Carol Weston

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Carol Weston is a former Republican member of the Maine State Senate, having served from 2002 through 2010. She also served in the Maine House of Representatives from 1998 through 2002.[1]

Weston received an American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) “Legislator of the Year Award” in 2008, and is former member of the ALEC Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force.[2][3]

About ALEC
ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our ExposedbyCMD.org site.

From ALEC Awardee to Americans for Prosperity

Upon leaving the Maine state legislature, Weston began her current stint as Maine State Director of Koch Family Foundations-funded Americans for Prosperity (AFP).[4]

Weston, wearing her Americans for Prosperity hat, spoke at a rally in front of supporters of Maine Republican Governor Paul LePage’s massive budget cuts, stating at that rally “Finally, a governor who actually wants to give us back our money. Finally.”[5]

Possibility of U.S. Senate Run vs. Olympia Snowe

Rumors are swirling that Weston may run against U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe in the 2012 U.S. Senatorial election. "I've worked with Senator Snowe in many different ways and I served in the House and the Senate here in Maine and certainly now in my job with Americans for Prosperity I do rein in and lobby her, and over the years I have found there are times when we certainly do disagree," said Weston. "But I also want to make sure that whoever may run against her in a primary will also have the financial support and the backing of the Maine people to win the general election. And that's something that needs some careful consideration by anyone considering running."[6]

ALEC Touts Weston’s Introduction of their “Model Legislation”

In a Sept. 2008 edition of “Inside ALEC,” ALEC communications director Jorge Amselle wrote of Weston, “[She] has introduced and/or sponsored several ALEC Model Bills including ALEC’s Charter School Legislation and HealthCare Choices Act for States.”[7]

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

External resources

External articles

References

  1. Carol Weston, Ballotpedia, Ballotpedia.org, Accessed July 3, 2011.
  2. Susan Cover, Weston Honored, Dems Host Dodd, Maine Today Blog, MaineToday.com/Blogs, Sept. 19, 2008, Accessed July 3, 2011.
  3. Jorge Amselle, Chicago, Where ALEC Began: ALEC’s 2008 Annual Meeting Inside ALEC, American Legislative Exchange Council, ALEC.org, Sept. 2008, Accessed July 3, 2011.
  4. Hon. Carol Weston Named State Director of Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Prosperity Maine Blog, AmericansForProsperity.org, Accessed July 3, 2011.
  5. Kevin Miller, Supporters of LePage’s budget cuts rally in Augusta, Bangor Daily News, March 23, 2011, Accessed July 3, 2011.
  6. Julie Sobel, Conservative Activist Not Ruling Out Snowe Challenge], National Journal Hotline On Call, HotlineOnCall.NationalJournal.com, Mar. 3, 2011, Accessed July 3, 2011.
  7. Jorge Amselle, Chicago, Where ALEC Began: ALEC’s 2008 Annual Meeting Inside ALEC, American Legislative Exchange Council, ALEC.org, Sept. 2008,a Accessed July 3, 2011.
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