FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2012
New Hampshire State House Introduces Another 3 ALEC Corporate-Written Pieces of Legislation This Week
CONCORD, NH - The New Hampshire State House and Senate entertained another 3 pieces of corporate-funded ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) model legislation this week. Granite State Progress has now profiled 10 pieces of legislation introduced in New Hampshire but crafted by ALEC, an outfit that allows corporations to write and then vote on which pieces of legislation to send to legislators.
"Each of these pieces of legislation benefit special interests at the expense of everyday, hardworking Granite Staters," saidZandra Rice Hawkins, Director of Granite State Progress. "We need to reject corporate-written legislation and focus on ways to ensure New Hampshire state laws benefit New Hampshire state residents."
Using the website ALEC Exposed.com, which exposes ALEC's model legislation and allows users to see for themselves the influence in their home state, Granite State Progress is issuing frequent reports regarding ALEC's fingerprints in New Hampshire. For a full review - and quotes from Granite State Progress - visit www.GraniteStateProgress.org/Press.
New ALEC model legislation bills heard in New Hampshire this week include:
Wednesday
HCR 2 In Support of Arizona Anti-Immigrant Law - Full House Floor
SPONSORS: Rep. Marcus, Hills 3
This resolution supports ALEC model legislation that was passed in AZ regarding immigration, legalizing racial profiling. According to The Center for Media and Democracy: "To be clear, the bill's sponsor Arizona Republican Rep. Pearce had long supported tough state-level immigration enforcement, but failed to get a bill into law in '05, '06, '07, '08, and '09. Pearce only found success in 2010, after his idea for an immigration bill had been approved and endorsed by ALEC corporations. Xenophobia alone had not been sufficient to codify anti-immigrant sentiment into law -- it required the support of the for-profit criminal justice industry."
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2012/HCR0002.html
http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf
http://alecexposed.org/w/images/2/2d/7K5-No_Sanctuary_Cities_for_Illegal_Immigrants_Act_Exposed.pdf
Thursday
HCR 39 Urging Congress to Privatize All Aspects of Social Security
SPONSORS: Rep. Bergevin, Hills 17; Rep. LeBrun, Hills 26; Rep. D. McGuire, Merr 8; Rep. Mauro, Rock 4
This legislation is not exact model legislation from ALEC, but it does appear to be an updated version of an ALEC supported resolution that was passed in 2000. As the title suggests, it encourages Congress to privatize all aspects of Social Security, a program that has kept millions of seniors out of poverty, and instead leave retirement planning to risky Wall Street adventures.
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2012/HCR0039.html
HCR 40 Regarding National Debt
SPONSORS: Rep. Ulery, Hills 27; Sen. Carson, Dist 14
HCR 40 is almost verbatim ALEC model legislation. This piece of legislation originated from ALEC around 1995, though it has been updated slightly through the years. NC, SC, and AZ all introduced this same resolution in 2011; WA actually passed it back in 1994.
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2012/HCR0040.html
http://www.scribd.com/doc/59334589/ALEC-Balanced-Budget-Amendment-Resolution
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Granite State Progress has a vested interested in exposing corporate-written legislation in our state and protecting the rights of New Hampshire residents to have a transparent and accountable state government. Past press releases and research on ALEC can be found at http://www.granite.hoeferweb.com and http://alecexposed.com/wiki/ALEC_Exposed.
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Granite State Progress is a progressive advocacy organization that addresses issues of immediate state and local concern. Granite State Progress works as a communications hub for the progressive community to provide a strong, credible voice in advancing progressive solutions to critical community problems.