Safeguarding Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Authority Act
<h2 style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" line-height="line-height" em="em" margin-top="margin-top" margin-bottom="margin-bottom"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></strong></h2><h2 style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" line-height="line-height" em="em" margin-top="margin-top" margin-bottom="margin-bottom"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">see end discrim // BS law</font></strong></h2><h2 style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" line-height="line-height" em="em" margin-top="margin-top" margin-bottom="margin-bottom"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></strong></h2><h2 style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" line-height="line-height" em="em" margin-top="margin-top" margin-bottom="margin-bottom"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Special Program to Work on<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"> Radical Rewrite of U.S. Constitution</span></font></strong></h2><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">ALEC is extending its conference well into the evening on Friday this year to hold an "interactive academy" on rewriting the U.S. Constitution</span>. Attendees will "learn how an Article V amendments convention will actually play out," and "cast their ballots to decide which ideas to pursue," an <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21018436-alec-academy-article-v-and-bba-tickets-fri-jul-30-2021" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">invite</a> obtained by CMD details.</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">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.</font></b></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">"Once you have the convention, it is subject to nobody's control," Georgetown University Law Professor David Super <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-constitutions-scott-walker-politics-business-0079f922a810f82336a64b4ac6a3a214" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">told</a> the AP. "It makes its own agenda. It makes its own voting rules that decides how long it lasts and how far it goes</span>."</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>At the 2020 Annual Meeting, former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-constitutions-scott-walker-politics-business-0079f922a810f82336a64b4ac6a3a214" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">detailed</a> a legal strategy to force a convention to rewrite the nation's founding document even though at the time only <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">28 of 34 states needed had resolutions calling for one pending</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">. </span></font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font style="" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Former State</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"> Rep. Ken Ivory (R-UT) will moderate the event, while</span><b style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"> U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">, </span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Prof. Robert Natelson, David Biddulph, former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker, and Dr. Barry Poulson will present.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ALEC is already pushing constitutional convention calls for a balanced budget amendment and<b> sweeping new limits on federal powers,</b> but meeting attendees will also have the opportunity to consider <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">a newly proposed convention call for a package of tax and fiscal reforms, including "<b>abolishing the existing Internal Revenue Code,"</b> called the <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/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/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">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</a>. </span></font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">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.</font></p><h2 style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" line-height="line-height" em="em" margin-top="margin-top" margin-bottom="margin-bottom"><strong><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Protecting Fossil Fuel Interests and Other Climate Harming Measures</font></strong></h2><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ALEC politicians will once again consider model bills to protect fossil fuel interests and polluters.</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Meeting attendees will debate a number of <b>policies framed around ending "energy discrimination." </b>The radical <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/energy-discrimination-elimination-act/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Energy Discrimination Elimination Act</a> would <b>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</b>. The policy also includes an anti-boycott measure which <b>prohibits government contractors from boycotting energy companies</b>, even asking for "written verification" from companies stating that they "will not boycott energy companies during the term of the contract."</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">This model, as well as the <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/affordable-abundant-reliable-electricity-act/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Affordable, Abundant, Reliable Electricity Act</a>, which seeks to protect all energy producers in the name of maintaining a reliable electrical grid, are being <b>lobbied for by Randy Eminger, executive director of the Energy Policy Network</b>,</span> an <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21018441-alec-model-bills-supporting-coal-based-power-email-from-coal-lobbyist-june-24-2021" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">email</a> obtained by CMD details.</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">An advocate for "clean coal,"</span> Eminger describes his mission at Energy Policy Network as, "to support the continued use of coal-fueled power," in the email, and notes that "<b>four other comrades from the industry" will be at the ALEC conference as well.</b></font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">In keeping with ALEC's <a href="https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2018/07/12/alec-extreme-exxon-long-term-alec-board-member-dumps-alec-climate-denial-policy%e2%80%8b/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">climate-denial history</a> and pay-to-play work for fossil fuel giants, ALEC lawmakers will also vote on resolutions to <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/resolution-supporting-reliable-and-affordable-energy/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">oppose any government action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions</a>, and <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/resolution-to-protect-market-access-for-all-electricity-generators/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">oppose any restrictions on the use of fossil fuels to produce electricity</a>.</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Indeed, ALEC is even proposing a model bill, the</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"> <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/safeguarding-greenhouse-gas-regulatory-authority-act/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Safeguarding Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Authority Act</a>,</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"> to bar any state agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions or entering into any regional compact without <b>"specific legislative authorization.”