May CEO Update

It’s like déjà vu all over again as the surge of anti-American, pro-Hamas activists that engulfed our college campuses last October has resurfaced with a vengeance. Picture this: quads filled with students, professors, tents, and banners all rallying around one dangerous objective – the destruction of our Holy Land. It’s an eye-opener, a wake-up call for us all, as our youth is being seduced by adversaries while sidelining great institutions.

From Columbia in New York to UT-Austin in Texas to UCLA in California, universities are scrambling, canceling classes, shifting online, or shutting down for the semester. Police forces are clearing out buildings, National Guard units stand on alert, while university administrators frantically work to prevent a repeat of the appalling “calling for genocide doesn’t violate our code of conduct” debacle witnessed in front of Congress last year.

The American Legislative Exchange Council’s position is crystal clear. Our letter to President Biden, signed by 203 elected officials from 42 states, demands unwavering support for Israel and its fight against the Hamas threat. The support is warranted, the threat is real, and that’s why I’m so encouraged that more than 203 legislators from 42 states have signed on to our Israel letter. ALEC has been active on free speech issues for years including the passage of the Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act in 2017. Clearly, there is more to be done.

Equally disheartening is the ongoing crisis on our southern border. We recently journeyed to Eagle Pass, Texas, accompanied by a delegation of ALEC members to witness the situation firsthand. Migrants are flooding over the border as cartels exploit the madness to fuel their illicit trade in drugs and human beings.

ALEC leadership listened to briefings from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Military Department, and other key stakeholders, painting a bleak picture of the reality on the ground. Regrettably, due to the continued failures of policies concocted in Washington, DC, every state now grapples with the reality of being a border state.  What we learned is that if there is a will and desire, we CAN protect the border – as Governor Abbott has shown, but if there is no enforcement at the National level, we will continue suffer the consequences of this willful neglect. We will soon share just that message with President Biden in a letter demanding he secure America’s southern border and enforce existing laws to stem the tide of illegal immigration and deadly drugs pouring into the United States.

Back in Washington, Joe Biden openly said the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is “going to expire, and if I’m reelected it’s going to stay expired.“  Instead of celebrating the $1.5 trillion in tax relief and record-low unemployment rates resulting from TCJA, some still believe the federal government should pocket more of taxpayers’ hard-earned money. That’s why we’re rallying behind a letter, endorsed by over 230 ALEC state legislators thus far, urging Congress to make the TCJA permanent. It’ll be a tough battle, a protracted one, but a battle worth fighting.

Across the states, we’re making strides with our 25 by 2025 education freedom campaign, with Governors Kim Reynolds and Doug Ducey joining forces with our Education Freedom Alliance. Last month ALEC members in Missouri, Sen. Andrew Koenig and Rep. Doug Richey, successfully led the charge to expand Missouri’s Empowerment Scholarship Account Program and give thousands of additional families the ability to participate. Additionally, legislation to expand North Carolina’s wildly popular Opportunity Scholarship Program has sailed through the state senate and is expected to receive similar treatment in the house. We know this is the path to success as 25 of the 28 studies examining public school performance in states with school choice saw positive effects in the public schools. Union opposition may persist, but our commitment to empowering parents and students remains strong. Our fight isn’t against educators; it’s for the students. Together, we will champion educational opportunities to ensure every child receives a quality education.

… 25 of the 28 studies examining public school performance in states with school choice saw positive effects in the public schools.

For those following current events, you’ve likely encountered headlines trumpeting the 17th edition of Rich States, Poor States – with Utah earning our top ranking, Texas jumping seven spots to 6^th overall, and New York finishing dead last (as mentioned in the New York Post). From the featured story on Fox Business News to our Tax Day press conference on the steps of the Albany Capitol building and Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s press release, the economic outlook and performance of each state have taken center stage nationwide. The progress of each state exemplifying our dedication to fiscal responsibility and economic prosperity.

Challenges lie ahead – unpopular stances, economic hurdles, and legislative goals that may seem unattainable. Yet, we confront these challenges not because they are easy, but because they are imperative, they are just, and they are rooted in the fundamental principles of limited government, free markets, and federalism. We’ll be facing that fight and preparing for those battles at our Annual Meeting this July in Denver, CO. If you haven’t registered then please, do so, right away! Together, we will overcome those obstacles, uphold our values, and secure a brighter future for all Americans.