12 Legislators Cut Ties to ALEC, Most in Country

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 25, 2012 CONTACT MATT GLAZER (512) 473-4140

12 Texas Legislators Cut Ties to ALEC, Most in Country 
Of 18 state legislators in United States that have cut ties to ALEC, 2/3 from Texas

(AUSTIN) – Two weeks ago, Progress Texas launched a campaign urging Texas state legislators to leave ALEC. To date, 12 Texas legislators have cut ties with ALEC, pledging to no longer renew their membership and/or no longer attend conferences. Texas State Representative Alma Allen issued the following statement about leaving ALEC:

As a legislator, I value the input that non-partisan organizations contribute to various issues. However, I do not believe that the American Legislative Exchange Council is a non-partisan organization. Due to the legislation that ALEC has been involved in forming and promoting, I will not be renewing my membership. I value and listen to all opinions, but ALEC's agenda has become harmful to my constituents, and the people of the State of Texas.

Across the country, citizens are urging their state legislators to leave ALEC. Nationwide, 18 state legislators have cut ties to ALEC. Additionally, 13 corporations – including Coca-Cola, Kraft, and McDonald’s – have severed their ties with the group, not including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which have also cut ties to ALEC.

“These legislators have shown the courage of their convictions by standing up to a corporate bill factory and declaring their support for the people of Texas above all else,” said Matt Glazer, Executive Director of Texas. “We applaud every member of the Texas Legislature who has never had or has now severed all ties with ALEC, and we are asking members of Progress Texas to do the same.”

Resources

1. For a list of all state legislators who have left ALEC, visit the ALEC Exposed wiki page.





2. For an ongoing list of the corporations who have left ALEC, visit Think Progress. To date, those companies are: Yum! Brands, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Mars Inc., Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, Intuit (Quicken software), Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Reed Elsevier (owner of Lexis Nexis), American Traffic Solutions, Arizona Public Service, and Procter & Gamble. Additionally, the Bill and Melinda Fates Foundation severed its ties to ALEC.





3. Progress Texas’ inaugural report on ALEC can be found here. We’ve also traced the Stand Your Ground Law from ALEC to Texas. Future reports will cover the topics of ALEC and prison privatization, immigration, virtual schools, and pension reform, among others.

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