Three States Pushing ALEC Bill to Require Teaching Climate Change Denial in Schools [View all]
Teach the controversy!
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) - known by its critics as a corporate bill mill has hit the ground running in 2013, pushing models bills mandating the teaching of climate change denial in public school systems.
January hasnt even ended, yet ALEC has already planted its Environmental Literacy Improvement Act - which mandates a balanced teaching of climate science in K-12 classrooms - in the state legislatures of Oklahoma, Colorado, and Arizona so far this year.
In the past five years since 2008, among the hottest years in U.S. history, ALEC has introduced its Environmental Literacy Improvement Act in 11 states, or over one-fifth of the statehouses nationwide. The bill has passed in four states, an undeniable form of big government this free market organization decries in its own literature.
ALECs model bills are written by and for corporate lobbyists alongside conservative legislators at its annual meetings. ALEC raises much of its corporate funding from the fossil fuel industry, which in turn utilizes ALEC as a key - though far from the only - vehicle to ram through its legislative agenda through in the states.
http://my.firedoglake.com/stevehorn1022/2013/01/31/three-states-pushing-alec-bill-to-require-teaching-climate-change-denial-in-schools/