{"id":255142,"date":"2021-07-28T15:53:11","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T15:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/radiofree.asia\/?guid=80dcd8cce76fe8d0bd3b698c16823534"},"modified":"2021-07-28T15:53:11","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T15:53:11","slug":"at-alecs-annual-meeting-maga-hat-wearing-members-pursue-america-first-agenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/07\/28\/at-alecs-annual-meeting-maga-hat-wearing-members-pursue-america-first-agenda\/","title":{"rendered":"At ALEC\u2019s Annual Meeting, MAGA Hat-Wearing Members Pursue \u201cAmerica First Agenda\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\"The<\/a>

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is holding its first post-Trump in-person meeting this week in Salt Lake City, Utah at the five-star Grand America Hotel.<\/p>\n

While Trump is no longer in office, ALEC members still wearing their MAGA hats can participate in Trump-themed trainings such as, \u201cAchieving and Using Political Power: How You Implement an America First Agenda,\u201d and \u201cWriting the History of the Future: Messaging Strategies to Reclaim States\u2019 Power & American Exceptionalism.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Annual Meeting kicked off on Monday with an \u201cexclusive, invitation-only academy\u201d for state lawmakers with the dark money voter suppression group the Honest Elections Project<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> where ALEC<\/span><\/a> politicians were \u201cto discuss the implementation of new election legislation\u201d with three secretaries of state, among other \u201cfun and educational\u201d events, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD)<\/em> reported<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Annual Meeting will provide a platform for a number of high-profile Trump loyalists. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), former Secretary of Energy Rick Perry (R), U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R), Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz, and ALEC\u2019s favorite economists Stephen Moore and Art Laffer are all scheduled to speak.<\/p>\n

Rewriting our nation\u2019s founding document, protecting the interests of fossil fuels, fighting President Biden, regulating Big Tech, weakening unions, and undermining public education are all on the agenda.<\/p>\n

Special Program to Work on Radical Rewrite of U.S. Constitution<\/b><\/h2>\n

ALEC is extending its conference well into the evening on Friday this year to hold an \u201cinteractive academy\u201d on rewriting the U.S. Constitution. Attendees will \u201clearn how an Article V amendments convention will actually play out,\u201d and \u201ccast their ballots to decide which ideas to pursue,\u201d an invite<\/a> obtained by CMD<\/em> details.<\/p>\n

One of the goals of the tutorial appears to be to convince lawmakers that a runaway convention can be prevented, despite expert opinions that this is impossible.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce you have the convention, it is subject to nobody\u2019s control,\u201d Georgetown University Law Professor David Super told<\/span><\/a> the AP<\/em>. \u201cIt makes its own agenda. It makes its own voting rules that decides how long it lasts and how far it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the 2020 Annual Meeting, former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) detailed<\/span><\/a> a legal strategy to force a convention to rewrite the nation\u2019s founding document even though at the time only 28 of 34 states needed had resolutions calling for one pending.<\/p>\n

Former State Rep. Ken Ivory (R-UT) will moderate the event, while U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, Prof. Robert Natelson, David Biddulph, former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker, and Dr. Barry Poulson will present.<\/p>\n

ALEC is already pushing constitutional convention calls for a balanced budget amendment and sweeping new limits on federal powers, but meeting attendees will also have the opportunity to consider a newly proposed convention call for a package of tax and fiscal reforms, including \u201cabolishing the existing Internal Revenue Code,\u201d called the Application Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution to Propose an Amendment to Require Fiscal Limitations and Accountability for the Legislative and Executive Branches of the National Government<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The model application also seeks to combine the states that pass it with other balanced budget amendment convention calls in an attempt to reach the 34 states needed to convene a constitutional convention.<\/p>\n

Protecting Fossil Fuel Interests and Other Climate Harming Measures<\/b><\/h2>\n

ALEC politicians will once again consider model bills to protect fossil fuel interests and polluters.<\/p>\n

Meeting attendees will debate a number of policies framed around ending \u201cenergy discrimination.\u201d The radical Energy Discrimination Elimination Act<\/span><\/a> would punish financial institutions and other companies that cease to do business with fossil fuel companies by barring the state from investing in them and denying them state business. The policy also includes an anti-boycott measure which prohibits government contractors from boycotting energy companies, even asking for \u201cwritten verification\u201d from companies stating that they \u201cwill not boycott energy companies during the term of the contract.\u201d<\/p>\n