</b></span> </font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/resolution-urging-states-to-establish-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-as-a-competitive-market-free-from-utility-commission-regulation/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Resolution Urging States to Establish<b> Electric Vehicle</b> Charging Stations as a Competitive Market Free From Utility Commission Regulation</a> urges state utility commissions to <b>forbid "regulated utilities from using electric customer funds to build its own fleet of electric charging stations,</b>" 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.</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">ALEC is also introducing<b> another preemption model bill around plastics,</b> the <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/act-to-establish-statewide-uniformity-for-essential-plastic-regulations/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Act to Establish Statewide Uniformity for Essential Plastic Regulations</a>. Spun as a policy to ensure "essential" plastic products are available, the proposed bill would bar municipalities from banning or taxing plastic food wrappers and plastic water bottles.</span> The measure follows a 2015 <b>American City County Exchange</b> (an ALEC offshoot) <a href="https://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/03/13060/barring-plastic-bag-bans-another-alec-bill-takes-aim-local-democracy" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">resolution</a> that calls on local government not to regulate many <b>single-use products, </b>including, "reusable bags, disposable bags, boxes, cups, and bottles that are made of cloth, paper, plastic, extruded polystyrene, or similar materials."</font></p><h2 style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" line-height="line-height" em="em" margin-top="margin-top" margin-bottom="margin-bottom"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="font-weight: normal;">Regulating Big Tech?</font></h2><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://alec.org/model-policy/safeguarding-greenhouse-gas-regulatory-authority-act/">https://alec.org/model-policy/safeguarding-greenhouse-gas-regulatory-authority-act/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Under this model policy, a state agency may not adopt or enforce a state or regional program to regulate greenhouse gas emissions for the purposes of addressing changes in atmospheric temperature <b>without specific legislative authorization.</b></font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">SAFEGUARDING GREENHOUSE GAS REGULATORY AUTHORITY ACT</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Model Policy</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A bill to be entitled</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">An act relating to greenhouse gas emissions; providing a definition; prohibiting the adoption and enforcement of certain state and regional programs to regulate greenhouse gas emissions without specific legislative authorization; providing an effective date.</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of :</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Section 1. Statutes, is created to read:</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.—</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(1) As used in this section, the term <b>“greenhouse gas” means carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbon, and perfluorocarbon.</b></font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(2) Notwithstanding any other law, a state agency may not adopt or enforce a state or regional program to regulate greenhouse gas emissions for the purposes of addressing changes in atmospheric temperature without specific legislative authorization, including, but not limited to:</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(a) State plans developed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s. 7402, s. 7410, s. 7411, s. 7415, or s. 7545.</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(b) <b>Low carbon fuel standards.</b></font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(c<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">) Plans or programs enabling regulation of mobile or stationary sources, greenhouse gas taxes or fees, or greenhouse gas tradin</span>g.</font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(d) State or regional programs prompted by the participation of the United States in<b> international treaties or executive agreements or interstate compacts or agreements.</b></font></div><div style=""><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Section 2. This act shall take effect .</font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">not much coberage</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">moline fla</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><a href="https://floridaphoenix.com/2021/08/02/a-brazen-scheme-alec-software-giveaway-to-gop-lawmakers-violated-fl-campaign-finance-laws/">https://floridaphoenix.com<b>/2021/08/</b>02/a-brazen-scheme-alec-software-giveaway-to-gop-lawmakers-violated-fl-campaign-finance-laws/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">
</font></div><div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>An organization backed by major corporations gave state legislators, including at least two from Florida, campaign software worth thousands of dollars in violation of state campaign-finance law,</b> according to complaints filed by three progressive organizations.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The alleged gifts from the American Legislative Exchange Council, which Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed last week in Salt Lake City, amount to illegal in-kind campaign contributions, according to the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), Common Cause, and the Alliance for a Better Utah.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Recipients in Florida include, but might not be limited to, Republicans Rep. Spencer Roach and Rep. Jason Fischer, according to <a target="blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21018948-fl-alec-care-complaint-signed" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 65%, rgb(229, 233, 237) 0px); background-size: 0px 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; transition: background-size 0.4s ease 0s;">a complaint</a> filed with the Florida Elections Commission. Roach is an attorney and represents part of Lee County in the Legislature. He is listed as vice chair of the Public Integrity & Elections Committee in the state House. Fischer represents part of Duval County.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It’s hard to know the exact number of Florida legislators who may be involved because ALEC doesn’t release its membership list, the organizations said.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“ALEC keeps its membership list secret — they don’t publish it,” said David Armiak, research director for CMD, during a telephone interview.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A separate <a target="blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21012929-alec-irs-whistleblower-complaint-72021" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 65%, rgb(229, 233, 237) 0px); background-size: 0px 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; transition: background-size 0.4s ease 0s;">whistleblower complaint</a> filed with the Internal Revenue Service alleges the software transfer to ALEC’s predominantly GOP membership evidences broader campaign-related activity in violation of ALEC’s tax-exempt status as a nonprofit.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Voters deserve to know who is buying influence with their elected officials, and that is exactly what ALEC is doing in providing this software to legislators,” Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause, said in a written statement.