Do it now dossier: Lobbying 4 justice!

Season for lobbyists at Legislature begins

After Labor Day for many people means the end of the summer easiness.  Back to the grind of work.  One place for sure where the "grind" starts is at the Minnesota Legislature.

Between now and the end of November when the grind slows down again because of the Holiday season, hundreds of lobbyists, interest groups, and many public and private associations will be visiting your state legislator and other members of the state legislature.

The visitors will be asking Chairpersons of various policy committees to be the Chief Author of their bill.  They may ask your legislator to sponsor a bill that concerns the area in which the elected official and you live in.  The interest group representative may go to a legislator because of the employment and background the elected person may have.  A number of reasons.

This is the time of year is when the legislator starts to think seriously of the bills he/she wants to introduce.  I have heard many times from elected officials when I ask them about legislation--"wait" until after Labor Day because they are back in their districts and rarely come to St Paul until after Labor Day. 

When the special interest representative meets with the legislator who you elected wants to discuss an idea for a bill and get their Chief Authorship, there are basically two ways of how the bill will be directed.  The interested party/lobbyist being the conductor or the Chief Author working and leading in concert with the interested party.  Most times a bill is created the concert way, but once in a while the conductor is the interested party/lobbyist.

Now is the most impelling time for you to meet with your legislators, when you can have an in depth conversation on issues that impact your community, district, and state.  You will be competing with others, but you are their constituent.  Time can and will be made for you

Ask your legislator----What are you thinking of introducing this year for the district?  Are you introducing any bills for any interest groups or associations?  I have an idea for a bill--Can I work with you on it?

A legislator's book fills up very fast with bills of legislation they will introduce.  You want to make sure you and others from the district are heard loud and clear.

To get on your way, the Minnesota Legislature has a great tool to find out who your Representatives and Senators are.

Posted by Rich Neumeister at Thursday, September 08, 2011  

Common Cause Releases Study of ALEC Corporations' Power

http://www.prwatch.org/node/10938


Submitted by Anne Landman on August 5, 2011 - 12:56am

On August 3, the national Common Cause office released a study of the American Legislative Exchange Council's political clout titled, "Legislating Under the Influence: Money, Power, and the American Legislative Exchange Council" (pdf). The study examines the campaign contributions from corporations, political action committees, executives and employees associated with the 22 companies represented on ALEC's "Private Enterprise Board." Common Cause found that through the efforts and largesse of global firms like Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, Koch Industries, AT&T, Altria (the parent company of cigarette maker Philip Morris) and Exxon Mobil, ALEC has quietly managed to turn itself into a powerful force in all 50 state capitols.

Where ALEC's corporate leaders' money goes (from Common Cause)The study found that together these donors spent over $38 million on state politics in just a single election cycle, from 2009 to 2010. Common Cause also found that over the past decade, ALEC's corporate leaders invested over $370 million nationally in state elections to influence ballot measure outcomes and help elect thousands of state legislators who would be willing to advocate for ALEC-backed bills in statehouses across the country.

Wisconsin Common Cause also released a full list of Wisconsin legislators who are ALEC members, and the amounts that ALEC corporations have invested in them since 2001. The list is available here.

In the meantime, people across the country have been researching ALEC politicians and as of this week, the Center for Media and Democracy has been able to add about 1,000 more ALEC legislators to its database to aid reporters and the public on SourceWatch.org. The database is accessible here.

Take action to fight corporate manipulation of state legislative processes across the country! Click here to send letters to the corporate leadership of the American Legislative Exchange Council (companies like Bayer, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Wal-Mart, Kraft, Coca-Cola, State Farm, Johnson and Johnson, AT&T, Koch Industries and many others) and ask them to withdraw their membership from ALEC.