Welcome back to theĀ LPNY State Downloadāour quarterly newsletter! Hereās a look at what Local Progress New York has been working on over the past few months, along with key developments from across the state. It has been 100 days since Donald Trumpās inauguration, a period marked by uncertainty as his administration has issued Executive Orders that threaten justice and democracy. In response, LPNY members remain energized and deeply committed to their communitiesāworking collaboratively to uphold the values of equity, inclusion, and the dignity of working-class people.
š£ļø Albany Advocacy DayĀ
On March 18, LPNY members joined Housing Justice 4 All and housing organizations from across New York in demanding that Governor Hochul fund the Housing Access Voucher Program that helps low-income New Yorkers achieve stability and retain permanent housing. and to stand up to the Trump Administration and protect immigrant families by signing into law the New York for All Act to restrict local law enforcement and state agencies from collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).Ā
We had hundreds of tenants and advocates occupy the stairs of the state Capitol making their voices heard and demonstrating people power. LPNY Organizing Committee (OC) Co-Chair and Kingston Alderwoman Michele Hirsch visited Senator Brian Kavanaughās office on behalf of the OC to ask for his support on the Housing Access Voucher Program bill. Our members are energized and ready to continue to work with the state to protect tenants. While this was our first time joining forces with our coalition partners, we will continue to collectively add pressure to the state legislature to meet the needs of working class families.
š Westchester Meetup
On Friday April 11, LPNY held a Westchester meetup for members of the chapter and folks who are interested in learning more about the organizing and chapter work across the state. LPNY Organizing Committee member and Tarrytown School Board member Amanda Wallwin anchored the event and shared insight on the issues our chapter is prioritizing and how we can come together as we face cuts from the federal government.
šļø Apply to Join our Organizing Committee
A great way to get more involved with our work throughout New York is through our LPNY Organizing Committee! Our Committee meets once a month and works with LP staff and our community partners to set our state chapterās priorities and define our mission and vision for our work. Itās also a great space to build community with other LPNY members. If youāre interested in learning more about this Committee, fill out this form.
āļø Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) Funding Sign on LetterĀ
In March, Local Progress NY collected the signatures of 37 local elected officials from across the state including, Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo, Albany Auditor Dorcey Applyrs, and Syracuse Auditor Alexander Marion, in aĀ letterĀ to Governor Kathy Hochul and state legislators, requesting that more money be allocated to local municipalities through the Existing Aid and Incentives for Municipalities funding. We sent a clear and powerful message urging the revamping of the AIM formula so that it fairly accounts for the real costs and evolving challenges local governments face in delivering essential services, supporting economic growth, and building resilient communities.Ā āLocal governments’ daily operations drive revenue to New York State: our economic growth, which is facilitated by housing construction, infrastructure improvements, and local incentives, spurs New Yorkās tax revenue. Decisions made in City/Town/Village Halls across New York have an impact on the success of our state as a whole. We need our fair share of revenue to deliver results.āĀ
šŖ§ 100 Days of Trump
On April 30, Local Progress NY Co-Chair and Kingston Alderwoman Michele Hirsch hosted a rally in response to the Trump administrationās attack on our communities. Over 100 students, parents, educators and elected officials, in partnership with Mayor Steve Noble and education organizations, gathered at City Hall to condemn the Trump administration’s first 100 days and the attack on education, childrenās programs and DEI.
š Join us in Buffalo!Ā
Local Progress New York is having our first meet up in Buffalo NY! Join us forĀ light fare, beverages and community at our very first Buffalo meet-up,Ā Friday, May 30 in Buffalo NY, from 6-8 PM. This event is anchored by our very ownĀ Local Progress New York member, andĀ NY Organizing Committee Co-Chair,Ā Jennifer Mecozzi. This will be an opportunity to get to know some of our membership and learn about the work we are doing across the state.Ā
Weād love to have you attend and get involved ā your voice and leadership are vital to this work!
Jennifer Mecozzi is a proud member of Local Progress and in her 2nd term as Co-Chair of LPNY Organizing Committee, she has been a dedicated progressive leader in this role since 2016. She is currently seeking her 4th term on the Buffalo Board of Education. With a 9th grade son, and 3 grandchildren in the district she is a fierce advocate for students beyond the titles.Ā
With her background in social justice, she was encouraged to run in 2016, as she was leading hundreds of people to push back on the Board of Education as they were contemplating shutting down 4 major High Schools to appease the charter movement and the Board majority at the time.Ā With a monumental win for the district, the Board became a super majority and tides have changed.Ā Jennifer has been in the Organizing world for decades, and has a Consulting company that focuses on DEI, Social Emotional growth, and Social Justice trainings all with a Racial Justice lens. Rooted in faith and in the mindset that all voices should be heard, family oriented to the core, and carries her love for community on her sleeve and heart always, Jen is a fighter and an equalizer for the people.
š Share Your Story: How is the Trump Administration Impacting your Community?