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>“This is sophisticated software worth thousands of dollars that aids the reelection efforts of these legislators, and the legislators know that. This isn’t buying a legislator a cup of coffee to bend their ear about your bill. These are valuable in-kind contributions, plain and simple,</b>” she said.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“ALEC has abused its tax-exempt status for a decade or more,” said Eric Havian, an attorney for CMD. “I can only hope that we have not become too accustomed to fraud in plain sight, and that the IRS will finally take action to stop taxpayers from subsidizing ALEC’s partisan electioneering and lobbying.”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Fischer and Roach have yet to reply to requests for comment.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The progressive organizations have filed similar complaints in 14 other states, asking government watchdogs to investigate and if possible identify other lawmakers who received the software.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">ALEC, <a target="blank" href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEC_Corporations" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 65%, rgb(229, 233, 237) 0px); background-size: 0px 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; transition: background-size 0.4s ease 0s;">backed by some of the country’s biggest corporations</a>, gathers state lawmakers for workshops and distributes model legislation for introduction in statehouses. </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Recent examples would <a target="blank" href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/safeguarding-greenhouse-gas-regulatory-authority-act/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 65%, rgb(229, 233, 237) 0px); background-size: 0px 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; transition: background-size 0.4s ease 0s;">ban state limits</a> on greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change and an “<a target="blank" href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/energy-discrimination-elimination-act/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 65%, rgb(229, 233, 237) 0px); background-size: 0px 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; transition: background-size 0.4s ease 0s;">Energy Discrimination Elimination Act</a>,” forbidding discouragement of fossil fuels.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“While ALEC publicly emphasizes the ‘constituent research and engagement’ benefits of the [software] service, the voter database and management software provided by ALEC is clearly designed to help ALEC legislators win reelection,” the elections complaint alleges.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>ALEC has claimed the software, “ALEC CARE,” developed by GOP affiliated consultancy VoterGravity, would normally cost $3,000 but distributed it as a “member benefit,” the complaint adds.</b></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">“Voter Gravity explicitly markets the software as a ‘powerful’ tool for political campaigns from ‘an approved mobile app vendor for the Republican National Committee and fully integrated with the RNC’s database,” the complaint says.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a target="blank" href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100-0199/0106/Sections/0106.011.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 65%, rgb(229, 233, 237) 0px); background-size: 0px 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; transition: background-size 0.4s ease 0s;">Florida law</a> defines a campaign contribution as “a gift, subscription, conveyance, deposit, loan, payment, or distribution of money or anything of value, including contributions in kind having an attributable monetary value in any form, made for the purpose of influencing the results of an election or making an electioneering communication.”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The law limits contributions to $1,000 per legislative candidate. Persons knowingly making or accepting gifts worth above that amount <a target="blank" href="http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0100-0199/0106/Sections/0106.08.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 65%, rgb(229, 233, 237) 0px); background-size: 0px 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; transition: background-size 0.4s ease 0s;">are guilty</a> of a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year imprisonment. Corporate violators face fines of as much as $10,000 and could love their right to do business in Florida.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Provision of the voter management software to support election campaigns constitutes an illegal in-kind campaign contribution by ALEC whether or not ALEC members ultimately used it for their campaigns,” the complaint alleges.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>“ALEC’s disclaimers and transparent repackaging of a powerful campaign tool as “constituent communications” do nothing to reduce its campaign value.”</b></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The IRS complaint identifies the whistleblower as “a current legislative member of ALEC,” identified in the document as “Legislator,” calling this person “a classic insider” appalled at what ALEC was doing.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The software log-in page states that the tools can’t be used for a political campaigns, but “many of its features can have no other plausible use,” the document says.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“The software came preloaded with individual-level voting information, including voter history and political party ideology; views on ‘hot button’ electoral issues like taxation and gun control; income and donor status; metrics like ‘Turnout Score’ and Republican National Committee voter identification numbers; and numerous other data points exceedingly helpful for a re-election campaign but largely irrelevant to ‘constituent service,’” the complaint says.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Moreover, Legislator noted that CARE’s analytical and dashboard tools were also primarily campaign related and not particularly useful for constituent service, tracking elements like ‘Identified Supporters,’ ‘Door Knocks,’ ‘Walklist Stats,’ and ‘Phone Bank Stats,’” it says.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“ALEC CARE is a brazen scheme to help ALEC’s overwhelmingly Republican members win reelection,” Arn Pearson, CMD’s executive director, said in a written statement.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“The fact that ALEC’s constituent management program typically costs ‘thousands of dollars,’ but it is being provided free of charge to selected legislators, would constitute a contribution to the legislator,” Marcus Owens, former director of the Exempt Organizations Division of the Internal Revenue Service, <a target="blank" href="https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2021/07/26/watchdogs-filing-complaints-in-15-states-against-alec-for-illegal-campaign-scheme/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 65%, rgb(229, 233, 237) 0px); background-size: 0px 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat; transition: background-size 0.4s ease 0s;">told CMD</a>.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: Newsreader, serif; font-size: 20px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“The fact that there may well be sub rosa links, meaning secret, between databases created by the management program and organizations engaged in partisan political activity suggests another potential electioneering event,” Owens said.</p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">===</font></div>