introducing cookie-cutter legislation written by corporations as a "solution" to problems, especially at the state level. Which is why ALEC doesn't disclose its member list, and why Tom McMillin in Michigan keeps dodging questions about his involvement with ALEC. And the more that becomes known about corporations' role in ALEC, the more likely they'll try to be more secretive about where this legislation originates.
But there's already a lot of information out there, including copies of some (not all) of the model legislation, press releases from ALEC praising state legislators for bills they've introduced, etc.
It's important to make sure people know that ALEC is NOT just a national association of state legislators. Even John Boehner, a former ALEC member, made it clear when he spoke at an ALEC event a couple of years ago that what's most important about ALEC is the private sector role. ALEC represents lobbying on a scale grander and more organized than most people realize can exist, even though it claims to be just an "educational" "charity."
So it's important to identify legislation from ALEC, and label it for what it is. Make sure ALEC is mentioned as often as possible when the legislation is mentioned. Ask local reporters to check on which bills are ALEC bills and bring that up in news stories.
We do seem to have more attention like this on ALEC in just the last couple of months. I think Professor Cronon's
Scholar As Citizen blog about ALEC -- both the attention his study guide got, and the additional attention resulting from the McCarthyite misuse of an open-records request by the Wisconsin GOP -- had a lot to do with that. (And his blog posts got lots of replies with links, including some I posted, including a couple of comments with links outing two of his critics for their association with ALEC and right-wing think tanks.)
I'd like to see ALEC mentioned much more often on cable news, too. Rachel's mentioned it, but I think only once. I don't recall Ed ever talking about it. Or Lawrence. Keith had mentioned it, just a couple of weeks before he left MSNBC. I don't recall Anderson Cooper or anyone else at CNN ever saying anything about ALEC.