April 30, 2024

📬 LP Network Download | Taking action against criminalization, EATS Act, big labor win, job postings & more! | April 2024

Here’s a look at some of what’s happening across the Local Progress network.

Local Electeds Stand United with Thousands Against Criminalization of Homelessness in Historic Supreme Court Case

We will never solve homelessness with jails and fines. That is why more than 1,000 organizations and public leadership have filed 40+ amicus briefs (amici) in support of Gloria Johnson and homeless rights in the landmark Supreme Court case Grants Pass v. Johnson. Local Progress Impact Lab were proud to be one of them, with 156 current and former local elected officials signed on to the brief to tell SCOTUS that what local governments need is more support to provide housing and resources that meet people’s needs. LP Member and St. Louis Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier represented the network at a rally outside of the Supreme Court building during the case’s opening remarks last week. Read about how the case will impact local governments →

State and Local Leaders Sound Alarm on Federal EATS Act

State and local governments have passed thousands of laws to protect farm workers, ensure food safety and animal welfare, and uphold environmental standards. Unfortunately right now Congress is considering legislation – known as the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act – that would undo all of that. It would undermine local control by stripping local and state governments of their ability to regulate the agricultural industry. Hundreds of state and local electeds are urging Congress to reject the EATS Act, emphasizing that it “will upend that progress and stymie the ability of local governments, and of local residents by extension, to make policy that protects farmers, public health, consumers, animals and natural resources like land and water.” Read more →

The Wave of Worker Power Continues

This month saw another historic win in the labor movement, as workers at the Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga won their union. The vote – which approved employees joining the United Auto Workers union – is earth-shattering and a huge breakthrough in organizing in the South, sending a clear message to corporates and anti-labor special interests that when workers fight, they win. The momentum continues to build as workers at Mercedes, Hyundai, and Toyota prepare for their union drives in the coming weeks. Local electeds across the LP network continue to protect workers’ rights and take action on behalf of working people. Read more →

📅 LP’s 2024 National Convening!

#LP2024 is on and you won’t want to miss it! This year, we’re headed to Oakland, CA on July 25 – 27. Registration is now open exclusively to LP Members & Alumni Leaders. You also get an early bird discount if you register before March 26. Invitations to register were sent to your email (reach out if you didn’t receive one). Scholarships are also available! Add it to your calendar: iCal | Google | Outlook

🖤 Governing While Black Doesn’t Mean Governing Alone

Earlier this month in Nashville, more than 20 Black leaders came together for the first-ever LP Black Caucus Convening. The group – which represented localities big and small, at all levels of local government – discussed what it means to govern while Black and how we can harness that collective power for transformative change. Two days together in Nashville affirmed what we already know to be true: spaces to do shared work around our identities and lived experiences is needed, and we must continue investing in them. Read the full recap here →

How We Build Power By Sharing It

We all know that governing with our communities makes us stronger. That’s why over 50 local leaders and partners committed to shared governing power convened in Nashville, Tennessee last week to strategize and build community at the second-annual Leadership Collaborative! The Leadership Collaborative is a convening specifically designed for our member leaders – the heart and soul of our network spanning state organizing committees, issue steering committees, and caucus leadership committees. It’s a cross-organizational, multi-state, multi-issue, multi-racial space consisting of four convenings focused on key pillars of our strategic framework. Read the full recap here →

📣 New Messaging Guide: Supporting New Arrivals

The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program is dedicated to support the redesign of local infrastructure to create traffic safety as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. These funds can be used to improve street and road safety and reduce the reliance on police enforcement. The program also provides support for planning ($100K – $10M grants) and implementation ($2.5M – $25M grants) to address significant roadway safety concerns and prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the 2024 funding applications are now open! Deadlines vary based on the grant type, with the first deadline being April 4. You can find more information and apply for SS4A funding here →

🔍 LSSC Mid-Session Preemption Memo

We’re more than halfway through legislative session in many states, and a clear picture is beginning to emerge of how state lawmakers are abusing preemption this year. While many of the states where we’re seeing the most intense abusive preemption are familiar – from Florida to Tennessee – the issues continue to shift. Local Solutions Support Center’s new mid-session memo highlights trends across issue spaces like criminal justice reform, housing, and education.

Federal Funds to Advance Climate Justice

Local governments have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to leverage historic federal funding to advance climate, racial, and economic justice. Learn more about how localities can take advantage of this historic opportunity through the Inflation Reduction Action (IRA) here →

Get Connected with Transgender Law Center

Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national trans-led organization advocating for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation. Interested in finding out what you can do to help transgender and gender non-conforming residents thrive? Reach out to TLC’s Heron Greenesmith (they) →

🧰 Policy & Strategy Primer Series is BACK!

The Impact Lab’s Policy & Strategy Primers is a series of foundational learning sessions on policy tools and strategy designed to help local electeds and staff figure out where and how to get started on key issues. Whether you’re recently elected or looking to build your knowledge in a specific area, each session will dig in on both policies and strategic approaches to help you use all your local levers to drive change. The series offers different sessions throughout the year focusing on issues related to housing, community safety, economic justice, and communications strategies. Sign up here →

The vast majority of local elected officials are part-time, unpaid, or minimally compensated. And it can be difficult to find work that can sustain leaders alongside their elected roles. That’s why every month, we’ll be sharing jobs available across the movement: