Snow has arrived at long last, and so has your Colorado Coordinator! My name is Zarah Levy, and I joined the Local Progress team at the end of January. Prior to coming on board I staffed an LPCO member for the last three years, working as a Senior Aide toĀ Serena Gonzales-GutierrezĀ first in the State House and later at Denver City Council. I spent the decade before that working in policy and advocating for racial, gender, and economic justice, children and families, and immigrant rights; and doing direct service work with survivors of human trafficking. I am so excited to build on the strong foundation laid and keep the incredible work moving at LPCO! Letās connect soon,Ā schedule a meeting today. I can’t wait to hear about the things that you are doing in your community and find ways to collaborate.Ā
Building and wielding local collective power in these times matters more than ever, and we have seen our members doing just that as they stand up to ICE in our state, keep standing up for workers in our communities and at the Capitol, and organize our first ever Western Slope convening!
š Weāre Officially a Chapter!
Local Progress Colorado has reached an incredible milestone that highlights both the commitment of the national network to invest in Colorado and the deep, collaborative efforts of our member leadership. We were officially certified as a Local Progress Chapter in December. Congratulations to our amazingĀ Organizing Committee, who are a testament to what can happen when local electeds are deeply committed to collaborative governance. By fostering relationships among local elected officials, collaborating with local and state grassroots, movement and labor partners, and building power across Colorado, LPCO is creating a movement that centers equity, sustainability, and shared prosperity for all Coloradans. Ā
Ā
āļø City of Westminster Members Demand Reform of DHS Before Congressional Funding VoteĀ Ā
Three of our new Local Progress Colorado members came together toĀ draft and pass a letter to CongressĀ from the full City of Westminster. City CouncilorsĀ Amber Hott, Obi Ezedi,Ā andĀ Jack JohnsonĀ advocated ahead of Coloradoās Congressional Delegation voting on funding, calling out the horror that ICE has caused in our communities, standing with Minnesota, calling for a fair and impartial investigation of the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and demanding that DHS not receive more funding without reform and meaningful and significant guardrails.Ā
š£ļøĀ LP Members Speak Out Against ICEĀ
Local Progress MemberĀ Alison CoombsĀ passed a resolutionĀ through the Aurora City Council that condemned ICEās actions and strengthened state and federal protections by limiting cooperation with ICE and their affiliates. The resolution also called out years of abuses at the Aurora-based GEO detention center including the recent mismanagement of illness, whichĀ CoombsĀ hasĀ continued to speak out against.
Meanwhile in Adams County, LPCO Organizing Committee memberĀ Emma PinterĀ issued a statementĀ alongside her fellow Adams County Commissioners calling out ICEās appalling violence and remembering the nine people who have been killed in interactions with ICE in January alone. The statement reaffirmed their commitment to the community: āIn Adams County, we want to move forward toward a future aligned with the values we have always strived to uphold: fairness, dignity, respect, and opportunity for all people, no matter who they are, where they come from, or what they look like. Every person is and always has been welcome in Adams Countyā. We are not alone, and we are stronger together!Ā
Ā
š¬Ā Denver Votes Down Expansion Contract of Airline Running Deportation FlightsĀ
Denver City Council nearly unanimously voted down an expansion with Key Lime Air in response to their operation of deportation flights out of Denver. LP MemberĀ Serena Gonzales-GutierrezĀ toldĀ Politico, āOur city chose to stand with immigrants and against the expansion of deportation flights because we know that our immigrant neighbors deserve a city that welcomes everybody.ā The airline was connected to 83 deportation flights in October 2025 alone. While they remain at the airport for now, the vote stopped expanded operations and sent notice to those collaborating with ICE that they will not be supported as future contracts come up.Ā
āš¼ LPCO Members Show Up in Coloradoās Legislative Fight Against ICE
LPCO members joined community advocates, LP partners, and Colorado legislators as a package of state bills to strengthen protections for our immigrant community and hold ICE agents accountable for their violations of constitutional rights was announced.
