The American Legislative Exchange Council, otherwise known by the acronym ALEC, is a non-profit 501(c) political organization established in 1973 in Chicago. The legislative members are state and federal legislators. It is a forum to allow the members to write model laws and discuss legislative language with other members. ALEC meetings are an opportunity for the corporate and non-profit leaders to meet and provide feedback to legislators. Member legislators can then use these model bills as templates for their own bills.
ALEC's vision statement is "A nonpartisan membership association for conservative state lawmakers who shared a common belief in limited government, free markets, federalism, and individual liberty. Their vision and initiative resulted in the creation of a voluntary membership association for people who believed that government closest to the people was fundamentally more effective, more just, and a better guarantor of freedom than the distant, bloated federal government in Washington, D.C."
ALEC keeps its membership, activities and communications confidential. This list includes members whose identity primarily has become known through internal documents revealed to Common Cause and by research by members of the press.
Board of Scholars The ALEC Board of Scholars is composed of the following: Arthur Laffer, founder and chairman of Laffer Associates, an economic research and consulting firm Victor Schwartz, partner in the Washington office of the Kansas City-based law firm Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP, and chair of its Public Policy Group. Richard Vedder, Distinguished Professor of Economics at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio Bob Williams, founder and senior fellow of the Freedom Foundation (Washington), a public policy organization in Olympia, Washington.
Board of directors As of March 2026, the ALEC board of directors is composed of the following: Name Party affiliation State ALEC National Chair State Rep. Demi Busatta Republican Florida Board Members State Sen. Jim Dotson, Vice Chair Republican Arkansas State Sen. Julie Daniels, Treasurer Republican Oklahoma Speaker Matt Hall, Secretary Republican Michigan State Sen. Patricia Rucker Republican West Virginia State Sen. Ty Masterson Republican Kansas Speaker Daniel A. Perez Republican Florida State Sen. Stuart Adams Republican Utah State Sen. Jim Buck Republican Indiana State Sen. Phil King Republican Texas State Rep. John Carson Republican Georgia State Rep. Chris Croft Republican Kansas State Sen. Josh Harkins Republican Mississippi State Rep. Caroline Harris Davila Republican Texas State Sen. Dan Laursen Republican Wyoming State Rep. Susan Lynn Republican Tennessee State Sen. Rob McColley Republican Ohio State Rep. Kim Moser Republican Oklahoma State Sen. T. J. Shope Republican Arizona State Asm. Robert Smullen Republican New York State Rep. John Wills Republican Iowa
Board in 2013 The ALEC board of directors is composed of the following: Name Party affiliation State 2013 ALEC National Chair State Rep. John Piscopo Republican Connecticut First Vice Chair State Rep. Linda Upmeyer Republican Iowa Second Vice Chair State Rep. Phil King Republican Texas Treasurer State Sen. Leah Vukmir Republican Wisconsin Secretary State Rep. Liston Barfield Republican South Carolina Chairs Emeritus State Rep. Harold Brubaker Republican North Carolina State Rep. Tom Craddick Republican Texas State Rep. Noble Ellington Republican Louisiana State Sen. Steve Faris Democratic Arkansas State Rep. Bobby Hogue Democratic Arkansas State Sen. Owen H. Johnson Republican New York State Rep. Dolores Mertz Democratic Iowa Immediate Past Chair State Rep. David Frizzell Republican Indiana Name Party affiliation State Board Members State Sen. Gary Banz Republican Oklahoma State Sen. Jim Buck Republican Indiana State Sen. Bill Cadman Republican Colorado State Sen. Barbara Cegavske Republican Nevada State Rep. Joe Harrison Republican Louisiana Speaker William J. Howell Republican Virginia State Sen. Michael Lamoureux Republican Arkansas State Rep. Steve McDaniel Republican Tennessee Speaker Raymond Merrick Republican Kansas State Rep. Tim Moffitt Republican North Carolina State Sen. Wayne Neiderhauser Republican Utah State Sen. Bill Seitz Republican Ohio State Rep. Blair Thoreson Republican North Dakota Speaker Thom Tillis Republican North Carolina State Rep. Curry Todd Republican Tennessee State Sen. Susan Wagle Republican Kansas
