ALEC model bills filed in Missouri Legislature

Jefferson City –Missouri legislators are once again submitting legislation modeled after bills crafted by ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Nine ALEC bills have been filed with more likely to come throughout the session. ALEC is a “membership organization” for state legislators, but functions primarily as a bill factory that pushes a pro-corporate special interest agenda. In exchange for expensive steak dinners and all-inclusive getaways, legislators support bills that are directly from ALEC’s “model” legislation.

Examples of some of the Missouri-filed ALEC Legislation:

House Bill No. 1701 (Bill Lant, R-Pineville): …the term “labor organization” means any organization of any kind or agency or employee representation committee or union that exists for the purpose in whole or in part of dealing with employers concerning wages…

ALEC’s Right-To-Work Act: The term “labor organization” means any organization of any kind, or agency or employee representation committee or union, that exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers concerning wages…

House Bill No. 1470 (Eric Burlison, R-Springfield): “In accomplishing this, member states shall work in isolation, or with other member states, to formulate plans for restoring the primary responsibility of state and local governments in the prevention of air pollution and the control of air pollution at its source…”

ALEC Interstate Power Compact: “Each party state shall work with the other party states to formulate plans for restoring the primary responsibility of States and local governments in the prevention of air pollution and the control of air pollution at its source…”

Additional pre-filed ALEC model bills include HB 1462, 1469, 1772, 1902 and SB 587, 662, 667.

“Once again, instead of focusing on the needs of hard working Missourians, legislators, many of them ALEC members, are carrying water for corporate-backed special interest,” said Laura Swinford, Executive Director at Progress Missouri. “Progress Missouri will continue to be the leading voice in the state exposing the corrupt influences of ALEC and their member legislators who do their bidding.”