... this is a MUST READ for ALEC spelunkers, and most likely one of MANY responses to be on the way to fight the resistance to ALEC's role in the takeover of citizen government.
SEE ALSO
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x591230#1662233Referenced Piece “Who writes Virginia's laws?”:
Editorial: Who writes Virginia''s laws?
Corporate and conservative interests buy access to lawmakers at the American Legislative Exchange Council.
The Roanoke Times (VA)
Thursday, August 4, 2011
http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/295026RESPONSE by Bill HOWELL (VA State Rep / House Speaker) Bill Howell (R- Stafford/Falmouth 28th District House of Delegates)
ALEC contributes to an open, democratic process
By Bill Howell “Howell is speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. He lives in Falmouth.”
Monday, August 15, 2011
http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/commentary/wb/296180CLIPS:
As a former national chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council, I take strong exception to the factual inaccuracies in the editorial "Who writes Virginia's laws?" on Aug. 4.
The Virginia General Assembly enacts all laws in an entirely open and democratic manner, and your suggesting otherwise totally misleads the public. I wish you had contacted me or other state lawmakers who have participated in ALEC and given us the opportunity to share our experience.
Rather than bashing job-creating businesses as you do, ALEC believes a vibrant private sector is good for the economy and job creation, and when faced with policy decisions that have an enormous effect on our society, legislators like me believe we should hear from those who are affected. No one would consider writing an education bill without talking to teachers and students, or health care legislation without talking to doctors, hospitals and patients. So why would we neglect talking with the business community when writing legislation that affects businesses? Vibrant, successful, job-creating businesses are not the enemy.
NO the mega-wealty idiots with billions are the ENEMY, your masters, that use provincial simpletons like you Mr Howell. Come clean and publicly disclose ALL YOUR DRAFT MATERIALS for ALL your bills, or will we have to FOIA them?
No matter what topics are discussed at a conference, each lawmaker who participates has to make a decision whether it is good for the people he or she is duly elected to represent. If so, whatever may begin as a model bill must be actually introduced in his or her state legislature. Then, the bill goes through the legislative process unique to each state. In Virginia, any introduced bill -- no matter its origin -- is subject to legal review, committee hearings, amendments and floor debate before only elected legislators vote to reject or adopt it, and the governor signs it into law. It's an entirely democratic, open and transparent process. Suggesting otherwise is simply inaccurate.
2-5 minutes just before the vote is not the tradition of American civil discourse and democracy, sorry.
This is a MUST READ for ALEC bloggers and reporters.
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