bal budget amnd bbatf
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://inthesetimes.com/article/18940/alec-balanced-budget-corporate-constitutional-convention</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3/16</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>February, Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) signed on to a call for a constitutional convention to help defeat “the Washington cartel [that] has put special interest spending ahead of the American people.”</b></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Cruz, along with fellow Republican presidential aspirants Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Gov. John Kasich (Ohio)</b>, has endorsed an old conservative goal of a Constitutional amendment to mandate a balanced federal budget. The idea sounds fanciful, but free-market ideologues associated with the <a href="https://www.alec.org/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s;">American Legislative Exchange Council</a> (ALEC), <a href="http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s;">a secretive group</a> of right-wing legislators and their corporate allies, are close to pulling off a coup that could devastate the economy, which is just emerging from a recession. Their scheme could leave Americans reeling for generations. A balanced budget amendment would prevent the federal government from following the Keynesian strategy of stimulating the economy during an economic depression by increasing the national debt. (Since 1970, the United States has had a balanced budget in only four years: 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.)</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Article V of the Constitution lays out two routes for changing the law of the land: An amendment can be proposed by Congress or by a constitutional convention that is convened by two-thirds of the states (34). Either way, three-fourths of the states (38) have to ratify it. Previously, changes to the country’s founding document have been achieved by the first process. But as of today, 28 states—six shy of the two-thirds threshold required by Article V—have passed resolutions calling for a constitutional convention to consider a balanced budget amendment.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The ALEC-affiliated <a href="http://bba4usa.org/our-team/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s;">Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force</a> (BBATF), which proffered the pledge signed by Cruz, is hoping to meet that 34-state threshold by July 4. BBATF is one player in an astroturf movement backed by the billionaire Koch brothers and embraced by right-wing state legislators.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">A balanced budget amendment has long been a holy grail for the Right since the 1930s. In the 1980s, conservatives made a push for a balanced budget constitutional convention and, 20 years later, the idea was resurrected as part of the Tea Party platform. That’s when <a href="http://bba4usa.org/campaign/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s;">BBATF was formed</a> to carry the movement forward. With 16 resolutions held over from the previous wave of conservative activism, BBATF has since passed resolutions in Alabama (2011), New Hampshire (2012), Ohio (2013), Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Michigan, Louisiana (2014), South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah (2015) and West Virginia (2016), bringing the total to 28. This year, BBATF is targeting 13 states: Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. In six of these states Republicans control both legislative bodies and the governorship, making passage a real possibility and leaving BBATF one state shy of the magic 34.</font></p><h6 style="margin: 20px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Domino effect</font></h6><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">While the BBATF’s 27 resolutions are tied specifically to the balanced budget amendment, a group called Citizens for Self-Governance launched a project called <a href="http://www.conventionofstates.com/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s;">Convention of States</a>, whose proposal for a constitutional convention has also been adopted by ALEC as a model policy.</span> Convention of States has passed resolutions calling for a convention in Florida, Georgia (2014), Alabama, Arkansas (2015) and Tennessee (2016). Convention of States advocates a constitutional convention to not only pass a balanced budget amendment, but also to curtail the “power and jurisdiction of the federal government.” What precisely this means and how it would be accomplished is not clear. This uncertainty at once whets the appetite of anti-government zealots while raising serious concerns about a “runaway” convention that could make drastic changes to the Constitution.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Both BBATF and Convention of States have struggled to address worries of a runaway convention. What would stop it from turning out like the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, which led to the scrapping of the Articles of Confederation and the drafting of an entirely new U.S. Constitution?</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">To address these concerns, a group called Compact for America, which has passed resolutions in Alaska, Georgia, Mississippi and North Dakota, has proposed that states <a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/01/25/19168/conservative-national-groups-battle-states-over-constitution-redo" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s;">combine their calls</a> for a constitutional convention with the final ratification process. This would mean states attending the convention would propose the amendment and ratify it in one fell swoop, which would require the 38 states needed for ratification under Article V, not just the 34 needed to call a convention.