WHEREAS:

            The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a private and privately-funded collaborative of businesses that work in carefully guarded secrecy with selected state legislators and national leaders to draft and lobby business-friendly legislation, which is often introduced to states word-for-word as drafted by ALEC, and without notifying voters of their source; and

WHEREAS:

            ALEC’s members are actively promoting the funding of for-profit “virtual schools” at the same level as brick-and-mortar schools, virtual schools from which their members would profit; and

WHEREAS:

            ALEC’s members support privatization of public schools through vouchers, tuition tax credits and charters, with the potential for their corporate profit from these structures; and

WHEREAS:

            ALEC’s draft legislation calls for curriculum that essentially ignores scientific findings regarding climate change and insists on action as if there were no evidence of climate change, curriculum which supports their corporate positions designed to maximize their profits; and

WHEREAS:

            ALEC has threatened academic freedom on several levels with their “Academic Bill of Rights” to “English Fluency Among Lecturers in State Institutions,” and “Intellectual Diversity Act” that attack higher education faculty use of professional judgment and professor-student dialogue; and

WHEREAS:

            ALEC members have taken extreme anti-union positions and have promoted legislation that would end union rights including but not limited to dues deductions, fair share, and even collective bargaining, and urging reduction or elimination of pensions and pension security for public employees; and

WHEREAS:

            Common Cause has requested the investigation of ALEC’s classification as a Section 501(c) (3) charitable organization; and

WHEREAS:

            Major corporate sponsors have left ALEC in the wake of the Trevon Martin shooting death under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, which was based on ALEC model gun legislation; and

WHEREAS:

            ALEC has launched a new initiative to expand its reach into local government policy, called the American City County Exchange.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

            That American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) go on record in opposition to ALEC’s education agenda and the efforts of American City County Exchange initiative; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

            That AFSCME support a campaign to actively oppose ALEC’s agenda, a campaign which includes but is not limited to informing members about ALEC, and encouraging their involvement in sharing this information and the reasons for our opposition with other voters; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

            That AFSCME support and participate in efforts to remove ALEC’s tax exempt status, require legislators to report their membership in and receipt of any direct or indirect financial support including travel, dues, per diems, scholarships, grants and similar payments on or behalf of elected officials.