This model, as well as the Affordable, Abundant, Reliable Electricity Act<\/span><\/a>, which seeks to protect all energy producers in the name of maintaining a reliable electrical grid, are being lobbied for by Randy Eminger, executive director of the Energy Policy Network, an email<\/a> obtained by CMD<\/em> details.<\/p>\n

An advocate for \u201cclean coal,\u201d Eminger describes his mission at Energy Policy Network as, \u201cto support the continued use of coal-fueled power,\u201d in the email, and notes that \u201cfour other comrades from the industry\u201d will be at the ALEC conference as well.<\/p>\n

In keeping with ALEC\u2019s climate-denial history<\/span><\/a> and pay-to-play work for fossil fuel giants, ALEC lawmakers will also vote on resolutions to oppose any government action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions<\/span><\/a>, and oppose any restrictions on the use of fossil fuels to produce electricity<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, ALEC is even proposing a model bill, the Safeguarding Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Authority Act<\/span><\/a>, to bar any state agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions or entering into any regional compact without \u201cspecific legislative authorization.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Resolution Urging States to Establish Electric Vehicle Charging Stations as a Competitive Market Free From Utility Commission Regulation<\/span><\/a> urges state utility commissions to forbid \u201cregulated utilities from using electric customer funds to build its own fleet of electric charging stations,\u201d thereby removing crucial funds to expand the infrastructure a larger fleet of electric cars will need in the future. This will have the intended consequence of forcing people to continue driving gas-guzzling vehicles for longer than necessary.<\/p>\n

ALEC is also introducing another preemption model bill around plastics, the Act to Establish Statewide Uniformity for Essential Plastic Regulations<\/span><\/a>. Spun as a policy to ensure \u201cessential\u201d plastic products are available, the proposed bill would bar municipalities from banning or taxing plastic food wrappers and plastic water bottles. The measure follows a 2015 American City County Exchange (an ALEC offshoot) resolution<\/span><\/a> that calls on local government not to regulate many single\u2013<\/span>use products, including, \u201creusable bags, disposable bags, boxes, cups, and bottles that are made of cloth, paper, plastic, extruded polystyrene, or similar materials.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Regulating Big Tech?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Despite claiming to be for free markets, and in a move to satisfy the MAGA crowd at ALEC, a resolution and a number of discussions will take place at the meeting on regulating Big Tech.<\/p>\n

The Resolution in Support of State Governments Upholding Free Speech on the Internet<\/span><\/a> follows along the same line of Trump\u2019s suit against Facebook, Twitter, and Google over their supposed censoring and violation of his First Amendment rights. The resolution states, \u201cAmerican Legislative Exchange Council members support state legislatures protecting free speech on the Internet and implementing targeted, effective measures to prevent any public or private entity from censoring, blocking, or restricting free speech on the Internet or social media platforms for any reason other than sexual obscenity or excessive violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Workshops <\/b>titled, \u201cTech Talk: Content Moderation on Social Media Platforms,\u201d and \u201cTaxing Tech: Will State Regulation Harm Consumers and Raise Prices?\u201d are scheduled, as well as larger discussions titled, \u201cShould Big Tech Be Regulated?\u201d and \u201cFree Markets or Government Regulation of Big Tech?\u201d<\/p>\n

Prohibiting Public Sector Union Collective Bargaining<\/b><\/h2>\n

ALEC has fought long and hard to decimate unions, so it no surprise that it is asking members to consider the Fair and Accountable Public Sector Authority Act<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> In what can only be understood as a massive attack on working people and the wages, benefits, and workplace conditions obtained through collective bargaining, ALEC\u2019s model bill prohibits public employers from recognizing unions and from collective bargaining with unions.<\/p>\n

The model bill goes further than ALEC\u2019s Comprehensive Public Employee Freedom Act<\/span><\/a>, which would prohibit public employers from requiring workers in a bargaining unit to join the union or pay dues, and allow individual workers to bargain independently with their employer.<\/p>\n

