By BRANDON LARRABEE, THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE, July 26, 2012..........A coalition of liberal groups issued a scathing report Thursday saying that the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative organization for state lawmakers, has an inordinate amount of influence on the Florida Legislature.
ALEC's critics also charge it with pay-for-play lobbying on behalf of corporate backers, but the council counters that its critics are nothing more than political opponents with an ax to grind.
The groups -- which include Progress Florida, Florida Watch Action, the People for the American Way Foundation, Common Cause and ALEC Exposed -- released the report as the council's annual meetings in Salt Lake City got underway. ALEC's critics say they are trying to call more attention to the organization now in part because documents they recently obtained reveal more about the inner workings of ALEC.
"Despite claims to the contrary, ALEC’s agenda is not based primarily upon ideology, but mostly upon pecuniary rewards for its corporate funders," the report says. "The resulting ALEC 'model bills' that have been adopted by ALEC 'task forces' have been introduced in Florida by ALEC representatives and have amended Florida statutes for the worse, harming the rights and opportunities of everyday citizens in the process."
ALEC's ability to shape the agendas of state legislatures across the nation has increasingly drawn scrutiny from liberal and Democratic groups in recent months, though veterans of state capitols have often been aware of the organization for years.
"Unfortunately, what we found is that that influence is very strong here in Florida," said Damien Filer of Progress Florida.
But Doug Clopp of Common Cause also said the state isn't that unusual.
"Florida is no different than dozens of other states where ALEC has a very, very firm grip -- if not stranglehold -- on the legislative process," Clopp said.
