Interest Groups
The ALEC
The ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Group) is an interest group whose legislation aims to ease taxes for corporations and weaken unions, but the group also looks over public safety issues, including the Stand Your Ground laws. Months after Florida enacted its Stand Your Ground law, ALEC created a Stand Your Ground model legislation to pass in states across the country. Over the years, many states enacted this legislation following the dismissal of the thought that this law gives Floridians the right to kill even if they believe they might face an immediate threat but are not currently in the presence of one. ALEC continued to push this legislation state after state in order to encourage more states to adopt this.
The NRA
Another interest group, the NRA (National Rifle Association), has been supporting the Stand Your Ground law since the very beginning. Between 2004 and 2010, the NRA donated over $2.5 million to the Florida Republican Party Committee (who are supporters of Stand Your Ground). These donations top all of their others to different state party committees. The NRA aggressively pursued adoption of this law in other states after Florida first enacted it, offering endorsements to legislatures from both parties in different states. The result concludes the adoption of Stand Your Ground in 8 other states, and since then more states have followed in Florida’s footsteps. Even with the recent controversial shootings protected by this law, the NRA continues to support it.