DFL bill seeks disclosure from national groups
A bill introduced today in the Minnesota Senate would set new disclosure requirements for national advocacy groups that push for the passage of their model legislation in the state.
Under the proposal, representatives of those groups would fall under the financial reporting laws currently in place for registered lobbyists. DFL Sen. Scott Dibble of Minneapolis, the bill's author, said groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council, also known as ALEC, have spent a lot of time and money in Minnesota without any accounting.
"They run model bills. They fly legislators out to their conferences. They act for all intents and purposes like lobbying entities, and they provide these trips and these sorts of things," Dibble said. "So, it's just simply a sunshine into the disclosure bill."
Dibble said while he opposes the political agenda of ALEC, his proposed disclosure requirements would also affect other national advocacy groups that he supports.
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