A group behind some of the nation's most controversial laws was in town for their annual conference.
The American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC for short, has helped craft model legislation with a conservative bent. Those bills frequently wind up in state houses across the country.
They've drafted laws like "Stand Your Ground" and "Voter ID."
They also helped write SB 1070 in Arizona, which has been considered the toughest immigration law in the land until the Supreme Court struck it down.
It's those kinds of issues that brought out protesters at ALEC's conference at the Omni, chanting, “You can hear us loud and clear, ALEC is not welcome here” outside the hotel.
Protesters said they oppose both the social issues and the pro-business issues that ALEC supports.