Summer is approaching fast, and we are building up to an incredible time together at the National Convening in Baltimore. I have officially been on the job for three months and gotten to meet with many of you, hear about your wins and your hopes, and talk about how we can build and wield power for safe and sustainable communities in Colorado. Our Western Slope membership continues to grow, and our Organizing Committee held co-chair elections last week! Please join me in congratulating Denver City Councilwoman Shontel Lewis and Roaring Fork Valley School Board member Jasmin Ramirez on guiding our incredible work in Colorado. So far this year, members have been fighting data centers, ensuring that their cities donât collaborate with ICE, and protecting restaurant workers, after stopping attempts to lower wages at the state level last session. With 12 new members since January, Local Progress Colorado continues to build power across our beautiful state.â
đ Organizing Committee Co-Chairs Elected!
Please join me in congratulating Denver City Councilwoman Shontel Lewis and Roaring Fork Valley School Board Member Jasmin Ramirez on guiding our incredible work in Colorado. As founding members of our Organizing Committee, they are pivotal to the direction of the state chapterâs work, and we are grateful to have them at the helm.Â
đď¸Â No Data Centers in Denver!
LPCO member Paul Kashmann was already working on a moratorium on data centers in Denver when a town hall so packed with community members that the overflow spilled out onto the street demanded action. Neighborhood residents were furious to learn that CoreSite was building a data center in one of the most polluted zip codes in America, with no obstacles, thanks to outdated zoning laws and a lack of protections in the city code. Councilman Kashmann has advocated for workers and the environment and led the charge against unregulated data center development in Denver until impacts can be truly understood and those most affected have their voices heard. His pressure campaign led to the Mayor of Denver cosigning on the moratorium, which is scheduled for a final vote on May 18. The moratorium will pause any development or construction of data centers for one year. During that one year, a working group made up of residents, community organizations, utility companies, subject matter experts, city departments, city council members, unions, and advocacy groups will meet regularly to discuss the impacts of data centers and craft policy recommendations. With a historic drought in the state, we know that now is the time to protect our water and stand our ground. Learn more about data centers in this resource customized to meet the needs of local electeds.
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đ§ Aurora ICEs Out MOU
LPCO members in Aurora have been harsh critics of the conditions in the GEO detention center and vocal advocates for those imprisoned there. In an effort to assert their oversight authority, the Aurora City Council pushed back this month, rejecting an agreement between the cityâs police department and ICE. Councilmember Gianina Horton voted no because âAPD has had more robust conversations with the GEO detention center than anyone else, including the elected officials that have oversight jurisdiction of the facility.â Mayor Pro Tem Alison Coombs refused to vote the item forward as she didnât approve of the way the MOU categorized people as âcriminal, regardless of whether they had committed a low-level misdemeanor or a violent felony.â Ordinances and proclamations addressing ICE activity in Aurora are expected this summer to deepen protections for those detained and protect Constitutional rights wherever possible. Our members across the state continue to stand up to prevent ICE abuses in their cities, and LPCO was proud to support Senate Bill 5 and House Bill 1276 this session to push back on federal abuses at the state legislature, both of which are headed to the Governorâs desk.Â
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đ˝ď¸ Tipped Wages BoulderÂ
Last year, LPCO members pushed back on attempts to reduce workersâ wages at the state Capitol, and now that fight continues at the local level. Boulder Councilwoman Nicole Speer has been pushing hard to ensure Boulderâs tipped workers (who are overwhelmingly women, immigrants, young people, and BIPOC) donât lose ground as the city considers changes to the tip credit by consistently asking for clear data, a transparent process, and a timeline that doesnât leave lowâwage workers vulnerable to long-term wage cuts. Nicole has succeeded in pushing back the hearing date to later in the summer, so more workers can use their voices to fight back, a powerful example for other jurisdictions anticipating similar pushes.
âď¸ Reforming Municipal Sentencing in Westminster and Denver
LPCO members Jack Johnson, Sarah Parady, Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, and Shontel Lewis are working to implement equal protection in their cities after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that municipalities cannot impose harsher punishments for crimes than state sentencing laws.Â
In the wake of the decision, Westminster City Council is taking the opportunity to review its entire criminal code. This review will make revisions aligned with the decision and reimagine municipal criminal offenses through an equity lens and alternatives to incarceration. Council has also directed the city attorney to work with the office of the alternate defense council to review the code and bring a proposal forward in the fall of 2026.Â
To further strengthen protections, Denver is moving a municipal sentencing bill through the legislative process after nearly three years of stakeholder engagement, research, and drafting to ensure that the cityâs code no longer criminalizes poverty. The bill is expected to move to full council this summer, ensuring that people are treated equally whether their case is in municipal or state court, while creating a city code that is more just, balanced, and proportionate. At least 75% of those charged in Denver Municipal Court live at or below the poverty line, and the harsh penalties also fall hardest on low-income and immigrant Denverites. Keep reading below to find out how LPCO members can learn together about implementing these reforms.
