Watch out Congress you are losing, right-wing ALEC is replacing you

******************JFK 

Profiles in Courage is a 1957 Pulitzer Prize-winning volume of short biographies describing acts of bravery and integrity by eight United States Senators throughout the Senate's history. The book profiles senators who defied the opinions of their party and constituents to do what they felt was right and suffered severe criticism and losses in popularity because of their actions. 

With help from research assistants and the Library of Congress, President John F Kennedy wrote the book while bedridden during 1954 and 1955, recovering from 

back surgery.  Kennedy's speechwriter Ted Sorensen is given credit for much of the writing.
The point is so much new material is being played out in the Republican Party with key members standing tall against Donald Trump and his march to the GOP nomination for President. 

*****
As Congress remains relatively dysfuntional, state legislatures are playing an ever-more-important role in shaping vital public policy.

Many state legislatures have been co-opted by organizations such as The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
According to its website, ALEC "works to advance the fundamental principles of free-market enterprise, limited government, and federalism at the state level through a nonpartisan public-private partnership of America's state legislators, members of the private sector and the general public".
ALEC has produced model bills on a broad range of issues, such as reducing regulation and individual and corporate taxation, combating illegal immigration, loosening environmental regulations, tightening voter identification weakening labor union's rules, and opposing gun control.  Some of these bills dominate legislative agendas in states such as Arizona, Wisconsin, Colorado, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Maine.   Approximately 200 model bills become law each year.
ALEC as an organization that gave corporate interests outsized influence.
ALEC was founded in 1973 in Chicago as the "Conservative Caucus of State Legislators"  ALEC was co-founded by conservative activist Paul Weyrich, who also co-founded the Heritage Foundation.    Henry Hyde, {Hyde Amendment** is a legislative provision barring the use of certain federal funds to pay for abortion unless the pregnancy arises from incest,  ...In 1976, Congress passed the Hyde Amendment, which banned federal Medicaid coverage of abortion. } who later became a U.S. congressman, and Lou Barnett, who later became national political director of Ronald Reagan's Political Action Committee, also helped to found ALEC. Early members included a number of state and local politicians who went on to statewide office, including Bob Kasten, Tommy Thompson, and Scott Walker of Wisconsin, John Engler of Michigan, Terry Branstad of Iowa, Mitch Daniels of Indiana, and John Boehner and John Kasich of Ohio.   Several members of Congress also were involved in the organization during its early years, including Rep. Jack Kemp of New York, Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, Sen. James L. Buckley of New York, Rep.Phil Crane of Illinois, and Rep Eric Cantor of Virginia.
**Planned Parenthood on the Hyde Amendment
https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/hyde-amendment

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is a bipartisan non- governmental organization (NGO) established in 1975 in New Orleans.  
NCSL is run by an Executive Committee made up of legislators only. Corporations and their lobbyists are not members of NCSL committees.

Since 1975, NCSL has been the champion of state legislatures. We’ve helped states remain strong and independent by giving them the tools, information and resources to craft the best solutions to difficult problems. We’ve fought against unwarranted actions in Congress and saved states more than $1 billion. We’ve conducted workshops to sharpen the skills of lawmakers and legislative staff in every state. And we do it every day.

NCSL is committed to the success of all legislators and staff. Our mission is to

• Improve the quality and effectiveness of state legislatures.
• Promote policy innovation and communication among state legislatures.
• Ensure state legislatures a strong, cohesive voice in the federal system.

Social Impact Bonds (SIBs), a type of pay-for-success funding agreement, are a private financing mechanism used to fund social programs. SIBs are gaining interest from policymakers at all levels of government as a way to mitigate the simultaneous demands of tight budgets and rising social service costs. To date, state level SIB activity has centered on legislative efforts to authorize the process, create study committees, begin pilot projects,  engage in feasibility studies and learn which types of programs this financing tool can be effectively used for

.ttp://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/social-impact-bonds.aspx