More than 20 percent of Rhode Island’s General Assembly is affiliated with ALEC, the right-wing group sponsored by corporate America that drafts model legislation for use at state houses across the country, according to a list provided by Rep. Jon Brien, the state chairman and a member of the group’s board of directors.
There are 24 legislators, half of whom are Democrats, associated with the conservative group that has come under fire as of late for sponsoring the Hold Your Ground law in Florida, voter ID efforts and other conservative initiatives. 11 of the members are from the Senate
Additionally, according to Brien, there are 14 former members of ALEC in the General Assembly, all of whom are Democrats, including some of the state’s most liberal legislators, such as Harold Metts, Josh Miller and Rhoda Perry. All of the former members are Senate Democrats
Here’s the list:
Current members
- Sen. Dennis Algiere, R – Westerly (12/31/12)
- Rep. Samuel Azzinaro, D – Westerly (12/31/13)
- Rep. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt, D – Woonsocket (12/31/13)
- Rep. Jon Brien, D – Woonsocket (12/31/12)
- Rep. Doreen Costa, R – North Kingstown (12/31/13)
- Rep. John Edwards, D – Tiverton (12/31/13)
- Rep. Laurence Ehrhardt, R – North Kingstown (12/31/10)
- Rep. Michael Marcello, D – Scituate (12/31/13)
- Rep. Peter Martin, D – Newport (12/31/13)
- Rep. Brian Newberry, R – North Smithfield (12/31/12)
- Rep. Daniel Reilly, R – Portsmouth (12/31/13)
- Rep. John Savage, R – East Providence (12/31/12)
- Rep. Lisa Tomasso, D – Coventry (12/31/13)
- Rep. Robert Watson, R – East Greenwich (12/31/12)
- Sen. David Bates, R – Barrington (12/31/12)
- Sen. Marc Cote, D – Woonsocket (12/31/12)
- Sen. Walter Felag, D – Bristol (12/31/12)
- Sen. Dawson Hodgson, R – North Kingstown (12/31/12)
- Sen. Frank Lombardo, D – Johnston (12/31/12)
- Sen. Francis Maher, R – Exeter (12/31/12)
- Sen. Christopher Ottiano, R – Portsmouth (12/31/12)
- Sen. Glenford Shibley, R – Coventry (12/31/12)
- Sen. John Tassoni, D – Smithfield (12/31/12)
- Sen. William Walaska, D – Warwick (12/31/12)
Past members
- Sen. Daniel DaPonte, D – East Providence (12/31/10)
- Sen. Louis DiPalma, D – Newport (12/31/10)
- Sen. James Doyle, D – Pawtucket (12/31/10)
- Sen. Paul Fogarty, D – Burrillville ( 12/31/10)
- Sen. Hanna Gallo, D – Cranston (12/31/10)
- Sen. Maryellen Goodwin, D – Providence (12/31/10)
- Sen. Paul Jabour, D – Providence (12/31/10)
- Sen. Beatrice Lanzi, D – Cranston (12/31/10)
- Sen. Michael McCaffrey, D – Warwick (12/31/10)
- Sen. Harold Metts, D – Providence (12/31/10)
- Sen. Joshua Miller, D – Cranston (12/31/10)
- Sen. Rhoda Perry, D – Providence (12/31/10)
- Sen. Roger Picard, D – Woonsocket (12/31/10)
- Sen. V. Susan Sosnowski, D – South Kingstown (12/31/10)
Boy, nothing like throwing your fellow GA members under the bus, Rep. Brien.
What, those legilators deserve to collect that money without being exposed as on the corporate take? I’d be quite interested to know which ALEC written bills my Senator (Metts) may have supported while a member.
Also didn’t know there was a rule preventing legislators from naming each others’ contributors. One would assume Rep. Brien has little to worry about in this regard, opting to throw stones and such.
Disappointed by many of the names I saw on this list.
Jake, my point was that who would trust Brien with anything now? If anything, it speaks to a mounting problem within the state Democratic Party and its too liberal (pun intended) interpretation of who qualifies as a Democrat. Maybe the time has come for the Party to rewrite its by-laws or institute some kind of litmus test and not just let anyone put a (D) beside their name at election time.
FYI all,
This is not a list of people who received contributions. I have never heard of a PAC associated directly with ALEC. I remember when I was first elected I went to a meeting they had at GTech in West Warwick, in 2003 but I cannot even remember if there was any talking about issues at that event. I think ALEC builds power by having members and I am glad to see so many that are no longer such. I think you may find that many of the “former” members may not have even realized they were. Might be a worthwhile question to ask.
I’m definitely of the suspicion that some of these folks had no idea what they were signing onto, or that they’re even signed up. I can’t imagine that ALEC is leaping for joy on having Sen. Tassoni on their economic issues. That, and this tweet from Bob:
twitter.com/#!/bobplain/status/194894805032108033
[...] and he found that not only is state Rep. Jon Brien now on the group’s national board, but one in five members of the General Assembly is affiliated with the [...]