Contact: Jorge Amselle
Director, Public Affairs
Phone: 202-742-8536
jamselle@alec.org
State Legislators Ask Congress to Stop
EPA
March 10, 2010
Washington,
D.C.— Today, the American Legislative
Exchange Council (ALEC) sent a letter to U.S. Senators expressing concerns
over the EPA’s plan to regulate greenhouse gases. Signed by over
90 state legislators representing 41 states, the letter points to
encouraging bipartisan efforts in Congress such as Senate Joint
Resolution 26 designed to prevent EPA from taking action.
ALEC believes the EPA rule is at odds with economic growth and job
creation, goals that should be the priorities of all national leaders.
State leaders understand that the EPA rule would present significant
challenges to state regulators and state economies as the regulation
applies to a wide range and number of business entities.
While the EPA is attempting to delay implementation for small
businesses, a majority of states would still be faced with state laws
that more closely adhere to the Clean Air Act. The bureaucratic gridlock
and economic slow-down likely to follow as state regulators and
businesses struggle to comply cast a dark shadow over the future of
employment in this country.
Indiana State Representative and Co-Chair of ALEC’s Natural
Resources Task Force David Wolkins said, “ALEC calls on our
national leaders to prioritize jobs and economic growth over zealous
regulatory interests.” He continued, “The EPA rule is an
attempt to skirt the national legislative process which to date has been
more conscientious about the economic impacts of regulating greenhouse
gases.”
A copy of the letter is available online at ALEC’s
website, www.alec.org.
Virginia First State to Pass Health Care
Freedom Act:
38 States Lining Up Against
ObamaCare
March 4, 2010
Washington, D.C.— Today Virginia became the first state in the
nation to enact legislation to protect their citizens from being
forced to purchase health insurance or participate in any health care
system against their will. The American
Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has identified 37
other states that have similar bills pending or have announced that they
will introduce this legislation. Already, at least one house of the
legislatures in Idaho, Missouri, and Tennessee have also passed such
legislation.
These legislative initiatives are based on ALEC’s model Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act.
Under the legislation, any state attempt to require an individual to
purchase health insurance—or forbid an individual from purchasing
services outside of the required health care system—would be
rendered unconstitutional. The measure may also cause a federalism clash
if Congress passes a law with either of these provisions.
“Control over our own individual health care choices is
something most Americans take very personally. It is not surprising that
so many state legislators are eager to pass legislation to protect their
constituents from any health care mandates, either from the state or
federal government,” said Christie Herrera, director of
ALEC’s Health and Human Services Task Force, which is coordinating
the nationwide effort.
“It is urgent for states to take action and protect the liberty
of their citizens so they can direct their own health care in the way
they see fit. Our history proves it is economic freedom that helped us
reduce poverty and provide the good health care we have now.
Command-and-control mandates advance destructive behavior on many
levels,” said Kansas State Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook, sponsor of
SCR-1626, Kansas’ Health Care Freedom
Act.
The Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act has already been filed or
prefiled in 33 states—Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,
Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia,
Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Lawmakers in an additional four
states—Montana, North Carolina, Rhode
Island, and Utah—have publicly announced
their intentions to file the legislation. A citizen-led initiative has
also been announced in Colorado.
A complete map with links to the legislation in each state is
available online at www.alec.org.
—30—
The American Legislative
Exchange Council (ALEC) is the nation’s largest
nonpartisan individual membership association of state
legislators.
State Legislators To President Obama:
We Won’t Wait for Our Health Summit
Invitation
February 24, 2010
Washington, D.C.— State sponsors of the nationwide
effort to block a government requirement to purchase health insurance
today sent a letter to President Obama decrying their exclusion from
tomorrow’s bipartisan health reform summit.
The letter commends the president for his efforts at bipartisanship
but also says “we think you’re missing a critical element in
this discussion—the ideas of thousands of state
legislators.” The signers are the sponsors of the Freedom of
Choice in Health Care Act, model legislation by the American Legislative Exchange
Council (ALEC), the nation’s largest
nonpartisan individual membership association of state legislators.
To date, 36 states have introduced the ALEC model to protect
patients’ rights to pay directly for medical care, and to prohibit
the government from forcing individuals to purchase government-approved
health insurance. The measure has already passed with bipartisan
support in houses of the Idaho,
Virginia and Tennessee legislatures, and will appear as a
ballot question before Arizona voters in November. In
other states, the initiative is quickly moving through various
legislative committees.