Private enterprise board The ALEC private enterprise board is composed of the following corporate leaders: Person Company Title Sector Status William Carmichael American Bail Coalition Vice Chair Bail Bonds Active John Del Giorno GlaxoSmithKline Vice Chairman Pharmaceutical Active David Powers Reynolds American Treasurer Tobacco Active Lisa A. Sano Blocker Energy Future Holdings Board Member Energy/Oil Active Jeffrey Bond PhRMA Board Member Pharmaceutical Active Robert Jones Pfizer Inc. Board Member Pharmaceutical Active Kenneth Lane Diageo Board Member Alcoholic Beverages Active Pat Thomas United Parcel Service Board Member Shipping Active Kelly Mader Peabody Energy Board Member Energy/Oil Active Mike Morgan Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC Board Member Timber/Oil/Chemicals Active Daniel Smith Altria Board Member Tobacco Active Cynthia Bergman ExxonMobil Board Member Energy/Oil Active Roland Spies State Farm Insurance Board Member Insurance Active
State chairs ALEC state chairs from state legislatures are: State Leaders (Party)Alabama Terri Collins (R) Greg Reed (R)Alaska Wes Keller (R)Arizona Debbie Lesko (R)Arkansas Eddie Joe Williams (R) Nate Bell (R)California Joel Anderson (R)Colorado Bill Cadman (R) Lori Saine (R)Connecticut Whit Betts (R)Delaware Colin Bonini (R)Florida John Wood (R) Kelli Stargel (R)Georgia Bruce Williamson (R) Judson Hill (R)Hawaii Gene Ward (R)Idaho Jeff Thompson (R) Steve Vick (R)Jim Patrick (R)Illinois David Reis (R)Indiana Jim Buck (R) David Wolkins (R)Iowa Charles Schneider (R) Rob Taylor (R)Kansas Raymond Merrick (R)Kentucky Tom Buford (R) Jim DeCesare (R)Louisiana Ray Garofalo (R) State Leaders (Party)Maine Andre Cushing III (R) Maryland Susan W. Krebs (R) Christopher Shank (R)Massachusetts VacantMichigan Mike Green (R) Aric Nesbitt (R)Minnesota Mary Kiffmeyer RMississippi Jim Ellington RMissouri Tim Jones R Jason T. Smith RMontana Gary MacLaren R Scott Reichner RNebraska Jim Smith RNevada Barbara Cegavske RNew Hampshire Gary L. Daniels R Jordan G. Ulery RNew Jersey Steve Oroho R Jay Webber RNew Mexico Paul C. Bandy R William Payne RNew York Owen H. Johnson RNorth Carolina Fred F. Steen II RNorth Dakota Alan H. Carlson R Bette Grande ROhio John Adams R State Leaders (Party)Oklahoma Gary Banz R Cliff Aldridge R Oregon Gene Whisnant RPennsylvania Brian L. Ellis R Rhode Island Francis T. Maher Jr. R Jon D. Brien DSouth Carolina Liston Barfield R Thomas Alexander RSouth Dakota Deb Peters R Valentine B. Rausch RTennessee Curry Todd RTexas Charles F. Howard R Jim Jackson R Kel Seliger RUtah Curtis S. Bramble R Wayne L. Niederhauser R Chris Herrod RVermont Kevin J. Mullin RVirginia John A. Cosgrove Jr. R Stephen H. Martin RWashington Jan Angel R Don Benton RWest Virginia Eric Householder RWisconsin Robin J. Vos RWyoming Peter S. Illoway R
Task force members ALEC presently has 9 task forces to "commission research, publish papers, convene workshops, issue alerts, and serve as clearinghouses of information on free market policies in the states." Each task force is co-chaired by one state legislator (termed "public") and one corporate representative(termed "private"), but Private Co-Chairs have veto power over final decisions of their task force. The primary goal of these task forces is to develop model policies for the country. "The centerpiece to the Task Forces is ALEC's model legislation. To date, ALEC has considered, written, and approved hundreds of model bills, resolutions, and policy statements."
