Non-profit

American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)

Website:

www.alec.org/

Location:

ARLINGTON, VA

Tax ID:

52-0140979

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $9,832,106
Expenses: $8,596,965
Assets: $8,013,515

Type:

Think Tank

Formation:

1973

Founders:

Henry Hyde, Paul Weyrich and Mark Rhoads

CEO:

Lisa B. Nelson

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a right-of-center nonprofit think tank that also functions as the nation’s largest voluntary membership association for state legislators. It also offers membership to private sector companies and think tanks. The group authors a variety of publications and utilizes member task forces to adopt model legislation, which is made publicly available on its website. 1

ALEC was founded in 1973 but remained largely unknown outside of political circles until left-of-center advocacy groups including Center for Media and Democracy and Common Cause waged a corporate campaign against the group and its private sector members in 2012 that continued for several years. 2

ALEC is considered a “conservative alternative” to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), which is often cited as leaning left on many issues. 3

History

ALEC was founded in 1973 as The Conservative Caucus of State Legislators and was a project of Mark Rhoads, an Illinois state legislative Republican staffer (later a state Senator) who wanted to counteract liberal policies moving in the states. He was supported by then-Illinois state Rep. Henry Hyde (R), who at the time was the Majority Leader in the Illinois House of Representatives and would later become a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Paul Weyrich, a prominent conservative activist most notable for co-founding the Heritage Foundation. The organization was soon after renamed the American Legislative Exchange Council. 4

ALEC has historically been referenced as a right-of-center alternative to the National Conference of State Legislatures, which is funded by taxpayer dollars and has been criticized as left-leaning by many on the right. 5

Background

ALEC claims that nearly one-fourth of America’s state legislators are in its ranks along with many other stakeholders. ALEC is governed by a board of directors composed of 23 state lawmakers in which all governing authority is vested. There is an additional “Private Enterprise Advisory Council” of representatives from member companies and organizations, but it does not have any voting power. 6

ALEC publishes original research year-round, but the main functions of the organization revolves around its two annual conferences: the Annual Meeting (in July or August), and the States and Nation Policy Summit (in December). These three meetings are where ALEC’s task forces meet to develop model policies. 7

ALEC Task Forces each are centered on a different policy area and function similarly to legislative committees in the legislatures. President Ronald Reagan encouraged ALEC to form its task forces in the 1980s. As of January 2024, the task forces are: 8

  • Civil Justice
  • Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development
  • Communications and Technology
  • Criminal Justice Reform
  • Education and Workforce Development
  • Energy, Environment and Agriculture
  • Federalism and International Relations
  • Health and Human Services
  • Homeland Security
  • Tax and Fiscal Policy
  • American City County Exchange

ALEC launched the American City County Exchange (ACCE) to provide a similar program to ALEC for local elected officials in cities, towns, and counties throughout the United States. ACCE conferences are co-located within the ALEC conferences and ACCE essentially acts as a task force within the larger ALEC organization. 9

ACCE has published model ordinances covering a variety of right-of-center policies and other local issues such as short-term rentals, taxes, public safety, and minimum wage. ACCE model ordinances also include ordinances restricting the powers of public sector unions including local right to work, collective bargaining transparency, and a “Prohibition on Paid Union Activity (Release Time) by Public Employees Ordinance.” 10

ACCE is directed by Andre Cushing, a former Maine State Senator and Representative who sat on the ALEC board of directors while a legislator. As of 2023, he was serving as the deputy mayor for the Town of Hampden in addition to working as the staff director for ACCE. 11

Each model policy brought forward to a task force must be sponsored by an ALEC member legislator and pass on two separate votes of the private sector members and legislators to be referred to the ALEC Board of Directors who formally adopt it as an ALEC model. Despite accusations of secrecy, every model policy is available on the ALEC website. 12

Activities

The American Legislative Exchange Council has been consistently attacked by a variety of left-of-center groups, several of which have been formed primarily to attack ALEC. In 2023, an opinion piece in The Hill called ALEC the “conservative juggernaut that’s quietly writing the majority out of US laws.” Despite ALEC not working on social issues such as abortion, the piece accused ALEC with playing a hand in the adoption of every Republican-led state policy issue opposed by the left, stating that:

“If Americans are behind bars in private prisons where you live, you can probably thank ALEC for that. If there are laws that make it hard for Black and brown Americans to vote where you live, you can thank ALEC. If there are laws where you live that make it a crime to protest against polluters and climate change, thank ALEC. And more and more frequently in the post-Dobbs world, the same goes for laws that criminalize and curtail abortion rights.” 13

ALEC CEO Lisa Nelson published an op-ed in The Hill responding to the piece alleging “falsehoods”, touting the group’s support of criminal justice reform efforts also supported by left-of-center groups, including its support of the federal First STEP Act, and defending the practice of sharing policies ideas across states, which is done by a variety of left-of-center groups. She wrote, “Another lie is that ALEC pushes abortion laws, which is easily proven false. You can see for yourself by reviewing ALEC model policies on our website.” 14

