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“For example, House Bill 2035, introduced this year to amend state tax credits for low-income student scholarships, contained more than two dozen phrases also found in ALEC’s recommended Great Schools Tax Credit Program Act. “A school finance bill introduced in the 2014 session featured 168 words mirroring ALEC’s language in the Next Generation Charter Schools Act. House Bill 2773 included a 46-word paragraph praising charter schools lifted word-for-word from ALEC’s model bill.” Read more here: http://cjonline.com/news/2015-10-29/dozens-vested-interests-push-model-bills-kansas-politicians...

We have become painfully familiar with the Kansas Policy Institute, which is part of the State Policy Network, a national organization that promotes the ALEC agenda while pretending to be local and nonpartisan. Unfortunately, KPI is a major source of information for some legislators. KPI’s claims for being a non-partisan think tank are being questioned after an email sent “by” them was actually sent by the political consulting organization primarily known for routing moderate Republicans in the 2012 elections through the use of malicious postcards and other means. “The statement praising Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson for his...

We’re watching what’s going on in Jefferson County, Colorado and trying to make sure it doesn’t happen here. There are some familiar names in this story. “Money from the billionaire Koch brothers is funding one side’s commercials and fliers, and upset parents, teachers and labor unions are pouring in cash for the other. “The question facing voters is whether to oust a polarizing school board that has championed charter schools, performance-based teacher pay and other education measures supported by conservatives. “But the vote here in Jefferson County, just west of Denver, has become a money-soaked proxy war between...