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Convention of States and BBATF have tried to quell fears of a runaway convention by saying the convention would be bound by the subject matter of the resolutions, and that the convention only has the power to propose amendments, which then must be ratified by the required 38 states.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That the subject matter of the resolutions will prevent a runaway convention may make sense in reference to the BBATF, whose resolutions focus specifically on the balanced budget amendment, but when applied to the Convention of States’ agenda, the argument fails, as the subject of their resolutions includes broad language to curb the power and jurisdiction of the federal government. Convention of States spokesman Michael Farris has written that, “It is relatively certain that there would be at least a few amendments proposed, perhaps as many as 10 to 12.” In other words, if Convention of States has its way, there could well be a runaway convention.</font></p><h6 style="margin: 20px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Within striking distance</font></h6><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Arn Pearson at <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; transition: all 0.2s;">the Center for Media and Democracy</a>, a watchdog group based in Madison, Wisc., is closely tracking the movement. He describes the campaign for a constitutional convention as “a very live threat.” “If between the groups they get to 34 states,” he says, “there is really nothing preventing them from aggregating those calls even if they’re not identical, and pushing for a convention.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Another uncertainty, Pearson notes, is the controversy over whether the 16 resolutions left over from the effort in the 1980s can still be counted. There is no precedent to lean on. Pro-convention advocates maintain that Congress, which is tasked with processing the states’ applications, may not meddle with the process. If a state doesn’t want a convention, they argue, it can rescind its application. Pearson suspects the Supreme Court would get involved.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“There are a lot of different parts of the Koch machine pulling on this oar,” says Pearson, “from their think tanks up through their elected officials, they’re pushing on it. They’re pushing on it hard.” And, given how red BBATF’s 2016 target states are, says Pearson, “it’s within striking distance. If [ALEC and the Koch brothers] get a convention,” says Pearson, “they get to lock in their conservative supply-side policies for the next generation or more. That’s where they’re going.”</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Kochs and company, with their gridlock of Washington, have bred a type of discontent that has made once unimaginable change possible.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tugging on citizen discontent, Convention of States’ propaganda highlights the 2013 government shutdown, creeping NSA surveillance, Gallup polls showing Americans’ dissatisfaction with “government” and tales of federal bureaucratic waste.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But such a convention is not the tonic to satiate this discontent. Democratic control is what the American people yearn for, but that is not what the convention would offer.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.66667; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Maybe the alternative is the revolution Bernie Sanders is envisioning: Electing insurgent candidates to Congress, state and local office; strengthening and expanding direct democratic institutions like the ballot initiative process; making constitutional changes that elevate democratic decisions above corporate personhood; and building a movement that engages the thousands of communities where democratic governance has been all but quashed by ALEC-endorsed legal doctrine and legislation.</font></p></div><div><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"> </font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">http://www.alternet.org/right-wing/koch-brothers-donald-trump</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...his past January, <b>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott,</b> the multimillionaire protege of the Koch brother's Plutocratic Kingdom and American Legislative Exchange Council darling, revealed to a startled nation that he has penned not one but <b>NINE new amendments to the Constitution of the USA</b>. Forget the Bill of Rights, Abbott is proposing a Bill of Sale, effectively transferring the title of our national government from The People to The Plutocrats. The upshot of his "tweaks" would be outlawing government actions that restrain corporate abuse of workers and consumers, while also preventing future Congresses from meeting crucial public needs such as health care, voter rights, and restoration of our national infrastructure.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One could call Abbott and his Founding Father pretentious and ludicrous—which both are—but he's not the force behind this diabolical, ideological tampering with our Constitution and our people's ideals of fairness and justice. ALEC, at the direction of the Kochs and their corporate cohorts, wrote this Bill of Sale.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Convening an explosive convention, permitted under Article V of the Constitution, is a longtime dream of those elites seeking an American Kochistan, and ALEC is spearheading a hodgepodge of right-wing groups that—believe it or not—are alarmingly close to succeeding. An ALEC/Koch affiliate with the cumbersome acronym of <b>BBATF (Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force) came out of the Tea Party maelstrom in 2010 and is now aggressively pushing governors and state legislatures to endorse such an Article V convention.