Here’s a look at some of what’s happening across the Local Progress network.
San Francisco Passes First-In-Nation Ban on Rental Price-Fixing
Yesterday, San Francisco became the first city in the nation to ban automated rent-fixing software. Penned by LP Member and SF Supervisors President Aaron Peskin and passed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, the ban on the use and sale of the technology aims to ultimately increase rental availability and affordability. “Banning automated price-fixing will allow the market to work and bring down rents in San Francisco,” Peskin said. “We want to put more units on the market. Let’s be clear: RealPage has exacerbated our rent crisis and empowered corporate landlords to intentionally keep units vacant. So we’re taking action locally to ensure our working renters can afford to live here.” As explained in our recent policy memo on rent-setting software algorithms published with the American Economic Liberties Project, the now-banned software enables price collusion among large corporate landlords. By having access to a large landlord data set, the technology maximizes the possible rent hike based on local conditions. Find out how to take action against price fixing software in your locality →
Localities Leverage Historic Federal Fund for Equity and Justice
Right now, localities can utilize billions of federal dollars for clean energy projects that would directly advance racial, economic, and climate justice. Cities, counties, and school districts have a historic opportunity thanks to federal funding via ARPA and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Leaders in places like St. Paul, MN are already putting these public dollars to work for their communities. The city has already used ARPA funds to erase medical debt for residents; now, it is breaking ground on a historic project to redevelop a former golf course on the city’s East Side into a large-scale, mixed-use development with 1,000 living wage jobs and 1,000 affordable housing units. The entire development – called “The Heights” – is striving to be net zero thanks to federal funding from the IRA. Federal funding will help pay for a geothermal energy system – owned and operated by a community energy nonprofit – to heat and cool the development, and on-site solar to power it. Check out our new case study to dig into the details →
Cities Want to Give Workers Heat Breaks. States Are Stopping Them.
This summer’s most recent heat wave has broken temperature records in most parts of the country. In response to rising temps and alarming climate events over the past few years, many local and state governments are adopting policies to help people cool down while temperature records continue to be broken. But, as our Policy and Legal Director LiJia Gong explains, some states are going in the opposite direction. Abusive state preemption is nothing new, but we have seen a frightening increase in its intensity – largely driven by large corporations and their lobbying arms, undermining local democracy to ensure they can continue to make a quick buck regardless of the human cost. Read about this trend in abusive state preemption here →
⚡️ Thank you to everyone who attended #LP2024!
What an incredible three days! To those of you who were in Oakland and those who were there in spirit, thank you so much for being part of #LP2024. This was our largest and most exciting national convening to date – with more than 50 different strategy meetings, workshops, and site visits, and more than 420 local elected officials, partners, and allies in community. We exchanged ideas and found inspiration. We laughed, we cried, and many of us found the clarity or the renewed energy we were looking for. Stay tuned for our full recap soon! In the meantime, check out some of our favorite moments on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter →
⭐️ Get Your Policy Win Highlighted!
We’re partnering with the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center to highlight policy wins on the local level! The Progressive Playbook is a comprehensive guide that shows advocates, legislators, and the public how to achieve real progressive wins. It will highlight successful legislative campaigns and policy victories to provide insights for other advocates and legislators to replicate in their states. If you have a policy campaign or win that you think would be a good addition, please reach out to LP Deputy Communications Director Michael Whitesides and we’ll help you submit a brief for inclusion! The Progressive Playbook is looking for policy ideas of all kinds but is specifically looking for policy wins related to clean energy, reproductive rights, housing, workers’ rights, taxes on the wealthy, and pushback against book bans.
🧑🏫 Fellowship Opportunity
The Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) Fellowship is looking for candidates! EOPA provides current and former public servants training, staff support, and a stipend to work on environmental and climate justice issues to protect their states and communities. Fellows have successfully fought to end toxic oil and gas drilling, support clean energy, protect public health, and launched a first-in-the-nation Tier 1 mental health program in schools. Check out their website for more information.
📣 Virtual Workers’ Rights Board Hearing: Electric Vehicle Manufacturing in the South
Join national Jobs With Justice on Wednesday, August 14, at 6pm ET for a virtual Workers’ Rights Board Hearing on electric vehicle manufacturing in the South. Impacted workers and community members from South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama will share testimony on working conditions, successful organizing and community benefits agreement campaigns, and the need to develop industry-wide standards for the booming electric manufacturing industry in their communities. RSVP here →
The vast majority of local elected officials are part-time, unpaid, or minimally compensated. And it can be difficult to find work that can sustain leaders alongside their elected roles. That’s why every month, we’ll be sharing jobs available across the movement:
- Good Jobs First | Research Director. Remote
- Equality Ohio | People & Culture Director
- CPC Center | Outreach and Organizing Associate. Remote / Washington DC
- American Immigration Council | Policy Director. Remote
Additional job boards: Dino DNA | Jeremiah Program | PolicyLink | Jobs That Are Left
