Anti-union forces are on the offensive again in the states, but are playing defense this year at the federal level.
Koch-Funded Groups Back Anti-Union Bills in the States, Oppose Pro-Union Legislation in Congress
By Don Wiener and David Armiak | at
Economy
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Gave $119,000 to Congress Members Who Voted to Overturn the Presidential Election
By Don Wiener | at
So far, SpaceX has not joined other major aerospace and technology companies in suspending its political contributions to Members of Congress who voted against certifying the presidential election results.
Parler Is Now in the Hands of a Right-Wing Activist Seeking a Radical Rewrite of the Constitution
By Alex Kotch | at
Mark Meckler, an ally of the Mercer family who co-founded the Tea Party Patriots and runs Convention of States Action, is one of two people currently in charge of the far-right social media app Parler.
New Right-Wing Litigation Center Working to Upend COVID-19 Public Health Restrictions, Fight Unions
By David Armiak | at
American Juris Link, a new right-wing legal center with close ties to the State Policy Network, is actively working to track and support right-wing legal challenges to upend COVID-19 health restrictions, fight workers’ rights to unionize, and coordinate legal strategies and amici.
RAGA Raised $1.6 Million as Republican AGs Challenged Election Results
By David Armiak | at
The Republican Attorneys General Association raised $1.6 million between November 24 and December 31 last year as Republican attorneys general challenged election results, its latest IRS filing discloses.
Utility Execs Across the U.S. Hit with Criminal Charges in 2020
By Don Wiener | at
Major utility corruption scandals rocked three states in 2020, resulting in criminal charges against utility executives and the ouster of House Speakers in Illinois and Ohio.
Despite Pandemic, Union Membership Rose in 22 States, Including Many Right-to-Work States
By Don Wiener | at
Despite steep pandemic-related job losses all around, union workers fared better than non-union workers in 2020, and union membership actually increased in almost half the states.
The Real Money Behind the Politicians Who Voted to Overturn the Election
By Alex Kotch | at
Corporations and wealthy individuals poured millions of dollars into super PACs, political committees, and dark money groups that spent at least $272 million to elect most of the 147 members of Congress who voted to reject Joe Biden’s Electoral College win.
ALEC Holds Virtual States and National Policy Summit
By David Armiak | at
After canceling its plans for an in-person meeting, ALEC opened its annual policy summit online yesterday to consider a wide variety of measures to limit governors’ power to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, stop a bailout for hard-hit states, and lock in a nine-member Supreme Court, provide trainings to help its overwhelmingly Republican members run better campaigns.
DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Pumped at Least $90 Million into Right-Wing Causes in 2019
By David Armiak | at
The preferred funding conduits of the Koch political donor network gave out $165 million in grants in 2019, $90 million of which went to right-wing think tanks, advocacy groups, litigation centers, media outlets, extremists, and climate deniers.