How deep is Tommy Thompsons's ties to ALEC? MotherJones wrote an extensive article about it here. Ill give you some quick hits below the squirly.
Apparently, he has been an ALEC member for awhile:
As Thompson once admitted about his early days in the Wisconsin Legislature, "I always loved going to [ALEC] meetings because I always found new ideas. Then I'd take them back to Wisconsin, disguise them a little bit, and declare that it's mine." (A Thompson spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.)
And more...
Three of Thompson's signature legislative changes as Wisconsin governor bear ALEC's fingerprints. In 1998, Thompson signed so-called Truth-in-Sentencing legislation into law. The measure—which 25 other states had passed in 1995 with ALEC's help—increased maximum sentences for felons and eliminated parole. Wisconsin's own version of the bill mirrored legislation written by ALEC. Then-Assemblyman Scott Walker (now governor) said that ALEC's statistics on the benefits of the bill "were very helpful" to passing the bill.
How about education policy:
Also under Thompson, Wisconsin became the first state in the nation to adopt a "school choice" program, an ALEC-backed education reform policy.
The MotherJones article needs to go viral in Wisconsin. Again here is the link:
http://www.motherjones.com/...
Sorry for the quick hit, but I gotta get back to work
PS. Donate to Tammy Baldwin here: https://secure.tammybaldwin.com/...
--jake