Civil Justice Lance Kinzer, R, Kansas representative Victor Schwartz, representing Shook, Hardy & Bacon Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development Dawn Pettengill, R, Iowa representative Emory Wilkerson, representing State Farm Insurance Communications and Technology Blair Thoreson, R, North Dakota representative Bartlett Cleland, representing the Institute for Policy Innovation Education and Workforce Development Howard Stephenson, R, Utah senator Jonathan Butcher, representing Goldwater Institute Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Thomas Lockhart, R, Wyoming representative Paul Loeffelman, representing American Electric Power Health and Human Services Judson Hill, R, Georgia senator Marianne Eterno, representing Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company International Relations Tim Moffitt, R, North Carolina representative Brandie Davis, representing Philip Morris International International Delegates Senator Cory Bernardi, Australia MEP Adam Bielan, Poland MEP Martin Callanan, United Kingdom MEP Philip Claeys, Belgium MP David Darchiashvili, Georgia MEP Niranjan Deva, United Kingdom MEP Christofer Fjellner, Sweden MEP Daniel Hannan, United Kingdom MP Chris Heaton-Harris, United Kingdom MEP Roger Helmer, United Kingdom Assemblywoman Ayesha Javed, Pakistan MEP Syed Kamall, United Kingdom MEP Michal Kaminski, Poland MEP Miroslaw Piotrowski, Poland MEP Ivo Strejcek, Czech Republic MEP Konrad Szymanski, Poland Justice Performance Project Christopher B. Shank, R, Maryland senator Stacie Rumenap, representing Stop Child Predators Tax and Fiscal Policy Ken Weyler, R, New Hampshire representative Amanda Klump, representing Altria
Contributing authors Dr. Matthew Ladner, Nevada Policy Research Institute Dan Lips, Goldwater Institute Dr. Vicki E. (Murray) Alger, Vicki Murray & Associates LLC
Corporate and non-profit members Allergan Altria (formerly known as Philip Morris) American Bail Coalition American Bankers Association American Council of Life InsurersALEC Civil Justice Task Force Annual Meeting (New Orleans) agenda (August 3–6, 2011) provided by Common Cause American Insurance Association American Legal Financial AssociationALEC Civil Justice Task Force Members Memorandum re 2011 Annual Meeting provided by Common Cause (Archived by Archive.org) American Petroleum Institute American Tort Reform Association Americans for Tax ReformALEC Telecom & IT Task Force mailing re 2010 Annual Meeting provide by Common Cause Amoco Anheuser-Busch AstraZeneca Bayer Blue Cross Blue Shield BNSF Railway Bristol-Myers Squibb Cato Institute Celgene Center for Competitive Politics Center for Digital Media Freedom Centerpoint360 CenturyLink Charter Communications Cintra Citizens in Charge Foundation Civil Justice Reform Group Community Financial Services Association Con-way ConocoPhillips Corrections Corporation of America Coventry Health Care Crown Cork and Seal Company CTIA – The Wireless Association DCI Group Diageo DirecTV Dow Chemical Duke Energy DuPont Eli Lilly Enterprise Holdings Entertainment Software Association Entergy ExxonMobil Fadem & Associates Federalist Society FedEx Foundation for Excellence in Education Free State Foundation Genentech Geo Group (formerly known as Wackenhut) Georgia Pacific GlaxoSmithKline Heartland InstituteALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force Members 38th Annual Meeting Memorandum provided by Common Cause Higher Education Research/Policy Center Institute for JusticeALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Members 2100 Annual Meeting Memorandum provided by Common Cause Institute for Legal Reform Institute for Policy Innovation International Franchise Association James Madison Institute Justice Fellowship Kansas City Power and Light Koch Industries Lawyers for Civil Justice Macquarie Capital Management and Training Corporation McLeod County Farmers Union MV VeriSol National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies