Lisa Graves's News Articles

Op-Ed

ALEC's So-Called "Right to Work" Bill as Political Revenge in Michigan

by Lisa Graves — December 11, 2012 - 7:00am
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Right Wing, Corporations, Democracy, Economy, Labor, Politics

    • As concerned workers come together across Michigan in protest, partisan politicians are poised to make one of the strongholds for America's blue-collar worker rights into a so-called "Right to Work" (RTW) state -- in accordance with the ALEC blueprint to change to state laws at the behest of some of the biggest corporations in the world. Yet, 42 corporations, including General Motors, have distanced themselves from ALEC this year after ALEC's role in controversial and divisive legislation was exposed.

    News

    Taxpayer-Enriched Companies Back Jeb Bush's Foundation for Excellence in Education, its Buddy ALEC, and Their "Reforms"

    by Lisa Graves — November 28, 2012 - 4:04pm
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Right Wing, Front Groups, Third Party Technique, Children, Corporations, Democracy, Education, Lobbying, Think Tanks

    • This week in Washington, DC, Jeb Bush's "Foundation for Excellence in Education" (FEE) is meeting just five blocks away from the post-election conference of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the controversial corporate bill mill working on profitizing public education among other legislative changes, but the ties between the two groups are even closer.

    News

    After the $6 Billion Election, Calls for Subpoenas and Amendments

    by Lisa Graves — November 15, 2012 - 7:04am
  • Topics: Election 2012, Campaign Finance, Corporations, Democracy, Politics

    • Now that the most expensive election in history is over, an increasing number of Americans are demanding action to reduce the influence of money and corporations in our political system -- and reformers are offering solutions.

    Press Release

    "Buying Influence," a Special Report Released; ALEC Corporate Slush Fund Pays for State Lawmakers' Junkets

    by Lisa Graves — October 26, 2012 - 11:15am
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporations, Democracy

    • Internal records show ALEC corporations have spent an estimated $4 million to send legislators to posh resorts since 2006

    For Immediate Release: October 26, 2012
    Contact: Sara Jerving, Center for Media and Democracy, (608) 260-9713; Mary Boyle, Common Cause, (202) 736-5770

    Corporate backers of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have funneled more than an estimated $4 million in gifts to state legislators for travel, hotel rooms, and meals at posh resorts since 2006, according to estimates based on internal ALEC records. The corporate lobby front group is already facing an Internal Revenue Service review of claims that it violated federal law by posing as a charity.

    News

    Echoing ALEC's Playbook, the Real Story of Walker's Tort "Reform"

    by Lisa Graves — September 4, 2012 - 7:00am
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Tort Reform, Corporations

    • On New Year's weekend in 2011, many Wisconsinites were focused on the Badgers' return to the Rose Bowl or whether the Green Bay Packers would beat the Detroit Lions and get another shot to win the Super Bowl, but the incoming administration of Governor Scott Walker had other, bigger contests on its agenda. In mid-winter, while many in the state were worried about who would win or lose the big games, Walker's team was preparing to change state law in numerous ways, including making it easier for corporations to win big cases and limit the damages paid if their products or practices kill or injure people in Wisconsin.

    Editorial

    ALEC Goes After the Center for Media and Democracy

    by Lisa Graves — August 29, 2012 - 6:26am
  • Topics: Activism, ALEC Exposed, Corporations, Democracy

    • The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) sent a message to hundreds of legislators and corporations across the country attacking the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), the creator of ALECexposed.org. Among other things ALEC claimed, "CMD is an attack-dog, not a watch-dog."

    Op-Ed

    WI Ethics Board Should Bar ALEC Corporate Gifts

    by Lisa Graves — August 23, 2012 - 11:57am
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Corporations

    • Imagine a retreat at a swank Wisconsin resort, where elected officials are wined and dined by corporate lobbyists, have their travel and accommodations paid, have activities for their families and their child-care subsidized, and are given tickets to major league ball games and elite parties by corporate lobbyists with business before the legislature.

    News

    Stars Earn Stripes, NBC's New "War-Musement" TV Show, Panned by Nobel Peace Laureates, Veterans, and Others

    by Lisa Graves — August 13, 2012 - 11:04pm
  • Topics: Propaganda, War / Peace

    • Nine winners of the Nobel prize for peace are calling on NBC to cancel its new TV series, "Stars Earn Stripes" (S-E-S).

    The network unabashedly used its monopoly on the U.S. broadcast of the summer Olympic games to promote this new "reality" series, which debuted this week.

    News

    A Lot of White Space: Firms Drop Off ALEC's Meeting Brochure

    by Lisa Graves — July 30, 2012 - 6:00am
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Corporations

    • Salt Lake City -- A close look at the annual meeting brochure of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) shows that anti-corporate campaigners are having an impact on the secretive "bill mill" that brings politicians and corporate lobbyists together behind closed doors to craft, amend, and vote on "model" legislation.

    Op-Ed

    Special Report from Salt Lake: ALEC Exposed, ALEC Diminished

    by Lisa Graves — July 27, 2012 - 7:47am
  • Topics: ALEC Exposed, Corporations

    • SALT LAKE CITY -- American Legislative Exchange Council legislators, corporate lobbyists, and special interest group staffers awoke Thursday morning to bad news about ALEC delivered to every room at the "five diamond" Grand America hotel. Although the print edition of the Salt Lake Tribune's headline read "ALEC says it won't be threatened," the news story in the state's leading paper featured two prominent critiques of ALEC.

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