Nelson also alleged that protestors were present at the organization’s 2023 50th Anniversary Celebration had been organized by People for the American Way (PFAW), a group funded by the Tides Foundation. She claimed that when asked what ALEC was, “the protestors we spoke to didn’t know.” 15

Anti-ALEC Organizations

A 2023 petition pushing companies to cease participation with ALEC included a variety of left-of-center and far-left groups including Cedar Key Progress, the Center for Media and Democracy, Common Cause, the Daily Kos, Demand Progress, Democracy for America Advocacy Fund, Inequality Media Civic Action, Faithful America, Greenpeace USA, Progressive Reform Network, People for the American Way, and TakeItBack.org. 16

Many such groups either have a small staff or are a project of a larger left-of-center organization. Some groups are overtly partisan and opposed to ALEC due to it being comprised of largely Republican lawmakers. Cedar Key Progress’ website claims that the group is dedicated to supporting Democrats in the south in hopes of flipping electoral votes in Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. The group has a Los Angeles, California mailing address. 17

2012 Corporate Campaign

Left-wing groups including Common Cause, the Center for Media and Democracy, and various labor unions including the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) have launched pressure campaigns against ALEC and its members for many years. The largest and most notable to date was launched after the 2012 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. Citing ALEC’s support of self-defense laws, left-wing groups began pressuring board members of corporations to drop their support of ALEC. This led to a flurry of negative media attention and several companies publicly distancing themselves from the group. 18

The groups most active in the opposition campaigns against ALEC were Color of Change, Center for Media and Democracy (which maintains a website called ALEC Exposed), Common Cause, and Jane Carter (a staffer for the powerful AFSCME government worker labor union). These attacks continued for several years, spanned several issues, led to some companies dropping their ALEC memberships, and increased the public profile of ALEC among the general public. 19

Attacks against ALEC have been roundly criticized by the conservative and free-market community and were featured prominently in Wall Street Journal commentator Kimberley Strassel’s 2016 book The Intimidation Game: How the Left is Silencing Free Speech. Strassel details the pressure campaign of groups including Color of Change issuing letters to board members of corporations that were ALEC members threatening to boycott their companies. 20

Strassel also describes an attempt by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) to send a threatening letter to hundreds of companies suspected of being tied to ALEC, demanding to know if they had donated to the organization. 21

Private Prisons

ALEC has long been criticized by the left for promoting the use of privatized prisons. A 2016 Netflix documentary titled 13th  alleged that ALEC “played a central role in the expansion of the U.S. prison system.” Critics of ALEC cite the private prison company CCA being a member of ALEC as evidence that the organization has continually pushed for prison privatization, although CCA has not been an ALEC member since at least prior to 2010. 22

Lisa Graves of the Center for Media and Democracy stated in an interview about the documentary that ALEC is still engaged in promoting the privatization of the criminal justice system due to its policies supporting the traditional cash bail system, which is used in over 45 states. The elimination of cash bail is a policy priority of many left-wing groups such as the Center for Media and Democracy. 23

Leadership

ALEC is led by CEO Lisa B. Nelson, who joined the organization in 2014. Previously, Nelson worked as the Head of Global Government Relations for Visa and for former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA). Nelson became CEO during a second round of public pressure campaigns against ALEC and has been credited with returning ALEC to stable ground after some companies left the organization. 24

Jonathan Williams is the chief economist and executive vice president of policy at ALEC, where he leads the organization’s policy portfolio. Williams frequently travels to state capitals to share the organization’s economic research and co-authors ALEC’s most popular publication, Rich States Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index with Art Laffer and Stephen Moore. 25 26

ALEC also boasts many prominent alumni who were ALEC members while serving in their state legislatures. In the 2016 Republican Presidential Primaries, 4 of the 17 candidates, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), then-Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), and then-Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), had been ALEC members while serving in their respective states’ legislatures. 27

Former Trump administration Vice President Mike Pence (R) is a longtime supporter of ALEC and attended meetings as a think tank member of ALEC when he was president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation. 28

