ALEC Behind Voter Disenfranchisement Efforts

[livvy]

Conservative Corporate Advocacy Group ALEC Behind Voter Disenfranchisement Efforts
posted by: Lindsay Spangler 7 hours ago


The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative organization linked to corporate and right-wing donors, including the billionaire Koch brothers, has drafted and distributed model legislation, obtained by Campus Progress, that appears to be the inspiration for bills proposed by state legislators this year and promoted by Tea Party activists, bills that would limit access of young people to vote.

ALEC describes itself as a "nonpartisan membership association for conservative state lawmakers who shared a common belief in limited government, free markets, federalism, and individual liberty."

In Wisconsin, where public attention now is focused on Gov. Scott Walker's (R) efforts to undermine the rights of workers to engage in collective bargaining, there is another piece of proposed legislation that could have a substantial negative impact on the state's young and minority voters. Conservative representatives in the state have proposed a law, backed by Walker, that would ban students from using in-state university- or college-issued IDs for proof-of-residency when voting. If this legislation became law, it would become one of the strictest voter registration laws in the country and would provide significant logistical and financial barriers for a variety of groups, including student and minority voters.

Meanwhile, as Campus Progress reported last month, in New Hampshire, state House Speaker William O'Brien (R- Hillsborough 4) says that proposed election legislation will "tighten up the definition of a New Hampshire resident." O'Brien claims that college towns experience hundreds of same-day voter registrations and that those are the ballots of people who "are kids voting liberal, voting their feelings, with no life experience."

more...

http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/conservative-corporate-advocacy-group-alec-behind-voter-disenfranchisement-efforts/

[Lefta Dissenter]

1. I'm really getting sick of this

They can't win fairly, so they need to disenfranchise students... you know, thinking people. :(

[livvy]

2. I hear ya'.

I'm really getting sick of ALEC. The fact that they are tax-exempt with all that money rolling in, really pisses me off.

[Welibs]

5. Save the USA, Recall a Republican!

Republicans only win elections when the Dems don't show up! 67% of voters didn't show up in 2010.

If Republicans are not buying elections they're stealing them! It's unbelievable isn't it? I think I'm going to stroke out before 2012!:crazy: :crazy:

[Lefta Dissenter]

6. No stroking out allowed!!!

We need you! :hi: Welcome to DU! :hi: :pals:

[Tesha]

3. NH has had several bills that were transparenty ALEC

"ALEC currently claims over 250 corporations and special interest groups as private sector members.
While the organization refuses to make any complete list of these corporate members available to the
public, some known members include: ExxonMobil, the American Bail Coalition, Blue Cross Blue Shield,
Corrections Corporation of America, AT&T, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, PhRMA, TimeWarner Cable, Comcast,
Verizon, Wal-Mart, the National Rifle Association, Koch Industries, the Heritage Foundation (co-founded
by ALEC founder Paul Weyrich), GlaxoSmithKline, and Phillip Morris International—to name a few."

more...

https://dbapress.com/quick-and-dirty/tracking-alec-model-legislation-through-real-legislatures

Corrections Corporation of America??? good grief!!!

[mod mom]

4. Where's AG Holder on this effort?

[midnight]

7. Just let people vote and stop allowing these thugs to interfere....