Both the Faribault Daily News and the Associated Press have published articles about Minnesota lawmakers who are members of the American Legislative Exchange Council, the ALEC corporate bill factory "model laws" they've introduced in the Senate and the House, and their demurrals about why the media's theories of their respective cases are so not true.
Bluestem observes that both denials seem scripted by the same hand--an awkward situation when one is trying to deny that any of this has anything to do with other legislators or ALEC.
Parry in the Daily New's ALEC finds itself under scrutiny as Parry defends it:
. . . Parry said ALEC has not played a role in any of the legislation he has brought to the Senate.
“I don’t know about the other [ALEC members]. . . .
Parry also said his bill to protect corporate asbestos makers from being held accountable for the harmful effects of asbestos was “absolutely not” based on an ALEC bill.
“ALEC didn’t even get in the picture,” he said.
Via the Associated Press, Mary Kiffmeyer in MPR's Voter ID drive part of quiet, well-funded national conservative effort:
A former Minnesota secretary of state, Kiffmeyer said she didn't use the model bill for her legislation and never worked on the model with other ALEC members.
Never mind that Parry's bill magically has the same title as ALEC's as bills in other states, and similar language, and Kiffmeyer chairs the ALEC legislative delegation for Minnesota. She has nothing to do with a group in which she takes a leadership role--and the sections in her bill that contain ALEC copy-cat language are simple accidents.
It's a miracle! It's the hand of the divine! It's something else.
Photo: Mary Kiffmeyer, cannoneer and Minnesota public sector ALEC chair.
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