We need to be keeping ALEC (and especially their members) under a VERY hot spotlight

[better]

ALEC, or the American Legislative Exchange Council, is currently considering a draft resolution calling for the repeal of the 17th Amendment, stripping American citizens of the right to directly elect their Representatives in the United States Senate, and instead placing that power solely in the hands of the State Legislatures.

This is a shining example of Buchanon's model of implementing changes designed to permanently damage the very foundations of democracy, and if you pay just a little bit of attention to the language, it is not at all difficult to see.

Section 1. The seventeenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

Section 2. Senators shall be elected exclusively by the State legislature, upon a majority vote of legislators present and voting in a joint session. If a vacancy shall exist for more than one hundred-eighty days, then the Governor shall appoint the Senator to serve the remainder of the vacant term. This procedure may not be modified by state initiative or referendum.

Section 3. State legislatures may issue instructions to, or recall, their Senators at any time.

It is at best difficult to overstate the significance of this initiative. If this is allowed to happen, it's a pretty safe bet that there will never again be a liberal SCOTUS. And lest we forget, we have ALEC to thank for "Stand Your Ground" laws in 30 states, and Voter ID laws in 34, just to cite a couple of examples of why they are not to be ignored.

Article in The Nation

ALEC Members

[Hortensis]

1. Excellent post. The danger the right poses to democracy is enormous.

Very timely name, btw.

[delisen]

2. Great Post !

[rurallib]

3. Kick - I've been watching ALEC for a decade

They have done huge damage to democracy at the state level and have now moved into county and municipal governments.