It was a day of celebration and collective power building towards statewide protections. One member in attendance said that āIn a time where there is so much rage, fear, and pain in our community, it was moving to hear that legislators, community organizations, and everyday people in Colorado are fighting back.āĀ Learn more about the bill package here.Ā We will continue to track the progress of these bills as they move through the legislature.
š¤ Colorado State ConveningĀ
Weāre excited to bring members and partners together once again to learn about the incredible work happening across the state and work on shaping the priorities for the work we will lead together. Whether it be tackling regional housing issues, protecting residents from ICE, or preserving our natural resources, our State Strategy Meeting aims to offer a touchpoint for members to connect and move together so that our collective efforts are greater than the sum of their parts. We will join together in the fall, so watch for a date in our next download!Ā
Ā
šļø Western Slope Virtual Meet-Up
We are looking forward to hosting a Western Slope Virtual Meet-Up! This gathering will bring together Local Progress members and progressive leaders from Summit County, Garfield County, and across rural Colorado.
The purpose of this event is to create a shared space where progressive leaders can connect, strategize, and support each other in tackling the unique challenges facing rural communities. Weāll discuss opportunities for collaboration around education, labor, housing, immigration, and the environment, while also exploring how to strengthen leadership pipelines, especially for local offices like school boards. If you have input or want to talk more about building out Local Progress connections on the Western Slope,Ā schedule a meeting with me here.
šĀ Introduce a Resolution to Demand: ICE OUT!
Congress failed to meet their February 13 deadline to reach an agreement on how and whether to fund DHS, including ICE and Border Patrol, triggering a partial shutdown of the department. Negotiations are ongoing as some members of Congress try to leverage funding for more restrictions on immigration enforcement. As local elected officials, we must use our power and our voices to turn the pressure up and together say: ICE OUT.Ā
Local Progress members have been calling on Congress to use the power of the purse to stop ICE. Last month, Local Progress memberĀ Teresa MosquedaĀ (King County, WA) introduced and passed a first-of-its-kind resolution calling for funding restrictions and regulations for DHS. We are following her lead and organizing members like you across the country to pass resolutions of your own. Weāve createdĀ sample resolutionsĀ for cities, counties, and school boards to give you a head start. Will you join our organized force to protect our communities and stop ICE and DHS from wreaking more havoc?
This funding impasse gives us a chance to restrain their barbaric tactics. The resolution calls on Congress to:
- End enforcement surges in places like Minneapolis;
- Prohibit masks and end racial targeting and targeting of daycares and schools;
- Place strong guardrails on ICE including requiring judicial warrants and allowing localities to investigate misconduct;
- End detention center abuses and restore people’s access to bond hearings; and
- Make deep cuts to the $170 billion dollars given to DHS in last yearās funding legislation.
Ā
ā”ļøĀ From Campaigns to Governance: A Partnerās Guide to Building Our Base Together
Do you know someone who won last November? With nearly 1,800 members, Local Progress continues to be the best place for values-aligned local elected officials to be in community with one another. As one member shared in our survey last year,Ā āThe support and friendship I have built over the years are what keep me going!āĀ With your help, we can identify new members to join the network and have the community you have come to cherish.Ā Check out our partnerās guide.Ā
Ā
šļø Listen to the Preemption Download
Across our membership, nearly every local official has faced some form of preemption or encroachment on local control. From state capitals to D.C., state and federal representatives continue to pass new laws that strip local governments of their powers. But across our network of nearly 1,800 local officials, there are many incredible stories of resistance and new strategies for fighting back.Ā
Local Progress is proud to launch our new audio series, āThe Preemption Downloadā! Over the course of ten episodes, weāll introduce you to ten local elected officials who have faced preemption and came away with a stronger understanding of how to fight it. For our first episode, we spoke with Tallahassee City Commissioner Jack Porter about the everyday preemption battles she faces as a local elected official in Florida. You canĀ listen here on our Instagram.