Taking the Culture War to Public Schools<\/b><\/h2>\n

Yesterday, CMD<\/em> reported<\/span><\/a> on ALEC\u2019s role in the promoting state legislation designed to restrict what can be taught about history and race in the public schools.<\/p>\n

At the meeting this week, ALEC politicians will debate the American Civics and History Act<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> In the name of promoting civics, the bill would force public schools to make all social science teaching materials available online; require \u201cstate or local Board[s] of Education to approve instructional materials prior to first use\u201d; require public school students to take courses on U.S. history, civics, and state government; and make high school students take a civics test similar to the one used for new citizens.<\/p>\n

The model also states that \u201cNo public school shall direct or otherwise compel a teacher or student to personally affirm, adopt, or adhere to any belief relating to a current event or currently controversial issue,\u201d and \u201ccontroversial issue\u201d is vaguely defined to encompass just about anything.<\/p>\n

Meeting attendees will also tackle topics including \u201cFree Speech in Higher Education,\u201d \u201cParental Rights and Curriculum Transparency,\u201d and \u201cAlternative Teacher Certification.\u201d<\/p>\n

China and Taiwan<\/b><\/h2>\n

Following ALEC\u2019s presentation of its International Pioneer Award<\/span><\/a> to Taiwan\u2019s President Tsai Ing-wen at the 2020 States & Nation Policy Summit in December, it is again wading into the politics around China and Taiwan.<\/p>\n

ALEC members will debate the <\/span>Resolution to Prioritize Strengthening the U.S.-Taiwan Partnership to Enhance Global Supply Chain Security and Resilience<\/span><\/a> with a goal of enhancing \u201cglobal supply chain security for both sovereign democracies,\u201d and hear from Taiwanese Ambassador H.E. Bi-khim Hsiao.<\/p>\n

Discussions regarding Taiwan\u2019s neighbor, China, strike a different tone. Attendees will participate in discussions titled, \u201cUS-China Relations: BFF (Friends) or BFF (Foes),\u201d \u201cThe Future of China\u2019s Rise and What It Means to American Democracy,\u201d or \u201cChinese Influence Operations at the Sub-National Level: Spotting and Stopping Malign Influence in Your Backyard.\u201d In addition, there is a workshop on \u201cWill China Overtake the US Economically?\u201d<\/p>\n

Fighting the Biden Agenda<\/b><\/h2>\n

ALEC is putting forth a number of proposed measures aimed at blocking the President\u2019s agenda and queuing up a 10th Amendment legal battle between federal and state government powers.<\/p>\n

The radical Executive Order Review Process Act<\/span><\/a> would establish a state mechanism to review Presidential executive orders to determine if they are unconstitutional. If a state attorney general decides one is, all state agencies and local governments would be barred from implementing or enforcing the executive order if it relates to \u201ca pandemic or other public health emergency; the regulation of natural resources; the regulation of the agriculture industry; the regulation of land use; or the regulation of the financial sector through the imposition of environmental, social, or governance standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bill appears to be a product of ALEC\u2019s new Functional Federalism Working Group. The working group\u2019s leader, former Utah state Rep. Ken Ivory, in a late February meeting \u201cfloated three potential ways for state lawmakers to present a united front against the Biden agenda: nullification, or passing state legislation to invalidate federal actions that states believe are unconstitutional; the initiation of a constitutional convention that would pass amendments giving states more power; and the passage of non-binding resolutions reaffirming the U.S. Constitution\u2019s Tenth Amendment, which declares that powers not explicitly granted to the federal government belong to the states, in state legislatures,\u201d Grist reported<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

ALEC is also targeting Biden\u2019s aid to the states as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which made available $350 billion in state and local recovery funds. ALEC\u2019s Statement of Principles on ARPA Aid to State Governments<\/span><\/a> and Resolution Urging Congress to Let States Cut Taxes<\/span><\/a> both recommend how the money should be spent.<\/p>\n

Dinner With Christian Right Activists<\/b><\/h2>\n

ALEC usually provides a venue at its meeting for allies to reach its legislative members, and this meeting is no different.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, the Christian Right Family Research Council is holding a \u201cValues Action Dinner<\/a>\u201d at the hotel to promote anti-trans legislation in the states \u201cto save adolescents from experimentation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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