How Lobbyists Write Your State Laws: The ALEC Playbook Exposed

01 The Model Bill Factory

ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) is a nonprofit that brings state legislators and corporate lobbyists together to write 'model bills.' The legislators introduce these bills in their state legislatives, often word-for-word. We tracked 1,200 such bills introduced in 2023-2024. About 18% passed — a much higher success rate than the typical state bill (about 4%).

02 Who Benefits?

The model bills cluster in three areas: reducing corporate regulation, restricting union power, and tightening voting rules. The corporations that fund ALEC — AT&T, Pfizer, Exxon, Koch Industries — get laws written that benefit them directly. The legislators get free trips to conferences, campaign donations, and pre-packaged legislation that makes them look productive.

03 The Mirror Organization

ALEC isn't alone. The State Innovation Exchange (SiX) plays the same game for progressive causes. Together, these organizations mean an increasing share of state law is written not by the legislators who introduce it but by national organizations with a specific agenda. The question isn't whether this is legal (it is) — it's whether state legislatures are still meaningfully representing their constituents when the legislation comes from a national playbook.