"Lawmakers who are members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) are using the corporate pay-to-play group's online portal, called ALEC Connect, to exchange important information that used to show up in public records requests.

"Through ALEC Connect, lawmakers participate in policy discussions, share research, and access archived materials.

"Records on ALEC Connect have remained secret despite public records requests.

"It should be clear that these are public records. They should be released on request. Lawmakers should not be able to conduct the public's business through secret channels."