An all-expenses-paid trip to pick up next year’s legislation

by David Safier

It's just this easy. Arizona legislators can travel to New Orleans from August 3-6 on ALEC's dime. ALEC is the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council. There they'll learn what they should care about, and they'll be handed prewritten legislation with blanks they can fill in to turn it into an Arizona-specific bill. Bingo! Next year's legislative agenda. No muss, no fuss, no bother.

House Majority whip Debbie Lesko sent an email (you can read it after the jump) to all legislators of both parties. ALEC, after all, bills itself as nonpartisan, and you can't give something away for free unless you offer it to everyone. ALEC members get up to $1,900 worth of reimbursement for their travel expenses. Just fill out the form when you return. And membership is only $100 for two years. Such a deal!

Who's a member? A total of 52 Republicans, though Allen, Biggs, Melvin, Pearce, Pierce and Weiers better renew quick, because their memberships expired last December. You can see the complete list here.

If you think of that deal multiplied by Republicans from 50 states, you get the idea there's big money behind ALEC. And indeed there is. Koch brothers money. Big oil money. Big Pharma money. Private prison money. Anyone with a few million dollars and a legislative agenda can get in on the deal.

What does the money supporting ALEC buy? It buys legislation written to suit a corporation's ideological or financial agenda. When ideology and profits coincide, that's a twofer. SB1070 came from ALEC, to cite one example. So did the legislation that makes Arizona's private prisons so profitable.

Go to ALEC's Model Legislation page. From there, you can link to legislation concerning: Civil Justice; Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development; Education; Energy, Environment, and Agriculture; Health and Human Services; International Relations; Public Safety and Elections; Tax and Fiscal Policy; and Telecommunications and Information Technology. Each topic brings up 50 to 150 bills.

The Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development page, for instance, contains 146 separate bills. You want something to get rid of merit protection system of government employment, a topic we may revisit in a special session as soon as October? There's the "At-Will Employment Act," ready and waiting. Don't like the minimum wage? You have a choice of the "Living Wage Mandate Preemption Act" and the "Starting (Minimum) Wage Repeal Act."

Don't bother trying to look at the bills, by the way. They're password protected. You might ask your local ALEC member to let you take a peek.

If you've ever wondered why one state passes some conservative law (our own SB1070, for instance), then others follow suit almost immediately, it's not because some Florida legislator says, "SB1070? What a great idea. We should try that!" It's because they're all feeding at the same legislative trough. Arizona goes first. If it plays here, a dozen other states see if it will fly there. That's how the vast right wing conspiracy works.

Debbie Lesko's email:

From:     Debbie Lesko <DLesko@azleg.gov>
    Subject:     ALEC Meeting in New Orleans Aug. 3-6
    Date:     May 12, 2011 4:33:38 PM MST
    To:     .ALLHMEMS <ALLHMEMS@azleg.gov>
    Cc:     .HDEMSECS <HDEMSECS@azleg.gov>, .HMAJSECS <HMAJSECS@azleg.gov>

Dear Members,
 
As the AZ ALEC public sector chairman,  I'd like to invite you to join me in NEW ORLEANS at ALEC's annual meeting from AUGUST 3RD-6TH.  READ ALL DETAILS BELOW:
 
1.  ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) is  a nonpartisan membership association for conservative state lawmakers who share a common belief in limited government, free markets, federalism, and individual liberty.
 
2.  If you are an ALEC member, your airfare, hotel, ALEC registration, baggage, travel to/from the airport to the hotel, and airport parking will be reimbursed through an ALEC scholarship up to $1,900.00 per legislator.
You may share rooms if you so desire….it is up to you. 
Early REGISTRATION ENDS JUNE 7TH.  Go to ALEC.org
 
3.  I have attached a list of current ALEC members with their expiration dates.  IF your membership expired Dec. 2010, you NEED to renew your membership to attend the meeting.  IF you are not listed as a member, you NEED to JOIN to attend the meeting.  Go to ALEC.org  The price is $100 for 2 years.  The membership fee is NOT reimbursed.
 
4.  I have attached the Task Force member list.  If you are a primary task force member,  you can vote on model legislation during your task force meeting.   Alternate task force members will be able to vote if the primary task force member does not attend.  All task force members should attend their task force. Task Force meeting dates and times are listed under the annual meeting AGENDA at ALEC.org
CONTACT my assistant, Patty Wisner, and let her know if you are attending at  602-926-5413 or  PWisner@azleg.gov
 
5.  To REGISTER for the meeting and hotel go to:  ALEC.org
I suggest you do so soon to make sure there is room in the hotel.  If you use the ALEC hotel you will be reimbursed $100 off your registration fee.  4 NIGHTS at the hotel will be covered.  Check in Aug. 2nd. Check out Aug. 6th.  ALEC meetings start Aug. 3rd. Hotel check in time is 3pm and check out time is noon.
 
6.  Make your own flight arrangements.
 
7.  You need to SAVE and SUBMIT copies of all receipts and turn them into my assistant, Patty Wisner, AFTER the trip.  Reimbursement usually takes 2-3 weeks to process AFTER the trip and AFTER you turn in the reimbursement form and receipts.  I have attached the reimbursement form.
 
8.  CONTACT my assistant, Patty Wisner, at 602-926-5413 or PWisner@azleg.gov
to let her know IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND.  I need an idea of how many legislators will be attending in order to make sure we have enough scholarship funds.
 
Sincerely,
 
Debbie Lesko
State Representative
Arizona-Legislative District 9
1700 W. Washington St. Suite H
Phoenix, AZ  85007
602-926-5413