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đď¸Â Affordable Homes, Stable Communities: Our 2026 Housing Convening in Seattle
At the end of March, we held our first Housing Convening in four years: Affordable Homes, Stable Communities! More than 70 elected officials and staff gathered in Seattle for two days to talk about how to fund and preserve affordable housing, organize alongside tenant unions, and explore publicly-owned options! We also had the chance to explore the city, talking with El Centro de la Raza and Seattle Chinatown Int’l. Dist. Preservation and Development Authority about their efforts to preserve affordable housing for their communities. The strength of Local Progress is when our members can come together to learn from one another and build relationships with each other.Â
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đŁ Comms Cohort 2026
Thatâs a wrap on another comms cohort! In April, we brought 15 LP members to Washington D.C. as the grand finale to our second-ever communications cohort. Since January of this year, this amazing group of members has come together almost every week on Zoom to learn from LPâs comms team how to become better communicators. From learning how to develop better press relationships to best practices for short-form video content, we did a deep dive for our membership on everything they need to know to be successful communicators in 2026. In D.C., we took all the lessons learned virtually and saw real-life professional communicators put them into practice. From visiting with local NPR journalists to meeting communications staffers on the Hill, the threads of our lessons were interwoven into every sit visit and important moment during our time in the nationâs capital.Â
đ Legislative Wrap-up DiscussionÂ
Join LPCO on Friday, June 5, 10:30 am for a virtual discussion after Sine Die to talk about what passed and what was vetoed, what Local Progress weighed in on, and how to move forward together in 2027.Â
đ Grow Our Impact
We are activating a bold, action-oriented chapter in Colorado, and we need your energy, ideas, and leadership! Here’s how you can get involved:
- Recruit a new member today! Do you know a values-aligned local elected official? Whether they are newly elected or seasoned professionals, we want to hear from them!
- Email me with any questions or ideas you have to make stronger, or schedule a meeting!
Together, we’ll learn from one another, celebrate victories, and support each other through the tough moments. We’ll strengthen connections, share ideas, and create a space where everyone’s voice matters. I’m excited for the journey ahead and grateful to be working alongside such passionate, committed people.
đNEW RESOURCE:Â Tax the Rich, Fund Our Communities
With billionaires and corporations getting richer thanks to the Trump administrationâs billionaire tax break and working communities struggling because of its cuts to essential public programs, illegal wars, and chaotic tariffs, itâs more urgent than ever for local leaders to respond by taxing the rich to fund our communities’ needs.
On Monday, May 18, the Local Progress Impact Lab and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy released a new policy toolkit, Tax the Rich, Fund Our Communities: Local Options For Progressive Revenue. This toolkit surveys progressive local tax options, includes case studies of local successes, and provides advice on policy design and managing common challenges. The taxes outlined in this toolkit would raise funds to support essential public services, including education, affordable housing, parks, transportation and other services for our communities to thrive.Â
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đťNEW RESOURCE: No Buildout for Billionaires: Understanding the Data Center Expansion
Across the country, the worldâs largest corporations are pushing to build massive data centers in our communities. The developers behind these projects promise localities benefits like tax revenue and jobs, but the reality is far more dire. Corporations are padding their own pockets with tax breaks while harming the very neighborhoods they claim to be investing in.
As Local Progress members are facing these proposals, we want to be sure leaders are armed with the knowledge to understand what these projects are and how to cut through corporate misinformation. Check out the first in a series of one-pagers demystifying the billionaire buildout for local elected officials.
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đŁ NEWLY UPDATED: Immigrant Justice Messaging & Narrative GuideÂ
Since taking office, Trump and his billionaire allies have waged war on all of us â militarizing our cities, abducting our neighbors, and stripping us of our freedoms â but no one has been more targeted and scapegoated than our immigrant family members and neighbors. To win the narrative, we all need to document the Trump Administrationâs horrific actions, counter their lies and misinformation, AND collectively demand our vision for a better future. Check out our newly updated Immigrant Justice Messaging & Narrative Guide for situational messaging guidance, best practices, tough Q&A, and more!Â
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đ How to Start a Municipal Grocery Store: First Steps Local Leaders Can Take
As grocery prices rise, municipal grocery stores may be one solution to stabilizing the cost of putting food on the table. Our new policy bulletin breaks down the grocery affordability crisis and how localities can explore municipal grocery programs with existing and emerging models, as well as practical steps to begin introducing them in your own neighborhoods. Check out (pun intended) our new resource today!
đĄ 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!Â
⨠Shontel Lewis, Denver City Councilmember
Serving District 8 in Denver, Councilmember Shontel Lewis has been a legislative champion for tenant rights, sentencing reform, and reigning in ICE in her community. She is our recently elected co-chair of the LPCO Organizing Committee and has been a fearless leader in Local Progress since joining in 2023. Councilmember Lewis is currently focused on stopping the harm caused by predatory home investing, modeling legislation from cities like Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Boston to push back against gentrification, keep people in their homes, and safeguard generational wealth. She is also working to bring a civic assembly to Denver in the next 6 months, which would be the largest to ever happen in a major city.Â
She says of her first Local Progress convening: âIt was so beautiful. It was everything I needed in that moment, for my own healing and for finally finding my people. It felt like rest.â
On why she ran for office: âI ran and continue to run because I donât need politics, but politics needs me. There are different ways that governments can run that truly reflect care as an output. I truly believe that is possible. I want to bring love and joy and accountability to the center of how we govern, and policies that come from the community directly.â