Dem legislator, ALEC member, kicked out of ALEC reception

by David Safier

Here's how it works. ALEC, the conservative, corporate sponsored group which creates hundreds of pieces of model legislation for Republicans to take back to their states, is registered as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. Apparently, it has to claim to be nonpartisan to give "scholarships" to legislators to their conferences, like the one going on in New Orleans. So if Democrats want to join, all they have to do is pay their $100 dues, and they should have all the rights and privileges of other members.

That's what State Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Madison) did. He paid his money and went to the New Orleans event. But the thing is, he's also covering the ALEC convention for the Progressive. But that shouldn't make any difference. He paid his money. What he writes and where he writes it is his business.

ALEC disagrees. Pocan paid to attend the convention and had an invitation to a corporate reception, but

"I was still kicked out of the cigar reception by an employee of ALEC. ALEC has become a secret society where they will kick out anyone with a video camera, tape recorder or an original opinion."

Common Cause is currently challenging ALEC's nonprofit status, saying it's a lobbying group. Its exclusionary policies toward both journalists (you can see a video of ThinkProgress reporters being kicked out of the Marriott Hotel lobby) and Democratic members should give more weight to Common Cause's arguments.

UPDATE: Common Cause has created a 12 page pamphlet about ALEC, Legislating Under the Influence.