ALEC’s Proposal Threatens To Bypass Primaries, Weaken Voters In Electing Senators

Enfranchisement Act gives legislatures power to place Senate candidates on ballot without party approval.

Frederick Reese
By Frederick Reese

In recent years, the American Legislative Exchange Council has been responsible for authoring some of the most controversial laws currently on the books -- including the “Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act,” which recognizes certain acts of property destruction, intimidation and civil disobedience from environmental and animal rights activists,

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As Students Drown In Debt, Gov’t Rakes In $42 Billion Profit

Huffington Post analysis finds the DoE is raking in windfall profits from the spiraling student debt crisis

Sarah Lazare
By Sarah Lazare

Arne Duncan's Department of Education is making a killing from student debt. A report in Monday's Huffington Post reveals that, in the fiscal year ending September 30th, 2013, the DoE raked in $42.5 billion in profit from federal student loans—marking its second highest profit margin ever. The DoE appears to have become dependent on this

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Reports Reveal SPN’s Secret Corporate Agenda Through Use ‘Expert’ Testimony

Reports detail how corporate-funded SPN works behind the scenes to directly influence public policy through lobbyists posing as experts.

Trisha Marczak
By Trisha Marczak

A new swath of reports reveals the State Policy Network is at the forefront of right-wing lobbying, with more than $83 million generated and used through various think-tanks intended to further the agenda with the use of so-called corporate-funded experts. The reports, published in coordination with the Center for Media and Democracy and Progress

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Despite Popular Support, States Move To Block Legislated Sick Days

The preemption laws against paid sick leave requirements fly in the face of bipartisan public support.

Jo Erickson
By Jo Erickson

Flying just under the political radar in state politics is the issue of paid sick days. Ten states — Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin — have passed preemption laws that ban all cities and counties from enacting paid sick days bills, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg:

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Conservatives Fear ‘Brainwashing’ Of Children By Common Core Learning Standards

Curiously, the right-wing group ALEC supports the Common Core federal education standards even as grassroots conservatives reject them.

Trisha Marczak
By Trisha Marczak

A conservative movement away from federal Common Core learning standards got a boost Wednesday when Maine’s Gov. Paul LePage (R) signed an executive order against the standards, intended to streamline learning initiatives throughout the country LePage’s move came on a wave of dissatisfaction among constituents, who lobbied for a November 2014

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Residential Solar Power Proves To Be A Great Investment

Some states, however, are attempting to turn back the clock on individual solar units.

Trisha Marczak
By Trisha Marczak
Workers install a solar panel for SunCommon on Monday, April 29, 2013 in Montpelier, Vt. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

The most cost-effective mode of electricity generation is one found when individuals take matters into their own hands, according to a new report that shows independent solar power units offer more return on investments than most S&P stocks. The Geostellar Quarterly Index, which takes into account a combination of factors to determine the

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