SPN

Guardian Documents Expose State Policy Network Groups’ Intent to Lobby

By Rebekah Wilce | December 5th, 2013 at 5:20 PM (CST)

The Guardian published a set of coordinated fundraising proposals from State Policy Network (SPN) members today that confirm many of these groups’ intent to change state laws and policies, referring to “advancing model legislation” and “candidate briefings.” These activities “arguably cross the line into lobbying,” The Guardian notes. The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) highlighted these questionable political activities in its recent report, “EXPOSED: The State Policy Network: The Powerful Right-Wing Network Helping to Hijack State Politics and Government,” as well as in a recent follow-up article.

ALEC | Featured Investigations | SPN

State Policy Network: The Stealth Network Dramatically Influencing State Law

By Rebekah Wilce | December 5th, 2013 at 9:55 AM (CST)

The State Policy Network (SPN), a web of pressure groups in all 50 states that call themselves “think tanks” while dramatically influencing state law, is a powerful and stealthy ally of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), as the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) detailed in the recent report, “EXPOSED: The State Policy Network: The Powerful Right-Wing Network Helping to Hijack State Politics and Government.”

ALEC | SPN

SPN: Right-Wing Stink Tanks Pushing the ALEC Agenda in the States

By Rebekah Wilce | November 22nd, 2013 at 12:45 PM (CST)

In this new online resource, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD, the publisher of the award-winning ALECexposed.org investigation) documents the more than $83 million that right-wing billionaires and corporations are spending each year to fuel Tracie Sharp’s State Policy Network (SPN) and its 64 state “think tank” members.

SPN

Tracie Sharp: Bursar of Mystery Money and “IKEA Model” Materials to Stink Tanks

By Rebekah Wilce | November 19th, 2013 at 8:11 AM (CST)

Who is Tracie Sharp? She is the executive director of the State Policy Network, a web of right-wing “think tanks” in every state across the country.

ALEC | Press Release | SPN

Reports Expose Extreme Pressure Groups Masquerading as Think Tanks

By ExposedByCMD Editors | November 13th, 2013 at 10:00 AM (CST)

Twelve new reports released today expose the State Policy Network (SPN), an $83 million web of right-wing “think tanks” in every state across the country. Although SPN’s member organizations claim to be nonpartisan and independent, an in-depth investigation reveals that SPN and its state affiliates are major drivers of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)-backed corporate agenda in state houses nationwide, with deep ties to the Koch brothers and the national right-wing network of funders. The reports show how these groups masquerade as “think tanks,” and describe how some of them may be skirting tax laws while really orchestrating extensive lobbying and political operations to peddle their legislative agenda to state legislators, all while reporting little or no lobbying activities.