ALEC Caves: Ditches 'Stand Your Ground,' Voter ID

[Me.]

ALEC Retreats Under Pressure, Ends Push For 'Stand Your Ground,' Voter ID Laws”

"WASHINGTON -- The American Legislative Exchange Council, the controversial corporate-sponsored lobbying group whose push for "stand your ground" gun laws and voter ID legislation ignited grassroots protests, announced Tuesday that it is getting out of the social policy field to focus on core economic issues.

Corporations associated with ALEC had been under siege from public interest and civil rights groups who demanded they cut ties with ALEC, most recently because of its successful push to pass "stand your ground" legislation in multiple states. Florida's version of that law has been cited as a reason why neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was not initially charged in the deadly shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

Several companies -- including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonald's, Kraft and Intuit -- had already distanced themselves from ALEC before Tuesday's surprise announcement.

"We are eliminating the ALEC Public Safety and Elections task force that dealt with non-economic issues, and reinvesting these resources in the task forces that focus on the economy," David Frizzell, an Indiana state representative said.“…cont…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/17/alec-retreats-...

[KoKo]

1. Sadly...their damage has been done. If only pressure could

have been put on them earlier. From what I've read they've been writing this legislation and doing "pay for play" for 30 years or more. Why did we not know about it? Why did our Dems not expose it.

Already their agenda on schools, voting and right wing legislation has worked here in my state. The Mid-terms put them in here. It's shocking the success they've had...and we didn't know anything about them until they'd rammed through their agenda.

[dtexdem]

2. The bull will now act nicer in the china shop.

Besides, so much of the china has already been smashed, anyway.

[Leopolds Ghost]

3. At least we have signs that the pendulum is beginning to swing back.

I guess it has to swing all the way before that happens.

[No Elephants]

4. We can no longer influence elected officials, but we can influence their owners.

Some of the dollars we spend with corporations end up in the campaign treasure chests (and pockets?) of our elected officials.

We cannot out-donate corporations, but we can decide where we spend our consumer dollars--and which corporations we call, write and email. They listen to us, even if our elected officials no longer need to.

However, we can't rejoice much. The economic issues on which ALEC will now concentrate (or so it says) still boil down to 99% vs. 1%.