The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a corporate bill-mill, has laid out its priorities for this year’s state legislative sessions.
ALEC Pushes State Anti-Labor Agenda for 2025
By Juliana Broad | at
Democracy
Growing Grassroots Resistance to Trump Outpaces Democratic Party and Its Leaders
By Colleen Scerpella | at
Behind closed doors last month, House Democrats expressed their frustration at an unexpected target: their own base.
In a North Dakota Courtroom, the Battle for Standing Rock Continues
By Winona LaDuke | at
Greenpeace and the owner of the Dakota Access Pipeline square off in court.
Who is Brad Schimel, the Extremist Running for a Seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court?
By Tom O'Connor | at
Schimel, a Republican, previously served as Wisconsin’s attorney general from 2015–19. He has held close associations with several right-wing organizations and taken far-right positions on hot-button issues from abortion to guns, health care, and the J6 rioters who attacked the Capitol.
ALEC Publishes Its Own Project 2025 — for the States
By Colleen Scerpella | at
“Now, more than ever, is the time for states to lead.” This assertion by leaders of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) opens the organization’s Essential Policy Solutions playbook for 2025.
State Freedom Caucuses Push MAGA Agenda, Tone Down Intra-Party Squabbles
By Don Wiener | at
For Republicans, the extreme right-wing freedom caucuses that have emerged in state legislatures in the past few years have played the same obstructionist role as the U.S. House Freedom Caucus.
Koch Spent $91 Million to Influence Higher Education in 2023
By David Armiak | at
A constellation of donor vehicles established by Charles Koch poured $90.8 million into 127 university and college recipients in 2023 to promote his business and policy interests, a Center for Media and Democracy analysis has found.
Trump Is Replacing Democracy With Autocracy
By Robert Reich | at
Trump is implementing a plan to make the wealthiest people in America far wealthier and more powerful, including Trump himself, and to turn American democracy into a giant corporation run by a handful of absurdly rich men.
Koch Network Tax Plan Targets the Poor in Louisiana
By Don Wiener | at
While leaders of both major parties were either celebrating their victories or mourning their losses after the November 5 elections, billionaire Charles Koch racked up a big win in Louisiana when Republican Governor Jeff Landry convened a special session of the state legislature on November 6 — the very next day — to overhaul the state’s tax system.
State Battles Over Ranked Choice Voting Reveal Shifting Fault Lines
By Juliana Broad | at
It’s been a bad year for advocates of ranked-choice voting reforms.