ALEC Legislators Sign Letter to Reiterate Commitment to Free Market and Against Discriminatory Policies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Matt Tremblay
mtremblay@alec.org
571.482.5011     

 ALEC Legislators Sign Letter to Reiterate Commitment to Free Market and Against Discriminatory Policies

Anti-BDS Free Market Policies Only Way to Ensure a Strong Israel  

ARLINGTON, VA – (December 13, 2018) Voicing strong opposition to Airbnb’s decision to deny service to Jewish properties in Judea and Samaria, hundreds of legislators from states around the nation signed a letter entitled: “State Legislators to Airbnb: Don’t Restrict Free-Market Enterprise.” ALEC legislators have been a key part of the federal government’s efforts to halt BDS groups from using commercial discrimination and intimidation to coerce companies into ignoring the benefits of free market relations with Israel.

Incoming ALEC national Chair Alan Clemmons offered the following: “Many state legislators in the ALEC network have been leaders in the effort to oppose commercial discrimination of the BDS Movement. More than half the American states now have such measures in place. Anti-BDS laws are good as a matter of economic policy, public policy, and foreign policy which is why they have been passed by overwhelming majorities on a bi-partisan basis. We stand proudly with Israel and will now help lead the effort to enforce state laws and use our authority to oppose the discriminatory business policy recently announced by Airbnb. We hope that the company will ultimately arrive at a better point of judgment and reverse its decision.”

The anti-BDS Movement seeks to prohibit the boycotting, divesting from, and sanctioning of Israel. This stance flies in the face of the ALEC principal of free markets. Representative Alan Clemmons was the first to pass an anti-BDS bill in South Carolina (H 3583). Since then, state legislators have followed his lead and passed anti-BDS bills in 25 more states across the nation, protecting the rights of companies to engage in the free market worldwide and in the US.

###

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.