First published in Common Dreams.

As the American Legislative Exchange Council celebrated its 50th anniversary Wednesday night, a coalition of public interest groups gathered to wish them “a happy unbirthday,” in the words of one critic opposed to the shadowy right-wing organization.

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“We want to make sure that every American knows that, if Americans are behind bars in your state, in a private prison, you can thank ALEC for that,” Svante Myrick, president and CEO of People for the American Way, said in a press briefing ahead of Wednesday’s rally. “If there are laws in your state that make it harder for Black people and brown people to vote, you can thank ALEC for that. If there are laws that make it a crime to protest against polluters and climate change in your state, you can thank ALEC for that.”

Read the full article in Common Dreams.