Best Buy terminates ALEC membership

Posted at 12:20 PM on July 10, 2012 by Catharine Richert (2 Comments)
Filed under: MN Legislature

Minnesota-based Best Buy has decided not to renew its membership with the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council.

Matt Furman, Best Buy's spokesman, confirmed the company is no longer a member of ALEC as of this year. The company determined that its work on two ALEC subcommittees had come to an end and it decided not to renew its membership as a result, Furman said.

Best Buy is among 24 companies that have decided to withdraw from ALEC, according to ColorOfChange, an organization that has been pressuring corporations to cut ties with the organization.

ALEC is best known for bringing together state lawmakers and corporations to discuss and jointly draft model legislation meant to be introduced in state legislatures. ALEC says it is a bipartisan organization, but the policies it supports and its membership tend to be conservative.

ALEC has come under scrutiny recently for backing the "stand-your-ground" gun bill, legislation similar to Florida's deadly force law that liberal and civil rights groups blame for the shooting of Florida teen Trayvon Martin.

For its part, ALEC decided in April to end the task force that supported the "stand-your-ground" bill.

Roughly 30 of Minnesota's Republican lawmakers are members of ALEC, according to former ALEC state chairwoman Laura Brod.

Comments (2)

This dying joke of a company realized it was losing a large percentage of its few remaining members by supporting the fascist organization known as "ALEC". Much too little, much too late to save them from inevitable bankruptcy and liquidation. Businesses that constantly look after their own best interest rather than focusing on customer needs such as this one will all gradually become extinct. Let this serve as a warning to other companies that support ALEC....you could be next.

Posted by Bill | July 10, 2012 1:04 PM

Businesses are not elected and therefore have absolutely no business writing legislation. Good for those companies, for whatever reason, for cutting their ties with ALEC. I hesitate though, because it seems many times these companies just find another way to game the system. I too, long for the days when it was people first!

Posted by Shiner | July 10, 2012 1:42 PM

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