Wisconsin-Report

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ALEC BRINGS TOGETHER STATE LEGISLATORS AND CORPORATE
INTERESTS
ALEC Seeks To Unite State Legislators And Business Leaders To Further Free-Market, Limited-Government
Legislation On At State Level. From the American Legislative Exchange Council’s website, “The American Legislative
Exchange Council (ALEC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It provides a constructive forum for state legislators and
private sector leaders to discuss and exchange practical, state-level public policy issues. The potential solutions discussed at
ALEC focus on free markets, limited government and constitutional division of powers between the federal and state
governments. […] ALEC is a think-tank for state-based public policy issues and potential solutions. It publishes research and
writing on issues that are of importance to its members. It holds meetings where people from public and private sectors share
their views. It also develops model bills and resolutions on economic issues.” [ALEC.org, accessed 4/13/12]
ALEC Has Given Corporations Power To Alter Model Legislation That Is Often Introduced In State Legislatures.
According to Bloomberg, “If the final language doesn’t turn out the way they like, industry representatives have the power to
block it from being posted in ALEC’s online library where it can be downloaded by state lawmakers. Legislators and privatesector
task force members must vote to endorse any model legislation -- and each group must deliver a majority before it is
officially adopted, [ALEC spokeswoman Raegan] Weber said.” [Bloomberg, 7/21/11]
Reporter John Nichols: ALEC’s Goal “Is The Advancement Of An Agenda That Seems To Be Dictated At Almost
Every Turn By Multinational Corporations.” According to NPR, “All of those pieces of legislation and those resolutions
[in the documents] really err toward a goal, and that goal is the advancement of an agenda that seems to be dictated at almost
every turn by multinational corporations,’ Nichols tells Fresh Air’s Terry Gross. ‘It’s to clear the way for lower taxes, less
regulation, a lot of protection against lawsuits, [and] ALEC is very, very active in [the] opening up of areas via privatization for
corporations to make more money, particularly in places you might not usually expect like public education.” [NPR, 7/21/11]
University of Wisconsin & Wisconsin Colleges
THE CHARLES KOCH FOUNDATION HAS DONATED OVER $335,000 TO
WISCONSIN UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES
Wisconsin Gazette: The Koch Network “Buys Influence Over Curriculum, Personnel, Policy And Research By
Funneling Grants With Strings Attached To Schools.” According to the Wisconsin Gazette, “The Koch network also
buys influence over curriculum, personnel, policy and research by funneling grants with strings attached to schools. For
example, a Koch foundation grant to Florida State University required veto power over candidates for professorships the grant
funded.” [Wisconsin Gazette, 11/5/15]
Time Headline: “How The Koch Brothers [Have Influenced] U.S. Colleges: They Gave $23.4 Million In 2014 In A
Bid To Influence Students.” [Time, 12/15/15]
• Time: “Almost All Of The Higher Education Programs The Koch Foundations [Have Funded] Cleave To
The Brothers’ Philosophy Of Promoting Free Markets And Laissez-Faire Capitalism In The United
States.” According to Time, “Almost all of the higher education programs the Koch foundations fund cleave to the
brothers’ philosophy of promoting free markets and laissez-faire capitalism in the United States.” [Time, 12/15/15]
Charles And David Koch Have Considered “The Higher Educational Programs They Fund A ‘Fully Integrated’ Part
Of A Massive Organizational Network Fighting To Enact Deregulatory Government Policies And Elect
Conservative Political Candidates.” According to Aljazeera America, “This increased funding in 2014 follows a recent
Center for Public Integrity investigation that revealed the Koch brothers, Charles and David, consider the higher educational
programs they fund a ‘fully integrated’ part of a massive organizational network fighting to enact deregulatory government
policies and elect conservative political candidates.” [Aljazeera America, 12/15/15]
Center For Public Integrity: Kevin Gentry, “A Top Lieutenant” Of The Koch Network, Told Koch Confab
Attendees That Political Success “Begins With Reaching Young Minds In College Lecture Halls.” According to the