The group "American Legislative Exchange Council" (ALEC), which has promoted and sponsored Voter ID laws and the laws subsequently attached to concealed carry, known as "Stand Your Ground Laws" has retreated from "non economic" issues associated with both, and will now focus more on economic issues and getting people back to work.
From their website, here is their complete statement:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kaitlyn Buss
Phone: 202-742-8526
Email: kbuss@alec.org
ALEC Sharpens Focus on Jobs, Free Markets and Growth — Announces the End of the Task Force that Dealt with Non-Economic Issues(Washington, D.C.) April 17, 2012—David Frizzell, Indiana State Representative and 2012 National Chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), issued the following statement today on behalf of ALEC’s Legislative Board of Directors:
“Today we are redoubling our efforts on the economic front, a priority that has been the hallmark of our organization for decades. Fostering the exchange of pro-growth, solutions-oriented ideas is precisely why ALEC exists.
“To that end, our legislative board last week unanimously agreed to further our work on policies that will help spur innovation and competitiveness across the country.
“We are refocusing our commitment to free-market, limited government and pro-growth principles, and have made changes internally to reflect this renewed focus.
“We are eliminating the ALEC Public Safety and Elections task force that dealt with non-economic issues, and reinvesting these resources in the task forces that focus on the economy. The remaining budgetary and economic issues will be reassigned.
“While we recognize there are other critical, non-economic issues that are vitally important to millions of Americans, we believe we must concentrate on initiatives that spur competitiveness and innovation and put more Americans back to work.
“Our free-market, limited government, pro-growth policies are the reason ALEC enjoys the support of legislators on both sides of the aisle and in all 50 states. ALEC members are interested in solutions that put the American economy back on track. This is our mission, and it is what distinguishes us.”
###The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is the nation’s largest nonpartisan individual membership association of state legislators, with over 2,000 state legislators across the nation and more than 100 alumni members in Congress. ALEC’s mission is to promote free markets, limited government, and federalism throughout the states.
Recently, ALEC has taken much heat and received negative attention as it pertained to their support and lobbying efforts geared toward Voter ID. Voter ID, in essence, has been considered to be both an effort to screen out and keep the poor, primarily minorities, away from the polls during election time, and also considered to be a covert "poll tax" which, according to many, is also illegal.
ALEC is also under pressure for the implementation of many of the nations "Stand Your Ground" Laws especially those in Florida which may have fueled the attitudes that led to the shooting and subsequent death of Trayvon Martin, by off duty Neighborhood Watch leader George Zimmerman. In the Trayvon Martin case, many have stated that if the laws were not as liberally constructed as they were, Trayvon may not have been killed. While that is arguable, because others say that once he was identified as "black" and "threatening" he was destined to die, the fact is that ALEC has been one of the primary proponents of both issues along with the NRA in favor of concealed carry.
According to The Huffington Post Black Voices, ALEC has felt the pressure economically as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonald's, Kraft and Intuit has distanced themselves from them as the Trayvon Martin case has gained significant public awareness.
What will they do next?
I don't know, but we'll keep watching.