</b> At the convention, they would attempt to rewrite our nation's fundamental governing document by adding a balanced budget amendment, along with Abbott's other eight. Together these changes would enthrone the "moneyed corporations" that Jefferson and other founders abhorred as destroyers of America's democratic possibilities.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Absurd? Of course. Even the late Phyllis Schlafly, who was the head of the right-wing Eagle Forum, called this push "a prescription for political chaos," adding, "Alas, I don't see any George Washingtons, James Madisons, Ben Franklins, or Alexander Hamiltons around who could do as good a job as the Founding Fathers, and I'm worried about the men who think they can."</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Well, ALEC and the Kochs sure do think they can. But their diabolical schemes don't stop with Gov. Abbott and changing our Constitution, they want to take over our country's entire political system. Having already spent hundreds of millions of dollars to get their policy pushing puppets like Abbott into office, the Koch's want to bend the will of the people as well. They recently started a new program that they call Grassroots Leadership Academy that gives how-to lessons in everything from mounting successful protest actions to recruiting middle-of-the-road voters.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Using Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals," they are training thousands of people to become organizers and political activists. This so-called "grassroots" outfit has been set up by the gabillionaire Koch boys to train cadres of right-wing corporatists to spread their ideological laissez-fairydust across the land. The academy is run through Americans for Prosperity, Charlie's and Davie's political wing, which put up $3 million to get it going. About 10,000 people have gone through some of the training sessions in three dozen states. The brothers' grandiose scheme is to take over the Republican Party and use it as their tool to rebuild America itself into a Kochlandia, ruled by the superrich.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The academy's curriculum is loaded with such corporate nonsense as a course titled "<b>The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels.</b>" Attendees are indoctrinated with two overarching lessons: (1) freewheeling corporate power—unrestrained by labor, environmental or other public protections—GOOD; (2) Social Security, unemployment benefits, and other social programs—BAAAAAAD!</font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 32px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Koch Kollege for right-wing social engineers is peddling a status quo agenda of corporate elitism and trickle-down ideology, which the vast majority of Americans have openly rebelled against. It's like trying to sell chicken salad made out of chicken manure.</font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">off bs</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">BBA Task Force Executive Team</font></div><div>David Biddulph, Co-Founder</div><div>db-1</div><div>David is the Owner of Market Force Corp., and Co-Founder of the BBA Task Force. He is the ultimate citizen-activist who led the charge for a 3% limit on the yearly increase in Florida property taxes by voter initiative. David is a positive motivator like no other and the driving force behind the campaign for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.</div><div>Scott Rogers, BBATF Dir.</div><div>sr</div><div>Scott is a veteran issue campaigner with 15 years of experience, 7 as Executive Director of the BBA Task Force. He and David Biddulph founded the BBA Task Force in 2008 and have built it from a two-man operation to a nation-wide network of citizen volunteers and state legislators dedicated to the ratification of a Balanced Budget Amendment.</div><div>William H. Fruth, Co-Founder</div><div>bf</div><div>Bill is the President of Policom Corp., and Co-founder of the BBA Task Force. He is an economist who works with state and local gov’ts, trade groups and businesses to assess their financial challenges and plot a new way forward. Fruth wrote “Ten Amendments for Freedom” right before becoming involved in the BBA campaign as our primary legislative communicator.</div><div>Loren Enns, Campaigns Dir.</div><div>le</div><div>Loren is a Network Engineering Instructor for Cisco Systems Inc., author of “The Sword of Liberty” and Co-Founder of the BBA Task Force. As the Director of State Campaigns, he does everything from plot strategy and manage the college interns program, to the production of campaign videos & grassroots presentations. Enns joined the BBA campaign in 2013.</div><div>BBA Task Force Co-Founder Hall of Fame</div><div>Pete Sepp, V.P. NTU</div><div>ps-2</div><div>Pete is V.P. for Policy & Communications of the National Taxpayers Union, and Co-Founder of the BBA Task Force. He has testified before Congress, lectured in the U.S. and abroad, and appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and the Fox News Channel. Sepp is a strong supporter of the BBA Task Force, and regularly rallyies the NTU to support our state campaigns.</div><div>Lew Uhler, President NTLC</div><div>lu</div><div>Lew is President of the National Tax Limitation Committee, and Co-Founder of the BBA Task Force. The NTLC is one of America’s leading taxpayer lobbies that works with the White House, Congress & the State legislatures. Uhler has been at the forefront of the campaign for a Tax Limitation / Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution for over 40 years.</div><div>Sen. W. Niederhauser (UT)</div><div>wn</div><div>Wayne is the Utah Senate President and Co-Founder of the BBA Task Force. He is a CPA and owner of CW Management Corp., a real estate development company. He has supported the BBA campaign at every opportunity and was key to moving our resolution through the Utah legislature.