Sun’s out and so is our LPCA summer download! This download will cover some of the exciting work our members are leading on data center prohibition, expanding voting to residents, and provide some updates from the 2026 National Convening we just held in Baltimore.
There is still so much more possible, and we’d love to support you through it. Schedule some time to meet with us to get a conversation started.
🔆 Fearless Leadership, Joyful Liberation
Welcome home to all of our National Convening attendees. This year, nearly 60 members and movement partners represented our state at the convening, sharing space for one another and our stories–both our wins and our learned lessons. Several of our members had the opportunity to speak on several panels, including Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member Rocio Rivas, Santa Ana City Council Member Jessie Lopez, Lynwood City Council Member Juan Muñoz Guevara, and former Culver City School Board Member Kelly Kent. We welcome so many first-time attendees into the National Convening family to engage in sessions on everything from Robert’s Rules of Order to stopping data centers, No Secret Police, and stopping authoritarianism and protecting civil rights. Read the full recap at our blog.
❌ Stopping Data Center Harms
Big Tech’s growing data center footprint is attempting to consolidate its control over our economy and public infrastructure, and our members in California are seeing it firsthand in their own jurisdictions. That’s why Baldwin Park City Council Member Emmanuel Estrada led the first steps to place a moratorium on data centers in the city, citing environmental burdens that would be carried by the neighboring families, schools, and communities. Before then, Montebello City Council Member Scarlet Peralta headed a similar push in her city as an urgency ordinance to prohibit data centers, and in a nearby city, it was the community at large and local activist leaders that ushered in a big win for responsible development, the local environment, and safe-keeping of public infrastructure by way of a successful ballot initiative to permanently ban data centers. Most recently, the Coachella City Council passed a moratorium as well.
If you’re interested in learning more about this work, reach out or read up on our updated Policy Memo, No Buildout For Billionaires.
🗳️ Expanding Voting Rights in Los Angeles
As states across the country continue to enact laws that restrict access to the ballot and strip away voting rights for communities of color, Los Angeles City Council Member and LPCA member, Hugo Soto-Martínez has advanced a proposal to expand voting rights to eligible noncitizen residents in municipal elections. Although the proposed measure will not appear on this year’s November 3 ballot, it will remain active and be referred for further study as supporters intend to continue building toward a future ballot measure.
🏫 Child Care as Infrastructure
San Jose City Council Member Pamela Campos began her career in education, specifically as a preschool teacher, giving her a unique perspective on the importance of supporting young children and growing families. She shares her knowledge, experience, and perspective on the council and most recently shared it in an opinion editorial in The Mercury News. Pamela writes, “Child care is infrastructure, like roads and bridges. It enables businesses to open, empowers parents to further their education, and allows adults to show up to work. Early investments in children provide continued long-term benefits; research suggests high-quality child care increases the likelihood of graduating from high school, and maintaining stable, full-time employment in adulthood.”
🫶 United in the Inland Empire
Together with our friends at Inland Empire United, our team in California will be hosting a social hour in Riverside on August 19 at 6pm. Join us for drinks, small bites, and to hear about the work being led by our members in the Inland Empire region. RSVP to join us here.
🗳️ Election Protection Webinar Series
Throughout the summer, Local Progress Impact Lab will be launching a series of webinars to prepare the network to protect the 2026 midterms and ensure free and democratic elections in the face of authoritarian threats. Each call will feature guidance from expert partners on key election protection strategies and space for individualized technical assistance. Our first webinar is on Wednesday, August 12, 9am PT.
📄 You Deserve to Feel Safe While Serving, Develop Your Personal Safety Plan Today!
Over the past two years, Local Progress Impact Lab (the Impact Lab) has been collaborating with Women’s Democracy Lab (WDL) to develop a set of resources for our Local Progress members. As local leaders, your communities are calling on you to take bold action and fearless leadership in this time of increasing authoritarianism. However, wielding your power can also put a target on your back. You and your loved ones deserve to feel safe while serving in elected office!
WDL has developed this personal safety plan, serving as a starting point for assessing your safety preparedness, identifying any potential gaps, and outlining your personal action plans. Download it, work your plan, consult your loved ones. We keep each other safe!
🩷💜 Want to get involved with our chapter or have an idea? Let’s talk!
Local Progress members have access to a slew of policy and strategic resources, but sometimes it can be hard to know where to start, so let’s connect about it. Liz is based in Los Angeles, and Brian is in Sacramento. We would love to meet with you online or wherever you are.
🌊 Help us in the Central Coast
Our Local Progress California Steering Committee is missing critical representation from the Central Coast region. If you’d like to support the growth of our California work and represent the Central Coast, please let us know.
▶️ Pay It Forward! Recruit a New Member Today!
With more than 550 members and partners from 41 states, including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, the 2026 national convening in Baltimore is now in the record books as our largest gathering to date! During the convening, we learned new strategies, shared new resources, and strengthened our bonds and community. As many of you have shared, this network is your political home, where you find the strength and courage to be bold and brave, particularly in this moment! Now, we are asking you to pay it forward! Recruit a member today by sharing the join us form. For movement and labor partners, we’ve also developed this guide to support connecting the pipeline from campaign to governance!
🏡 Your One Stop for Caucuses
Trying to remember when the next Pride 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 caucus is right here!
❓ Need Support? Contact the Help Desk
Have a policy, strategy, or communications question? The Local Progress Impact Lab Help Desk is here to help. Through the Help Desk, members can access policy research, strategic guidance, communications support, connections to fellow Local Progress members, and expertise from trusted partner organizations. Simply email your question and timeline, and an Impact Lab team member will follow up with resources, recommendations, and next steps tailored to your needs.
✨ Meet Sacramento School Board Trustee Chinua Rhodes!
School Board Trustee Chinua Rhodes was first elected to the Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education in 2020 and re-elected in 2024, representing Trustee Area 5. A lifelong South Sacramento resident, Sacramento public schools graduate, and father of five, Chinua first learned about Local Progress through his friend and colleague, Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang.
Over the next six months, Chinua is focused on advancing investments that improve student outcomes, strengthen neighborhood schools, and help historically underserved communities receive the resources they deserve. He ran for office to give back to the school district that helped shape him and ensure every child, regardless of ZIP code, has the opportunity to succeed. His favorite Local Progress moment was joining his first California Organizing Committee meeting and connecting with leaders advancing bold, community-centered solutions.
Fun fact: Sacramento is known as the “City of Trees,” with one of the largest urban tree canopies in the world. 🌳