Happy Summer! As we hit the midpoint of 2025, it’s energizing to see the momentum we are building together. From local policy wins to powerful statewide advocacy and our largest ever presence at the National Convening, this season has been full of movement.
Here’s what’s happening in MI and how you can plug in. 👇
🏡 Wins for Renters in Pontiac!
Local Progress member and longtime tenant advocate Mikal Goodman, serving on the Pontiac City Council, introduced a bold Tenant Protections Resolution Package. Mikal led their council in introducing a package that includes 13 key measures: written leases, fee transparency, eviction protection and more! This marks a major step forward in renter stability and transparency, positioning Pontiac as a leader in housing justice statewide. Want to hear more about Mikal and his tenant rights work? Check out one of the most recent episodes of For the Sake of the Argument with Lori Goldman, where Mikal opens up about what we can do to fight for working class voters.
🛑 Stopping ALPR Surveillance Across The State
Across Michigan, members are noticing a growing number of Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) contracts being proposed in their communities. These surveillance systems are often introduced quietly through police department budgets or vendor partnerships, with little public debate. While marketed as tools to reduce crime, ALPRs come with serious implications for privacy, racial justice, and democratic oversight.
Cities like San Diego, Austin, and Denver are starting to push back. Local governments are rejecting or reevaluating ALPR programs after recognizing that mass surveillance often creates more problems than it solves. These systems can lead to data misuse, target marginalized communities, and expand police powers without meaningful accountability.
Here in Michigan, ALPR systems have been proposed in places like Bay City, Saginaw, and Delhi Township. and are being utilized in Grand Rapids currently. Many of our members are just beginning to explore what this means for their communities. Check out our latest resource on artificial intelligence and ALPR surveillance.
If you’re seeing ALPRs discussed in your locality, or if you want to understand the issue better, reach out to Izzy or utilize our helpdesk. We’re here to support you in learning, organizing, and advocating for responsible, community centered policies.
🏫 School Boards Demand Full Funding for Public Schools
In June, six of our school board members signed onto a powerful letter coordinated by our partners at Michigan Education Justice Coalition (MEJC). The letter demanded that the Michigan legislature finally pass a budget that fully funds our schools in a timely manner. Although there are no legal penalties for missing the July 1 budget deadline, the consequences are already being felt. Many school districts begin their fiscal year on July 1, and without a finalized state budget they are left in limbo, unable to plan, hire, or allocate critical resources.
The final deadline to pass the state budget is October 1, but waiting that long would mean prolonged instability for Michigan schools. We’re calling on our members to reach out to your state legislators now and urge them to pass the education budget as soon as possible. Our students, educators, and communities can’t afford to wait until the last minute.
We’re excited to host our first-ever LP Michigan Meet‑Up on Wednesday, September 10 at 6PM ET via Zoom!
This virtual gathering is a space for members across the state to connect, reconnect, and dream together about what Local Progress Michigan can build in the year ahead. You’ll have the chance to:
- Get to know one another personally and politically
- Share values, visions, and local campaigns you’re working on
- Build relationships and solidarity across our chapter
📌 Register for the zoom here.
This will be a meaningful moment to build community across Michigan, we hope to see you there!
At Local Progress, we know that no leader can do this work alone.
Transformative change at the local level requires more than just elected champions, it demands strong, skilled teams of community-rooted leaders who can organize, govern, and sustain momentum together. From passing bold tenant protections to stopping harmful surveillance tech, every campaign succeeds because there are networks of committed, capable people behind the scenes doing the work.
That’s why leadership development is not just a value, it’s a strategic necessity for building long-term local power. When we invest in leadership, we’re investing in the infrastructure our movements need to win, now and in the future. Below are opportunities for you and your team to connect with our partners across the state.
Upcoming Trainings and Webinars
- Welcoming Schools for All, hosted with MEJC & ACLU of Michigan
Monday, August 25, join school board members from across Michigan to learn about anti-discrimination laws in Michigan, the Office of Civil Rights, and the need to lead with courage in this moment. Register here! - Women LEADing Michigan, from GLPA-LEAD Education Fund
5-week training hosted by our partners at GLPA-LEAD, starting September 2, 2025. This program helps women across the state build the skills, confidence, and connections to lead in public service, whether by running for office, supporting campaigns, or stepping into civic leadership in their communities. We encourage you to apply, or to nominate a woman in your network who’s ready to grow their leadership. Apply here.
💪 MI Shows Up Big at National Convening
Our chapter showed out at the National Convening in July, truly representing our theme of Organize Together, Govern For All. With 13 Michigan members and partners attending, Michigan had one of the largest turnouts ever! From Chinatown to Logan Square, we shared stories, built strategies, and rooted ourselves in what it means to govern with our communities. Thank you to everyone who joined and represented our state so powerfully! Read the full recap in our blog here.
We’re building our Michigan State Chapter! In Michigan, our Organizing Committee (OC) is laying the foundation for a state chapter that truly reflects and represents our state. Our current OC members are Mikal Goodman (Pontiac City Council), Amber Fellows (Ypsilanti City Council), Tom Lenard (Delhi Township Treasurer), and Mason Pressler (Bay City Public Schools Trustee). We’re looking for more leaders to join the OC, especially those from Grand Rapids/West MI, Lansing Area, and Northern MI. who are ready to step up and help shape the future of Local Progress Michigan. If you’re interested, please reach out.
📝 Member Survey
Our Member Survey is now live! At the National Convening, over 150 members shared their thoughts about Local Progress, and we want yours too! The results will help inform our future work and priorities. As a thank you for taking the time to complete the survey we’re offering a $25 virtual Visa gift card or donation to the charity of your choice.
🧰 Tools to Interrupt Criminalization
As local elected leaders continue to stand with and fight for the protection of their immigrant communities, we want to ensure that you have the resources you need. Use LP’s updated guides–Protecting Immigrant Rights Under a Hostile Federal Administration and Let’s Talk Real Safety–to 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.
📣 What the Billionaire Tax Scam Means For Our Communities
The Trump Administration and its Congressional allies just took away life-saving healthcare and food assistance from millions of Americans. All to give themselves – and their billionaire donors – massive tax cuts. In this dire moment, local leaders will be the first line of defense to support our communities against a hostile federal government. Learn more about this billionaire tax scam, its impacts, and check out our messaging toolkit to find out how you can fight back.
🛑How Local Leaders Can Protect Communities from AI and the Tech Oligarchy
This past May, OpenAI and Microsoft lobbyists called for a shutdown on AI regulation. And recently, Congress passed a tax bill with a provision that would restrict states from regulating AI for 10 years (though it faces a steep challenge in the Senate). Our recently released report details how local elected officials and local communities should approach governance as the tech oligarchy’s influence grows in the era of AI. You can also rewatch the webinar we held this past May with AI Now Institute, New York City Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez, and report author, former San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen where we discussed this topic and more.
🏡 Stay Connected to our Caucuses!
Join us for the November All Caucus Meeting – Wednesday, November 12th! We will bring together the general membership of each caucus to build community and share space across identities. This gathering will be an opportunity to learn from one another, deepen cross-caucus relationships, and strengthen our individual caucuses through the sharing of our collective brilliance. 👉 Register Here.
👩💻 Steering Committee
The LP School Board work is shaped by a Steering Committee made up of school board members from across the country. This group meets on zoom for about an hour every month (typically Friday afternoons) and helps set the agenda for our school board work across the network. We have a strong group but need help from more school board members across the network to add capacity to this important body! Are you interested in learning more? Fill out the form here.
