OPINION: What Were Rep. Lavielle's Votes at ALEC?

Letter to the Editor:

“What were Rep. Lavielle’s votes at ALEC?”

In 2011, State Representative Gail Lavielle acknowledged attending a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) Education Task Force in New Orleans. She was listed in the months before the meeting as a ‘Legislative Member’ in the 2011 ALEC annual meeting substantive agenda. In public statements she has neglected to mention her votes on ALEC model legislation at the Education Task Force Meeting she attended. According to minutes contained in ALEC’s 2011 States & Nation Policy Summit Substantive Agenda “members

approved the Task Force Meeting Minutes from the 2011 Spring Task Force Summit and

discussed a review of existing model legislation.” Members then voted on seven pieces of ALEC model legislation. Ms. Lavielle, representing our state and our city at the New Orleans conference and within this controversial organization, voted on ALEC model legislation. I want to know as a Norwalk resident what her votes were, ‘yea’ or nay’:

• Amendments to Higher Education Accountability Act

Sponsored by Dr. Harry Stille (28 yeas, 1 nay)

• Indiana Education Reform Package

Sponsored by Rep. Cindy Noe, Indiana (29 yeas, 0 nays)

• Resolution Opposing the Implementation of the Common Core State

Standards Initiative (TABLED)

Sponsored by Jonathan Butcher, Goldwater Institute

• Resolution on Digital Learning

Sponsored by Sen. Rich Crandall, Arizona (15 yeas, 5 nays)

• Statewide, Independent Charter Commission

Sponsored by David Hansen, National Association of Charter School Authorizers (13 yeas, 2 nays)

• Taxpayers’ Savings Grants Act sponsored by Marc Oestreich, The Heartland Institute (12 yeas, 2 nays)

• Free Enterprise Education Act

Sponsored by Roberta Zenn Phillips, U.S. Chamber of Commerce (7 yeas, 2 nays)

The “Indiana Education Reform Package Act” is the only bill where the public knows her vote as it was unanimously approved. Unlike legislatures, ALEC does not keep specific tallies of individual votes in their minutes nor are they obligated to release information publicly. I want full disclosure on Ms. Lavielle’s voting record during her brief participation with ALEC. These are five controversial initiatives she voted on which have negatively impacted children across our nation.

~ Stephanie Bernstein Pollard

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