The curtain is pulled back on the shadow government that really decides which laws are passed in this country. In this clip, Georgia news station investigates the closed-door meetings between corporate members of the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and state legislators, where laws are written in backroom events at fancy hotels by corporate lobbyists themselves.

Armed guards stand in front of a conference room at a resort hotel in Savannah, Georgia as the reporter is turned away from what a former ALEC member describes as a “Bill Mill”, where lobbyists write bills, leaving only blanks for the legislators to fill in their state’s name. A great example is the Georgia Asbestos Bill, which prevents victims of asbestos exposure from suing the corporations responsible- the ALEC bill and the version passed in the state house are word for word identical.

It’s an eye-opening look into how our laws are really made and how much of a disconnect there is between the opinions of the public and the way our country is actually governed. We have a choice in choosing who to elect, but after that, politicians in Republican states serve a darker power- the almighty dollar and the interests of big corporations, the billionaire class, and the Koch Brothers.

Watch it here: