Welcome to our very first Local Progress Colorado State Download! We are so excited to roll out this LPCO quarterly newsletter where we will share resources and highlights of the impactful initiatives our Colorado members are driving forward. This edition highlights the significant strides LPCO members are making in advocating for workers’ rights in Denver, community-driven approaches to public safety, and the engaging discussions at the 2024 National Convening in Oakland. If you want to learn more about how you can get plugged into the amazing work our members are leading in Colorado, we have several ways to get involved included below!
Local Progress members and Denver Council Members Shontel Lewis, Chris Hinds, Serena Gonzales-Guittirez, Sarah Parady, Jamie Torres, Amanda Sawyer and Stacie Gilmore, are driving a crucial initiative to expand workers’ rights in Denver. LPCO Members drafted a policy to refer to the ballot that aims to extend collective bargaining rights to all municipal employees, bridging a significant gap in Denver’s labor rights framework. Currently, only about 25% of city workers—such as police officers and firefighters—have the ability to unionize and negotiate labor contracts. The amendment would empower an additional 7,000 municipal employees, including library staff, park rangers, and social workers, with these critical rights. Denver City Council unanimously passed the ballot referral, giving voters the chance to approve this legislation in November, marking a significant step towards modernizing Denver’s approach to workers’ rights.
In early July, we joined Local Progress Colorado partner Transforming Our Communities Together (TOCA), in hosting a screening of the film Reimagining Safety with a panel discussion exploring alternatives to traditional policing and carceral reactions to crime. The panel included film director Matthew Solomon, LP Member Council Member Sarah Parady, Hon. Candi CdeBaca, Dr. Lisa Calderon, Representative Elisabeth Epps, Dr. Robert Davis, and Independent Monitor Liz Castles. We were particularly excited that Denver Police Chief Thomas, staff from Mayor Mike Johnston’s office and newly elected District Attorney John Walsh were in attendance to learn from experts on reimagining public safety, as we are always looking for opportunities to work with them on a deeper level around creative solutions to public safety. We were also joined by several established LPCO partners across the state like Working Families Party, Harm Action Reduction Center, Bring Our Neighbors Home, Women Uprising, Denver Justice Program, and more!
Local Progress and the Local Progress Impact Lab hosted the 2024 National Convening in Oakland at the end of July! More than 420 local elected officials, partners, and allies gathered for three days of strategy meetings, workshops, and site visits. The convening covered a wide range of topics including social housing, transit-oriented development, community responder programs, and local governance challenges and opportunities. We are so grateful to the LPCO Members who made it out, and excited to see even more LPCO Members next year!
During the National Convening, we had several sessions and conversations with LPCO members and state and national partners about opportunities for local governments and school boards made available by the Inflation Reduction Act. For the first time ever, the Inflation Reduction Act offers local governments and schools nearly unlimited federal funding through Direct Pay tax credits for clean energy projects, directly advancing racial, economic, and climate justice. This historic opportunity allows communities to implement hyper-local projects such as solar panels on schools, disaster resilience hubs, and electric municipal fleets. Our LPCO Members loved diving into our new resource, “Cash for Communities”, so much so that we are planning on hosting additional detailed conversations on how to leverage these funds effectively for transformative local impact.
🚦 Creating Traffic Safety: A Resource for Local Electeds | Thursday, August 22 at 12:00 PM MST.
As local elected officials committed to enhancing the safety and well-being of our communities, you all are acutely aware of the many communities that continue to face harmful racial disparities in traffic enforcement and preventable roadway deaths. We are excited to invite you to our upcoming webinar that aims to address these critical issues by exploring innovative policies and strategies to create genuine traffic safety, with a focus on public health and racial equity. We will discuss how to:
- Reduce the role of police in traffic enforcement.
- Create physical infrastructure and systems that ensure real traffic safety.
- Pursue these interrelated solutions equitably through municipal policy.
We will also be joined by LPCO Leader and Denver Council Member Paul Kashmann who will share insights from his innovative traffic safety policies in Denver, highlighting efforts to increase equity in traffic stops.
💸Unlock IRA Funding: Join the Conversation!
Rural LPCO Members! You are invited to join our upcoming series of discussions on the Inflation Reduction Act so that we can support you in applying for IRA funding. Connect with Grace via email or schedule a time to meet HERE! We will plug you into a virtual or in-person conversation with fellow LPCO members and partners to share resources, learn from each other, and receive the support necessary to access these unprecedented federal funds!
📋 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.
☀️ Recruit New Members
Our members are our best recruiters! Do you know a local elected official in Colorado who could benefit from the Local Progress network? Have them sign up HERE or send an email to Colorado Coordinator, Grace, to learn more about how Local Progress can support them!
✅ Apply to join our Organizing Committee
Local Progress Colorado is in the process of forming our Organizing Committee! This committee will guide the priorities for the state and work closely with Local Progress staff to ensure that the Local Progress Colorado work is values-aligned and reflective of our larger Colorado membership. If you’re interested in learning more about this Committee, email Grace here!
❤️ Join an LP Caucus!
Local Progress has launched three identity-based community spaces: the Black Caucus, the Women’s Caucus, and Nuestro Caucus, and now a Pride Caucus is currently in formation. These spaces were created by and for LP members to gather and share their lived experiences in governing and leadership positions and are always open for new members. We invite you to get involved – learn more here!