References

  1. “Issues Archive.” American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://alec.org/issue/
  2. “About”. American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed October 27, 2017. www.alec.org/about
  3. Greenblatt, Alan. “NCSL: Too Liberal”. Governing Magazine. July 29, 2009. Accessed November 4, 2017. http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/NCSL-Too-Liberal.html
  4. Bishop, Bill. “The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded American Is Tearing Us Apart”. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 203. ISBN 0547525192.
  5. Greenblatt, Alan. “NCSL: Too Liberal”. Governing Magazine. July 29, 2009. Accessed November 4, 2017. http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/NCSL-Too-Liberal.html
  6. “About”. American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed October 27, 2017 www.alec.org/about
  7. “Meetings”. American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed October 27, 2017 www.alec.org/meetings
  8. “Task Forces”. American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed January 4, 2024. www.alec.org/task-force
  9. “American City County Exchange.” American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://alec.org/task-force/american-city-county-exchange/
  10. “American City County Exchange Model Policy.” American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://alec.org/task-force/american-city-county-exchange/model-policy/
  11. “Andre E. Cushing III.” American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://alec.org/person/andre-e-cushing-iii/
  12. “Model Policies”. American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed October 27, 2017 www.alec.org/model-policy
  13. Myrick, Svante. “The conservative juggernaut that’s quietly writing the majority out of US laws.”  The Hill. October 9, 2023. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4244299-the-conservative-juggernaut-thats-writing-the-majority-out-of-us-laws/
  14. Nelson, Lisa. “Facts, not falsehoods, about the American Legislative Exchange Council.” The Hill. October 28, 2023. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4279575-facts-not-falsehoods-about-the-americal-legislative-exchange-council/
  15. Nelson, Lisa. “Facts, not falsehoods, about the American Legislative Exchange Council.” The Hill. October 28, 2023. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4279575-facts-not-falsehoods-about-the-americal-legislative-exchange-council/
  16. “Sign the petition to corporations: Stop funding American Legislative Exchange Council!” Action Network. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-the-petition-to-corporations-funding-the-american-legislative-exchange-council-far-right-legislation
  17. “Home.” Cedar Key Progress. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://www.cedarkeyprogress.com/
  18. Strassel, Kimberly. The Intimidation Game: How the Left is Silencing Free Speech. New York: Twelve. 2016.
  19. Strassel, Kimberly. The Intimidation Game: How the Left is Silencing Free Speech. New York: Twelve. 2016.
  20. Strassel, Kimberly. The Intimidation Game: How the Left is Silencing Free Speech. New York: Twelve. 2016.
  21. Strassel, Kimberly. The Intimidation Game: How the Left is Silencing Free Speech. New York: Twelve. 2016.
  22. “How ALEC & the Kochs Publicly Back Criminal Justice Reform & Privately Expand Mass Incarceration.” Democracy Now! October 3, 2016. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://www.democracynow.org/2016/10/3/how_alec_the_kochs_publicly_back
  23. “How ALEC & the Kochs Publicly Back Criminal Justice Reform & Privately Expand Mass Incarceration.” Democracy Now! October 3, 2016. Accessed November 27, 2023.
  24. Hays, Charlotte. “ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson”. Independent Women’s Forum. March 24, 2015. Accessed November 4, 2017. http://www.iwf.org/modern-feminist/2796644/Lisa-B.-Nelson
  25. Rich States, Poor States: 16th Edition.” American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://alec.org/publication/rich-states-poor-states-16th-edition/
  26. “Jonathan Williams.” American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://alec.org/person/jonathan-williams/
  27. “Alumni”. American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed October 27, 2017 www.alec.org/alumni
  28. Moll, Karly “Indiana Gov-elect Mike Pence: Profile”. USA Today. November 7, 2012 Accessed November 4, 2017. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/11/07/pence-indiana-governor-profile/1690049/
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 1977

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2021 Dec Form 990 $9,832,106 $8,596,965 $8,013,515 $1,597,170 N $8,505,229 $1,061,820 $27,280 $1,039,084
    2020 Dec Form 990 $7,978,103 $7,213,865 $6,368,207 $1,187,003 N $7,730,325 $239,306 $8,339 $1,252,933
    2019 Dec Form 990 $9,187,421 $9,160,748 $6,370,841 $1,953,875 N $8,117,686 $1,055,104 $14,631 $0 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $9,357,918 $9,238,668 $6,371,233 $1,980,940 N $8,493,986 $1,058,253 $12,636 $0 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $10,352,239 $10,237,195 $6,438,760 $2,167,717 N $8,765,064 $1,104,038 $6,463 $1,004,261 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $10,345,179 $9,056,582 $6,875,636 $2,719,637 N $8,873,957 $990,608 $3,897 $957,889 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $8,984,128 $8,376,348 $5,107,279 $2,239,877 N $7,393,600 $1,110,806 $2,971 $956,426 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $7,795,674 $7,734,819 $4,731,499 $2,471,877 N $6,231,036 $1,085,359 $2,528 $853,855 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $7,322,531 $8,510,952 $4,838,138 $2,639,371 N $5,825,882 $1,176,337 $2,226 $487,662 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $8,425,051 $8,642,647 $4,855,087 $1,467,899 Y $7,216,208 $1,200,481 $4,264 $535,533 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $7,171,357 $5,874,206 $4,047,129 $2,554,889 Y $5,997,347 $1,166,804 $6,889 $322,259 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)

    2900 CRYSTAL DR STE 600
    ARLINGTON, VA 22202-3595