More Wisc. ALEC Connections To Walker Administration, And Tommy Thompson, Too

You can add to your Wisconsin Friends of ALEC scorecard US Senate candidate and ex-Governor Tommy Thompson, current Public Service Commission chair and ALEC 2005 "Legislator of the Year" Phil Montgomery, as well as Wisconsin Railroad Commissioner and former ex-Democratic State Senator-turned-Walker water carrier Jeff Plale to your scorecards, according to this 2008 report.

At the 2001 ALEC national convention, Tommy Thompson, former Wisconsin governor and then U.S. Secretary of Health And Human Services, stated:

"It's wonderful to see so many of my friends from the great state of Wisconsin. There are 29 members of the  Wisconsin State Legislature who were so eager to come to New York for this conference that they rushed to get the state budget passed last week....My good friend Scott Jensen is among them. Scott holds the only job I ever wanted and never reached - Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly."

In addition to the 29 state legislators that Thompson claimed as ALEC members, I and others working with me found at least three currently sitting Wisconsin politicians who have sponsored bills with ties to ALEC – Wisconsin Senator Ted Kanavas, Senator Jeff Plale and Representative Phil Montgomery, who was given ALEC’s 2005 “Legislator of the Year” award.

Montgomery's appointment is significant, as the PSC has control of the state energy generation mix, as well as policy implementation.

ALEC just announced it would go on a national campaign to get states to roll back commitments to renewable energy: all hail, fossil fuels!

And just a few days ago, the PSC announced it would direct funds under its control more for biomass and bio-energy rather than for wind and solar.

Walker blocked implementation of PSC wind turbine siting rules, stalling the development of the industry, its jobs and clean energy generation.

Montgomery also favors nuclear energy, and also hired as his Executive Assistant the former top lobbyist for the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. Details, here.

In Wisconsin, ALEC and the 1% are among friends.