ALEC Announces Rural Caucus
Legislators Call for Action, Opportunity in Rural America
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:Anna Tarnawski
atarnawski@alec.org
973-879-2273
Arlington, VA (June 6, 2018) — The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) today announced the formation of the ALEC Rural Caucus. The Caucus will bring together legislators from across the country to discuss the many issues and opportunities facing rural communities. Many ALEC members represent majority rural areas and are keenly focused on free-market solutions for economic development—an approach proven to create opportunity and entrepreneurship across rural America. Recognizing the need to highlight successful rural policy and create new models and approaches, legislators from around the country identified the need and established the ALEC Rural Caucus.
“Rural America is the fabric that holds our nation together,” said ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson. “It is — agriculturally and materially— the basis for America’s rich and growing economy. The workers and families that have made rural areas their generational home need the support and backing of every American to ensure opportunity for generations.”
A disproportionate number of Americans live in cities. Three-quarters of the United States and 14 percent of the population are considered rural. With real geographic and economic diversity across rural America, legislative leaders created a powerful forum—through the Rural Caucus—to amplify their outreach and focus on issues such as expanding broadband internet access, agritourism, energy production, overregulation, workforce development and vocational training.
“Every state has unique and valuable components that make it its own special place in the country—and we all love our bragging points. A valuable part of every State is its rural components where, on the economic side there is mining the minerals that make our computers and phones possible, farming and ranching for our food, logging for our homes and the paper we write on, and tourism for the city dwellers who come for a visit,” said Arizona State Representative and Co-Chairwoman of the ALEC Rural Caucus Becky Nutt. “On the recreation side is hiking and biking the back trails, climbing mountains, camping and fishing along the lakes and rivers, skiing, snowboarding, bird watching, and star gazing to name a few. Rural is a vital piece to what makes America unique and great and when rural faces challenges, they are challenges that face the entire country.”
“As a representative for rural areas in my district, I see opportunity for my communities. Families want to stay together, kids want to come home after college, and we must strengthen our rural economies. Let’s use the best practices from rural America to achieve these important Caucus goals,” said Texas Representative and ALEC Rural Caucus Co-Chairman Doc Anderson.
After an initial organizing meeting at the 2017 Nashville meeting, the caucus will formalize its meetings and agenda through agenda-setting-calls and meetings in New Orleans, Washington DC and in statehouses around the country. Grassroots leadership and policy development is the hallmark of ALEC grassroots policy development, and ALEC legislators will lead the way on a free-market national rural agenda.
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The American Legislative Exchange Council is the largest nonpartisan, voluntary membership organization of state legislators in the United States. The Council is governed by state legislators who comprise the Board of Directors and is advised by the Private Enterprise Advisory Council, a group of private, foundation and think tank members. For more information about the American Legislative Exchange Council, please visit: www.alec.org.