Local Progress is rolling out a new tool to measure how the Trump Administration is impacting our communities. Our new storybank form is collecting on-the-ground accounts from local officials across the country to accurately map the impact of the federal government’s actions on local communities. These stories will help our network illustrate how federal policy actions are shaping people’s day to day lives and strategize how to fight back against the Trump administration’s divisive agenda, as well as assist our press work in telling the story of our collective resistance. Weāre interested in everything from how teachers may have been shut out from Head Start programs to proactive actions your legislative body has taken to affirm the rights of immigrants in your community. Check out the form here and donāt hesitate to reach out with questions!
š§° Tools to Interrupt Criminalization
The federal administration has escalated its use of criminalization to target immigrant communities and suppress dissent. In the past few weeks alone, over 300 student visas have been revoked on political grounds, and more than 200 immigrantsālike Maryland father Abrego Garciaāhave been deported to a notorious torture facility in El Salvador in defiance of court orders. These acts are part of a broader strategy: using criminalization to silence opposition and enforce policies that consolidate right-wing power. Local governments have the abilityāand responsibilityāto push back.
Hereās how we can act:
- Anchor our messaging. Use LPās updated guidesāProtecting Immigrant Rights Under a Hostile Federal Administration and Letās Talk Real Safetyāto align around a strong, consistent narrative. New content includes Best Practices for messaging on immigration and guidance on Responding to a Raid in your Community; and Addressing Public Suffering and Ending Harm and Surveillance, emphasizing the urgent need to move away from carceral solutions and toward real investments that address the root causes of harm.
- Interrupt policies that criminalize residents. Reach out to Interrupting Criminalizationās Help Desk for 1:1 assistance with any organizing, policy, budget, or litigation strategies.
- Strengthen community defense. Invite a local partner organization to sign up for National Immigration Projectās āRemoval Defense for Community Defendersā training from May 15 through July 17.
š Calls to Action for Public Education
The federal government is poised to pass a billionaire-backed national voucher program that would defund our public schools and harm our students. Itās key that federal officials hear from folks on the ground about the harmful impact this defunding mechanism would have on students and the public education system. This toolkit from our friends at the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools and NYU Metro Center will help you join the ranks of fellow LP members reaching out to their representatives in Washington ā itās powerful for elected officials in D.C. to hear from local electeds!Ā
Do you want to pass a resolution in your district about protecting public education? Do you want to connect with organizers who could work with you to advocate for this? Fill out this form and weāll be in touch to support with a draft resolution and an organizing toolkit from our partners at Public School Strong.
Our partners at Popular Democracy are convening Hands Off Our Schools organizing calls ā the next two are May 14 and June 11. Want to sign up? More here.
š How to Protect Communities Before and After Climate Disasters
Local elected officials need to know how to protect the communities they serve in the lead up to and before a climate disaster. Hurricanes, wildfires, and floods not only destroy peopleās physical and emotional well-being but also can cause families to get to the brink of financial crisis. Working with community disaster recovery organizers, insurance consumer protection advocates, disaster response attorneys, and housing counselors, the Equitable and Just Insurance Initiative released a report that details how state and local governments can protect peopleās financial well-being before and after climate disasters. The report details policy recommendations state and local governments can implement from protecting renters and homeowners to helping people avoid scams and holding fossil fuel companies accountable. Read the report here!
š”Apply by June 9: Advance Tenant Screening Protections
Every year, approximately 3.6 million individuals facing eviction assume an additional concern for their future: the challenge of finding a new home with an eviction on their record.
Results for America, in partnership with PolicyLink, National Housing Law Project, National Consumer Law Center, TechEquity and Upturn, invites place-based teams to apply for an 8-week Solutions Sprint, Unlocked: Opening the Door to Housing Access Through Tenant Screening Protections. This free learning series will provide teams with the knowledge, tools and strategies needed to design and implement policies that prevent the harms of eviction records and tenant screening practicesāand expand access to affordable housing.
š” Stay Connected to our Caucuses
Your one stop shop for caucus resources! Trying to remember when that next Womenās Caucus meeting is? Looking for the link to complete your Pride Caucus Survey? Want to join a caucus signal chat? Look no further! This link will continuously be updated with all upcoming Caucus events and asks so that you can constantly refer to it and make sure youāre up to date on when your next caucus meetings are.
Also, Local Progress is seeking a Healing Justice Consultant (or a team of consultants) to curate and facilitate healing spaces for our members in-person and remote spaces. The consultant will work in collaboration with LP staff and LP members to design and lead grounding and healing experiences rooted in trauma-informed practice, with an emphasis on multiple modalities, such as but not limited to, journaling, somatics, breathwork, verbal processing, sound, and movement. Please share with your network.
ā”ļøļø 2025 National Convening
We have less than 10 days until registration closes for our 2025 National Convening and we are almost at capacity! In July, we will gather local elected officials, movement partners, and donors who believe in the strength of bringing together people from different backgrounds and communities to build a country ā city by city, county by county ā where each of us can thrive. Join us in Chicago on July 10-12 to strategize toward this vision with a community of values-aligned peers and partners! Check your email for your invite and register by our May 21 deadline!
