Welcome to the Local Progress Colorado (LPCO) Summer Download—your quarterly roundup of powerful movement moments across our state! From standing up against ICE collusion and resisting federal attacks on healthcare, education, and public lands, to leading local fights against mass surveillance, LPCO members are showing up and showing out.
✊ Standing up to ICE and Standing with Workers
In June, LPCO members joined union allies and immigrant rights groups at SEIU Local 105 to condemn Governor Polis for allowing state agencies to comply with ICE administrative requests, without judicial warrants. The press event followed a powerful resident lobby day, where LPCO members met with community members and state workers advocating for change.
Speakers at the rally also announced a whistleblower lawsuit against the Polis administration, backed by unions including Colorado WINS, and demanded the release of David Huerta, a Coloradan detained by ICE. LPCO members called out the governor’s betrayal of immigrant communities and affirmed their commitment to transparency, accountability, and worker power.
đź“Ł LPCO Speaks Out Against the “One Big Ugly” Bill
As Congress advanced the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1), Local Progress Colorado members sprang into action to oppose its sweeping attacks on working families, public schools, and the environment. In Congressional District 3, five LPCO members signed onto a letter urging their Representative, Jeff Hurd, to oppose deep cuts to Medicaid, ACA tax credits, and public education funding, highlighting the devastating consequences for rural hospitals and chronically underfunded schools across Southern Colorado. Simultaneously, 22 LPCO members from both CD-3 and CD-8 signed another letter opposing the bill’s proposed national private school voucher program, warning that it would drain resources from public education and disproportionately harm LGBTQ+ youth, disabled students, and low-income families.Â
That same week, 22 members also joined a third letter to Colorado’s federal delegation opposing provisions that would sell off public lands and slash funding for wildfire prevention, climate resilience, and water infrastructure, cuts that would especially endanger rural, Indigenous, and working-class communities. A coordinated blog, earned media, and social media rollout are currently circulating to highlight this advocacy and ensure federal officials hear directly from local leaders fighting to protect Colorado’s future.
You can amplify your support as an LPCO Member working to protect public lands by sharing any or all of the following!
📢 LPCO’s blog
📢 Public News Service: Colorado Officials Urge Congressional Delegates to Protect Public Lands
⚡ Our Largest National Convening to Date
We are so excited to have wrapped up our largest National Convening yet in Chicago this July, where LPCO members joined hundreds of fellow leaders, partners, and allies from across the country to strategize, connect, and build power.
Local Progress Colorado had a dynamic and diverse delegation, with County Commissioners, School Board Directors, and City Council Members representing communities from across the state, from rural West Slope to the Front Range. Throughout the convening, members participated in powerful sessions, built new relationships across issue areas and geographies, and shared insights from their ongoing work in Colorado, from rejecting invasive surveillance technologies and protecting public education to advancing labor rights and economic justice.
This year’s theme, Organize Together, Govern for All, was a powerful reminder that local leaders are on the frontlines of transformative change and that together, we can build communities rooted in equity, care, and collective power. Read the full recap in our blog here!
đź‘€ LPCO Members Standing in Opposition to Mass Surveillance Technology
In June, Denver LPCO Members made headlines when City Council unanimously voted to reject a contract extension with Flock Safety, a private surveillance company that installs automated license plate readers (ALPRs) across neighborhoods. The decision followed months of organizing led by LPCO members Shontel M. Lewis, Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, and Sarah Parady, who raised concerns about mass surveillance, lack of oversight, and the dangerous implications for immigrants, abortion seekers, and trans residents.
đź“Ł Want to bring this fight to your city?
If your jurisdiction is considering Flock or other surveillance technologies, reach out to our team at helpdesk@localprogress.org to get plugged into our network fighting against this harmful technology and for help with messaging, research, and organizing strategy. We’ve got tools, templates, and stories that can help you say no to mass surveillance and yes to true community safety.
đź“ť 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. Â
🧰 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.
đź“Ł 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.
Denver Councilmember Shontel M. Lewis is a visionary public servant, transit advocate, and deeply experienced community organizer. Born and raised in Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood, Shontel is a proud fifth-generation Denverite, a graduate of Manual High School and the University of Colorado Denver, and the mother of two boys.
As a former RTD Director and Vice President at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Shontel has brought lived experience and policy expertise to every room she enters. On the RTD Board, she championed frontline workers during COVID-19 and led the agency’s strategic planning efforts as the inaugural Chair of the Performance Committee. In every role, from Denver Public Schools to City Council, Council Member Lewis demonstrates a commitment to racial justice, intergenerational healing, and community care. We are so proud to have Council Member Lewis leadership on our LPCO Organizing Committee to demonstrate the power of leadership rooted in love, community care, and policy that is created with the people and for the people.
🏡 Stay Connected to our Caucuses!Â
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.
Â
​​👩‍💻 Steering CommitteeÂ
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.
