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Watch: Lawmakers and Koch Lobbyists Caught Red-Handed Writing Bills In Secret Backrooms

Watch: Lawmakers and Koch Lobbyists Caught Red-Handed Writing Bills In Secret Backrooms

The curtain is pulled back on the shadow government that really decides which laws are passed in this country. In this clip, Georgia news station investigates the closed-door meetings between corporate members of the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and state legislators, where laws are written in backroom events at fancy hotels by corporate lobbyists themselves.

Armed guards stand in front of a conference room at a resort hotel in Savannah, Georgia as the reporter is turned away from what a former ALEC member describes as a “Bill Mill”, where lobbyists write bills, leaving only blanks for the legislators to fill in their state’s name. A great example is the Georgia Asbestos Bill, which prevents victims of asbestos exposure from suing the corporations responsible- the ALEC bill and the version passed in the state house are word for word identical.

It’s an eye-opening look into how our laws are really made and how much of a disconnect there is between the opinions of the public and the way our country is actually governed. We have a choice in choosing who to elect, but after that, politicians in Republican states serve a darker power- the almighty dollar and the interests of big corporations, the billionaire class, and the Koch Brothers.

Watch it here:

Colin Taylor
Opinion columnist and former editor-in-chief of Occupy Democrats. He graduated from Bennington College with a Bachelor's degree in history and political science. He now focuses on advancing the cause of social justice and equality in America.

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