</div><div>Dr. Barry Poulson, Ret. Prof</div><div>bp</div><div>Barry is a Professor of Economics at the University of Colorado and Co-Founder of the BBA Task Force. He is the author of numerous books and articles in the fields of economic development and economic history. Poulsen is currently developing the criteria for the implementation of a Balanced Budget Amendment once the ratification process is complete.</div><div>Rep. Joe Harrison (LA)</div><div>jh</div><div>Joe is a successful financial planner and a member of the Louisiana House. He serves on the Appropriations committees, the Judiciary, Natural Resources and Environment, and the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. Harrison was key to passing the BBA resolution through the Louisiana legislature in 2014 and continues to support our campaign.</div><div>Rep. Yvette Harrel (NM)</div><div>yh</div><div>Yvette is real estate investor, member of the New Mexico legislature and BBA Task Force Co-Founder. She is a member of the Business and Industry, Health and Gov’t Affairs, & Finance Oversight Committees. Harrel has been an energetic supporter of the BBA campaign, assisting the effort at every level whenever the voice of a well-respected legislator is needed.</div><div>Rep. Gary W. Banz (OK)</div><div>gb</div><div>Gary is a retired High School teacher, a member of the Oklahoma legislature and Co-Founder of the BBA Task Force. He serves on the Appropriations and Budget, Elections & Ethics, Rules and Tourism committees. Banz is a true believer in the BBA, having carried the flag in Oklahoma for four years where he has methodically advanced it despite heavy opposition.</div><div>Rep. Hal Wick (SD, Ret)</div><div>hw</div><div>Hal is a former South Dakota state Representative, and Co-Founder of the BBA Task Force. He had the honor of voting for South Dakota’s original Article V – BBA resolution in the late 1970s, only to return to the legislature in 2010 to find it had been rescinded. Wick picked up the torch and led the 4 year effort that finally put SD back on the map in 2015!</div><div>Del. John Overington (WV) </div><div>sm</div><div>John is a retired educator who has served West Virginia as a legislator since the mid-1980s. He has been a tireless advocate for the balanced budget amendment cause which is what inspired him to run for office. After years of pushback from both Democrats and Republicans, Del. Overington finally put West Virginia on the map as our 28th state in 2016!</div><div>Mike Stern, Of Counsel</div><div>ms</div><div>Michael is a constitutional attorney and Co-Founder of the BBA Task Force. He specializes in legal issues related to Congress & the legislative process, most importantly, constitutional amendments. He served as Senior Counsel in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. He will be key once we reach 34 states & Congress becomes involved.</div><div>Stu MacPhail, Editor/PR</div><div>sm</div><div>Stu MacPhail is a small businessman, community leader, and conservative activist in Denver, Colorado. With his wife Virginia they have founded and operated many businesses in the Denver area. Stu acts as the Colorado Director for the BBATF and handles PR and proofing of materials for the organization using his expertise as a former editor.</div><div>D. Guldenschuh, Of Counsel </div><div>dg</div><div>David is a constitutional attorney, policy advisor for the Heartland Institute and Co-Founder of the BBA Task Force. He practices law in Rome Georgia, handling a variety of case-work. David helped the COS Article V resolution pass in Georgia before joining the BBA Task Force to act as counsel and assist in every way possible to help the BBA campaign.</div><div>Tom Llewellyn, Grassroots</div><div>tl</div><div>Tom is a retired computer salesman, political activist and Co-Founder of the BBA Task Force. He has been involved in Republican politics since college & his role as Michigan State Chairman of Young Americans for Freedom. Tom led the charge for the BBA Task Force in Michigan as his home state became the 21st state to pass a BBA resolution.</div><div>Joseph Semprevivo</div><div>js</div><div>Joseph Semprevivo is the CEO/President of Joseph’s Lite Cookies & BBATF Co-Founder. He is currently the Economic Development Commissioner for the State of New Mexico where he has been appointed six years in a row. Joseph is an active supporter of the BBA campaign, helping out on a multitude of fronts in a number of states.</div><div>Bryce Christensen</div><div>bc</div><div>Bryce is Secretary of the Utah Republican Party, former Chairman of the Utah Federation of College Republicans and BBA Task Force Co-Founder. He was instrumental in the passage of the BBA resolution in Utah due to his organization of College Republicans to support it, and his personal testimony to dozens of Utah legislators.</div><div>Mark Guyer, Fundraising</div><div>mg</div><div>Mark is an author, fundraiser & BBA Task Force Co-Founder. He was a legislative assistant in the U.S. House, wrote a book on grants for nonprofit organizations & has worked on several Congressional campaigns. Additionally, Mark serves as the BBA Task Force’ Director of Investor Relations.</div><div>Kylee Williamson</div><div>tl</div><div>Kylee is Chairwoman of the OU College Republicans and a 2016 intern for the BBA Task Force. She organized college students at the University of Oklahoma to support our resolution and she spent numerous days lobbying state legislators at the capitol. Kylee was an integral part of the team that led us to victory and put Oklahoma on the map as our 29th State!</div><div>CONTACT THE BBA TASK FORCE</div><div>
</div><div>2740 SW Martin Downs Blvd. #235</div><div>Palm City, FL 34990</div><div>Phone: 386-423-4744</div><div>E-Mail: Info@BBA4USA.org</div><div>THE BBA TASK IS A 501C4 NON-PROFIT</div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div>