New Report: ALEC Exposed in Iowa

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Des Moines -- Today a group of open government advocates released a new report called "ALEC Exposed in Iowa: How Corporate Influence Subverts Our Democratic Process" that details the American Legislative Exchange Council's influence on Iowa lawmakers and the legislative process in the state.

The report was released in the State Capitol today by Progress Iowa, Common Cause, People for the American Way, ProgressNow, and the Center for Media and Democracy's ALEC Exposed project.

Key findings include:

• The secretive nature of ALEC's taxpayer-funded membership in Iowa due to a lack of transparency in the Iowa legislature -- including the fact that many legislators may be members without their knowledge;
• A detailed listing of the more than $500,000 in campaign donations from ALEC corporate funders to ALEC members in Iowa, including more than $200,000 to Governor Terry Branstad, a founding member of ALEC;
• Examples of ALEC 'model' bills, written side by side with corporate interests, then introduced by Iowa legislators;
• Recommended actions to be taken by citizens, reporters, and legislators to further expose ALEC's influence in Iowa.

The ALEC Exposed in Iowa report is the newest addition to a growing number of state reports detailing ALEC's influence on state law.