- Energy and Policy Institute: “Blocking Renewable Energy Is a Top State Legislative Priority For Network of Pro-Fossil Fuels Think Tanks”
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That’s all for this week. Thank you for following our investigations and for your continued support! Team CMD | |
