State freedom caucuses represent an extreme Right faction of the already MAGA-dominated Republican Party that uses procedural measures in state legislatures to advance their culture war agenda.
Economy
Assets of Koch-Controlled Organizations Soar to Over $8.1 Billion
The Koch fleet’s combined net revenue skyrocketed in 2022, up to $4.8 billion.
Railroad Owned by RFK Jr.’s Megadonor Repeatedly Violated Environmental and Safety Laws
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may claim he will be “the best environmental president in American history,” but the Republican industrialist bankrolling the super PAC behind his longshot bid for the White House has a long history of violating environmental laws.
U.S. House Anti-Woke Caucus Targets Programs Benefiting Minorities
Last March, a group of House Republicans launched the Anti-Woke Caucus to “root out all far-left political programs from the federal government.” Now, the group is trying to eliminate programs that encourage the growth and expansion of minority-owned businesses.
ALEC Pushes Anti-Union Playbook
State lawmakers seeking to dismantle unions and implement anti-worker laws have just been handed a new state-by-state roadmap by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the corporate-funded bill mill popular with Republican legislators.
Koch Still Funding Last Stand Against Medicaid Expansion
The state of Kansas remains one of only 10 states that have refused to expand access to Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, due in large part to resistance from state Senate President Ty Masterson (R). Now the senator is using his new position as national chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council to continue the fight across the country.
Restrictions on ESG Investments Emerge as a Campaign Issue in Missouri’s Gubernatorial Race
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is using his efforts to curtail ESG investing in his bid for the GOP nomination for governor, which will be determined through the Republican primary on August 6.
Koch’s Purchase of Fertilizer Plant Prompts Antitrust Concerns
In December, the Dutch chemical company OCI Global announced plans to sell its nitrogen fertilizer operation in Wever, Iowa to Koch Ag & Energy Solutions, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, for $3.6 billion.
Supporters of Tort Reform in Iowa Accused of Manufacturing a Crisis
Billionaire Charles Koch’s political network won a major state legislative victory last year when Iowa passed a bill that limits damages in medical malpractice lawsuits. Now, a new court filing claims that an insurance company deliberately lost a major medical malpractice case instead of agreeing to a settlement, with the explicit goal of spurring the Iowa Legislature to take action on the issue.
Koch Industries Plant Shutdown Sends Florida Town Hit by Hurricane Reeling
Georgia-Pacific, announced on September 18 that it would shutter its cellulose factory, known as the Foley mill. The company claimed that the closing had been planned before Hurricane Idalia—for “strategic” reasons—and did not reflect “the hard work and effort of the Foley team.”