Arizona legislators attend ALEC event
Corporate donors cover costs for GOP members
DENVER - More than a third of the Republicans in the Arizona Legislature gathered here last week to absorb conservative ideas and mingle with lobbyists at a conference where corporate donors picked up much of the tab.
Arizona is always well-represented at the annual gathering of the American Legislative Exchange Council, an organization known for producing ready-to-introduce “model” legislation crafted with input from corporate America.
During the three-day conference last week, 19 GOP members of the Arizona Legislature got prime seating at luncheons where they heard from conservative superstars and in private task forces where they learned more about ALEC’s agenda of limited government, free markets and federalism.
Helping to foot the bill were some of the very companies and lobbyists who work the halls of the Legislature to advance their own agendas.
They included the state’s largest utilities — Arizona Public Service Co. and Salt River Project — and others that paid ALEC thousands of dollars to fund a “scholarship” program.
One expert questioned the ethics of monied interests covering the costs of a conference for elected officials and then having easy access to the same officials to push their agenda or products.
“There’s no question that the people who sponsor ALEC expect some kind of return on their investment,” said Burdett Loomis, a professor of political science at the University of Kansas who studies special interests and state legislatures. “You’re getting something of substantial value and, at the same time, they’re being able to deliver their particular ideological message to a bunch of like-minded legislators who will then go back to implement that agenda.” Legislators, he said, don’t agree. “They’ll argue it’s educational ... and that they are not being directly influenced by any of the funders,” Loomis said. “But if you look back over the years at ALEC ... it has been a pretty good investment for the interests that have supported it.”
‘I don’t even know who’s paying for it’
Russell Smolden, an Arizona lobbyist, raises the money as ALEC’s private-sector chair in the state.
Sen. Debbie Lesko, ALEC’s Arizona co-chair, also helps gather donations.
Pausing after dining on heirloom tomato burrata and toasted ciabatta during ALEC’s opening ceremony, Yuma GOP Rep. Don Shooter said it’s appropriate for legislators to accept the support.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it — any more than if people want to give to a liberal cause,” he said. “I don’t even know who’s paying for it, so I can’t vote for or against their issues.”
Rep. Vince Leach, a Tucson Republican, said the conference is a valuable way to learn what’s working in other states. He said ALEC sponsorships don’t sway his vote.
Rep. Todd Clodfelter, another Tucson Republican, said he likely would skip the conference if not for the scholarships. “The salaries we get as a legislator in Arizona really don’t support the ability to come to a lot of conferences,” he said before a luncheon with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and open-faced lasagna with bison red wine bolognese.
Arizona lawmakers are paid $24,000 a year. Lawmakers pay for the conference costs up front and are reimbursed from donor money sent to ALEC.
The companies are required to disclose the scholarships and meals to the secretary of state as special-event expenses, said Arizona Elections Director Eric Spencer. A review of lawmakers’ past financial disclosure forms show the scholarships as gifts above $500. In 2018, he said, they will report using a new form that will ask lawmakers to report travel expenses that exceed $1,000.
Bill Meierling, chief operating officer and senior vice president of public affairs for ALEC, said unlike other conferences, ALEC reimbursements are not funded by taxpayer dollars.
“As a limited-government, free-market and federalism-focused organization that believes government should be returning money to people as opposed to using it to send legislators on trips, we pride ourselves on being fundraisers,” Meierling said.
Six House Republican staffers, however, did travel at taxpayer expense — a cost of about $10,000.
Gov. Doug Ducey’s lobbyist attended. His spokesman did not provide the total cost of her trip or how it was paid for.
One Senate policy adviser also attended. Senate GOP spokesman Mike Philipsen refused to say how the costs were covered. The staffer later told The Arizona Republic that he had received a fellowship from ALEC.
Bills, big names
Bills originating at such gatherings have been introduced in Arizona to limit union activity, expand school choice and oppose the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
This year’s conference also featured prominent names in the conservative movement: DeVos, a school-choice proponent; publishing executive Steve Forbes; and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who has called ALEC “the most effective organization.”
On Thursday, Lesko moderated a discussion with DeVos that covered the controversial school-voucher expansion the state senator helped pass in Arizona this year. It provides taxpayer dollars to parents who send their children to private school and for other educational needs.
‘Face time for us and our clients’
Last October — about a month a before the 2016 winter conference in Washington, D.C. — Lesko sent an email to potential sponsors from a private email account: “We are short on ALEC scholarship funds to help send legislators to ALEC. Can your firm and your clients help fund the AZ ALEC scholarship fund so we can make sure that AZ legislators can attend? Each legislator will cost approx. $2,500.”
Lesko told The Republic she left the Denver fundraising to Smolden.
She defended the fundraising practice, likening it to Democrats’ attendance to conferences such as the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, which also offers scholarships.
Democratic Rep. Charlene Fernandez said the Latino-based organization in the past has covered the costs for freshman Arizona lawmakers to attend “mostly because they want to get them in there and get them training.”
Smoldon would not disclose which Arizona companies contributed to the ALEC scholarship fund.
APS, an ALEC member, gave $10,000, which came from shareholder dollars, said APS spokeswoman Anna Stewart.
“We routinely participate in events and conferences with third-party organizations that engage in public policy,” she wrote, including the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, the state political parties, and the Edison Electric Institute.
SRP, also an ALEC member, gave $15,000 to help lawmakers attend the Denver conference, as well as its conference last year in Washington, D.C.
Patty Garcia–Likens, an SRP spokeswoman, said the company has a long history in supporting events that help public officials “understand complex issues” that affect the state.
Consulting firm Veridus kicked in $1,000 for scholarships, Matthew Benson said.
“We’re in the relationships business,” he said. “This is an opportunity to get face time for us and our clients with legislators.”