šļø Housing Convening
Local Progress Impact Lab is convening members of our network and partner organizations in Seattle, WA on March 27-28 to develop strategy and share effective policies that center housing affordability and neighborhood stability. Attendees will learn about local policies and programs keeping housing costs down, identify opportunities to combat displacement in changing neighborhoods, and collectively strategize with fellow LP members and partner organizations that are committed to advancing long-term housing affordability. Even amidst harsh conditions, there is power at the local level to directly improve the communities we all live in.Ā RSVP here!Ā
Ā
šØ Resource Alert: No Secret PoliceĀ
The No Secret Police campaign is a coordinated effort with partners including the ACLU and the National Immigration Law Center to fight back against the surveillance, detainment, and deportation of our neighbors. The cornerstone of this campaign is our newly releasedĀ No Secret Police Policy Toolkit, a call to action for local governments to use their regulatory, procurement, and legislative powers to counter the rise of authoritarian tactics used by the Trump administration and protect community members.Ā
Ā
š” Your One Stop for Caucuses
Trying to remember when the next Nuestro Caucus General meeting is? Want to join the Black Caucus signal group chat? Or find your caucus playlist? Look no further! Your one stop shop for all things caucusĀ is right here!Ā
Ā
šØĀ Help Us Find the Next Collaborative Governance Academy Director!
With our recent re-launch of theĀ Collaborative Governance (CGA), formerly known as Progressive Governance Academy or PGA, we are looking for a deeply collaborative and strategic leader to evolve and elevate this joint initiative, both as a model for progressive leadership development and as a model for collective impact. The CGA Director will bring their vision and expertise to shaping and formalizing the CGA as an enduring program by setting a renewed strategy with a focus on scaling for impact.Ā Click here to share the posting!
ā”ļø National Convening Registration is now OPEN for Members & Alumni Leaders!
Are you ready for this yearās convening? We canāt wait to see youĀ in Baltimore, MD on July 9-11!Ā Over the past year, the community care amongst the incredible Local Progress network in this moment makes crystal clear what weāve always known ā that even in the midst of relentless attacks on immigrants, Black and Brown folks, LGBTQ+ people, workers, youth, and our communities āĀ localities are not only at the forefront but serve as the bedrock of transformative change. It is this movement of local elected officials leading fearlessly to build a world where all of us can be grounded in our joy and freedom that inspires our 2026 theme:Ā Fearless LeadershipĀ *Ā Joyful Liberation. Check your email for your personalized invite link and register today!
āØ Alison Coombs, Aurora City Councilmember
Serving as an At-Large Aurora City Councilmember, Alison has championed local policy aligned with our chapterās priorities: measures to increase minimum wages, protect affordable housing, and strengthen immigrant protections, while opposing legislation that would displace unhoused people or erode transparency in local governance.Ā Right now, sheās focused on addressing the impact of ICE on our community, protecting the community from federal overreach and attacks. Alongside those efforts, she is also working on meaningful mixed income and low income housing options, and addressing Aurora Police Department accountability issues.Ā
Alison shared some favorite moments since joining LP: āMy first convening was when the convening was in Denver, and my first baby was one at the time. My second was in Chicago, when my other baby was one. Introducing my babies to the other people in the network and justĀ how welcoming and kind everyone was in relating to me as a mother, and how everyone included my babies in our LP community. Childcare is provided;Ā your children are part of the process, not a burden.āĀ
While nationally, many eyes have been focused on Aurora in recent years, Alison gives the local perspective: “I think that oftentimes, people whose concerns get mobilized by conservative politicians here in Aurora are people who fundamentally care about their community and care about their neighborhood. So when it comes down to it, I think the vast majority of the people here really want to see solutions that are compassionate and about taking care of people.Ā That is fundamentally who we are ā a city of people who want a community that is rooted in care of each other.”