State legislators across the country continue to express concern
about what effect any federal legislation will have on states’
efforts to implement their own health care reforms and especially what
affect a proposed individual or employer mandate will have on their
citizens and small businesses.
The signers pledged to “pursue our own initiatives—not
only to protect health care freedom, but to also reduce health costs;
increase access to quality, affordable health insurance; and improve the
quality of care,” according to the letter.
The letter and additional information about ALEC’s Freedom
of Choice in Health Care Act is available online at www.alec.org.
—###—
Kansas Legislators Stand for Health Care Freedom
February 2, 2010
Washington, D.C.—The American Legislative Exchange
Council (ALEC)—the nation’s largest
nonpartisan individual membership association of state
legislators—congratulates Kansas State Senator Mary Pilcher Cook
and Representatives Peggy Mast and Brenda Landwehr for filing the Kansas
Health Care Freedom Amendment, which would protect the right of
individuals to make their own health care choices. Sen. Pilcher Cook,
Rep. Mast, and Rep. Landwehr will hold a press conference today at 4:00
p.m. at the state house in Topeka to discuss their efforts.
(ALEC)—the nation’s largest nonpartisan individual
membership association of state legislators—congratulates Kansas
State Senator Mary Pilcher Cook and Representatives Peggy Mast and
Brenda Landwehr for filing the Kansas Health Care Freedom Amendment,
which would protect the right of individuals to make their own health
care choices. Sen. Pilcher Cook, Rep. Mast, and Rep. Landwehr will hold
a press conference today at 4:00 p.m. at the state house in Topeka to discuss
their efforts.
Kansas joins 35 other states
where legislators have introduced, or will introduce, legislation
modeled after ALEC’s Freedom
of Choice in Health Care Act. Under the legislation, any
state attempt to require an individual to purchase health
insurance—or forbid an individual from purchasing services outside
of the required health care system—would be rendered
unconstitutional. The measure may also cause a federalism clash if
Congress passes a law with either of these provisions.
“Massachusetts enacted its
disastrous individual mandate to thunderous bipartisan applause, and now
leaders in Congress are set to wreak the same havoc on the rest of
America. Today, Kansas is
standing up to say ‘no’ to these assaults on patients’
rights,” said Christie Herrera,
director of ALEC’s Health and Human Services Task Force, which is
coordinating the nationwide effort.
“This is a battle that has been fought before and won before.
States may protect individual liberties to a greater extent than the
U.S. Constitution allows, and the courts must balance the competing
interests. This is the foundation of the effort in Kansas and
elsewhere—that health care choice is a civil liberties
issue,” Herrera added.
The Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act has already been filed or
prefiled in 30 states—Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan,
Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico,
North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Lawmakers in an additional 4 states—Montana, North
Carolina, Rhode Island, and
Utah—have publicly announced
their intentions to file the legislation. A citizen-led initiative has
also been announced in Colorado.
Arizona’s measure, which passed
the legislature last June, will be put before voters there on the
November ballot.
###
Pennsylvania Legislators Stand for
Health Care Freedom
January 26, 2010
Washington, D.C.— The American
Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)—the
nation’s largest nonpartisan individual membership association of
state legislators—congratulates Pennsylvania State Representatives
Matthew Baker and Curt
Schroder for filing House Bills 2053 and 2179, which
protect the right of individuals to make their own health care choices.
Representatives Baker and Schroder will hold a joint press conference
tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg to
discuss their efforts.
Pennsylvania joins 31 other states
where legislators have introduced, or will introduce, legislation
modeled after ALEC’s Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act.
Under the legislation, any state attempt to require an individual to
purchase health insurance—or forbid an individual from purchasing
services outside of the required health care system—would be
rendered unconstitutional. The measure may also cause a federalism clash
if Congress passes a law with either of these provisions.
“Massachusetts enacted its
disastrous individual mandate to thunderous bipartisan applause, and now
leaders in Congress are set to wreak the same havoc on the rest of
America. Today, Pennsylvania
is standing up to say ‘no’ to these assaults on
patients’ rights,” said Christie Herrera, director of
ALEC’s Health and Human Services Task Force, which is coordinating
the nationwide effort.
“This is a battle that has been fought before and won before.
States may protect individual liberties to a greater extent than the
U.S. Constitution allows, and the courts must balance the competing
interests. This is the foundation of the effort in Pennsylvania and
elsewhere—that health care choice is a civil liberties
issue,” Herrera added.
The Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act has already been filed or
prefiled in 25 states—Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia,
Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West
Virginia, and Wyoming.
Lawmakers in an additional 7 states—Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas,
Montana, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Utah—have publicly
announced their intentions to file the legislation. A citizen initiative
has also been announced in Colorado.
Arizona’s measure, which passed
the legislature last June, will be put before voters there on the
November ballot.
###
State Legislators Say Net Regulation Will Hurt
Investment and Jobs
January 14, 2010
Washington, D.C.—The
American Legislative Exchange
Council (ALEC) has delivered a letter
to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opposing proposed network
neutrality regulation. The state lawmakers expressed serious
concerns that the unintended consequences of the proposed federal
regulatory expansion into the Internet will harm states’
economies. ALEC’s letter was signed by 91 legislators from 36
states.
Connecticut
State Representative Bill Hamzy serves as ALEC’s
Telecommunications & Information Technology Task Force and is the
lead signatory of the ALEC letter opposing network neutrality
regulation. “Federal regulation of broadband networks is the wrong
way to spur the kind of technological innovation and financial
investment in broadband infrastructure that will bring sustainable job
growth to state economies. Since the FCC cannot even point to any
existing problem with the Internet, it should say ‘no’ to
network neutrality regulation,” he said.
The ALEC
letter described the proposed network neutrality regulation as
“an unprecedented foray into government control of broadband
private networks and the Internet” that could result in economic
slowdown and setback in the states. “If adopted, extensive
regulatory control and uncertainties will harm innovation, stifle
investment, and curtail job growth. We believe that unintended
consequences stemming from the draft rules will be detrimental to our
states’ economies and forestall marketplace recovery.”
In 2007, ALEC adopted a Resolution on Network Neutrality
that calls on the federal government and states to refrain from imposing
such regulation.
###
Pension Crisis Threatens Financial Health of
States
January 13, 2010
Washington, D.C.—State employee
pension systems are facing severe shortfalls, and these growing
liabilities threaten to drive many states deeper into the red. This is
according to “State
Pension Funds Fall Off a Cliff,” a new 50 state study
co-authored by Dr. Barry Poulson of the University of Colorado and Dr.
Arthur P. Hall of the University of Kansas.
The report, published by the American Legislative
Exchange Council (ALEC), the nation’s largest individual
membership association of state legislators, shows that as of 2006,
states have accumulated nearly $360 billion in unfunded pension
obligations. However, the authors warn the problem is even worse, as
investment losses from the recent economic downturn have not been fully
realized in the official government statistics.
A sampling of data from 2008 reveals much trouble ahead
if states do not undertake fundamental reform of pension systems.
Illinois comes in with the worst funded pension plan in the nation at
46.1 percent. Private defined-benefit pension plans are deemed to be
“critical” if the funded portion of the plan is less than 65
percent.
“The underfunding of public pension plans has
become the 900 pound gorilla in the area of state budgets,” said
State Senator Jim Buck of Indiana, Chair of ALEC’s Tax and Fiscal
Policy Task Force. “If legislators do not properly address the
crisis in public pensions, it will make current budget problems in the
states look trivial.”
The authors of this study conclude that the first step
towards real pension reform is to increase transparency of unfunded
pension liabilities by meeting the guidelines established by the
Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). According to the
authors, the only viable long-term solution is to replace current
defined-benefit plans with 401(k) style defined-contribution plans for
new employees.
The full report is available for download .
###
ALEC Announces New Interim Executive
Director
January 5, 2010
(Washington,
D.C.) –
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the nation’s
largest individual membership association representing state legislators
and America’s private
sector, today announced the appointment of Ronald Scheberle as interim
Executive Director to replace Alan B. Smith, who has joined the
Heartland Institute as a Senior Fellow.
Scheberle is Chairman Emeritus of ALEC’s Private Enterprise
Board. He has been an active private sector member of ALEC for
over 25 years, serving as Private Enterprise Board National Chairman
from 1988 to 1994 and as a member of ALEC’s Private Enterprise
Board of Directors continuously since.
Ron can be reached at 202-742-8508 or by e-mail at
rscheberle@alec.org.
A general announcement to all ALEC members will be released later
today.
###
Related Files
2007 Press Release Archives (Adobe PDF File)
2008 Press Release Archives (Adobe PDF File)
2009 Press Release Archives (Adobe PDF File)
