- Immigrant Justice
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Enhanced Library Card Program Gaining Momentum in Texas
Five Texas localities – San Antonio, San Marcos, Harris County, Dallas, and Austin – have moved to implement Enhanced Library Card (ELC) programs.
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Localities can be laboratories of experimentation to advance workers’ rights
The Local Progress Impact Lab and the Harvard Labor and Worklife Program recently convened Local Progress members and unions to discuss how to build worker power at the local level during their webinar “Laboratories of Experimentation: Local Governments at the Forefront of Advancing Workers’ Rights.”
- Public Safety
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New Tool Helps Local Electeds Create Community Responder Programs
The new resource - titled Reform/Transform: Creating a Community Responder Program - will support local elected officials in their efforts to create and expand non-police community responder programs.
- Immigrant Justice
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LPTX Chapter Manager Witnesses Dehumanizing ‘Operation Lone Star’ at Texas-Mexico Border
Last week, Local Progress Texas Chapter Manager, Kara Sheehan, spent two days at the Texas-Mexico border to witness Operation Lone Star (OLS) firsthand. Here are her reflections.
- Abortion & Reproductive Rights, Economic Justice, Immigrant Justice
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LPTX Fall State Download 🍂 | Budget roundup, witnessing Operation Lone Star, & more!
Here's some of the latest news and exciting updates from our Texas chapter.
- Economic Justice
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Huge Policy Wins for Texas Workers This Year
2022 has been a big year for Texas workers. From guaranteeing paid family leave and raising minimum wages for public employees to setting construction standards and supporting workplace organizing, localities across Texas have taken important steps to advance pro-worker policies.
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October Federal Advocacy Roundup
August has been a busy time for the federal government! The big news, of course, is the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which passed last week on August 16.
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We’re hiring a Membership Organizer
The Membership Organizer will be responsible for organizing in non-staffed states, particularly in rural and small localities, supporting caucus formation and preemption programming, and co-leading the planning and execution of the LP annual National Convening.
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The Network Download: Migrant crisis response, HB1 update and more | Oct 2022
Here’s a look at some of what’s happening across the Local Progress network.
- Housing, Public Safety
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LP Members Discuss Innovative Policy Making at Route Fifty Future Cities Summit
As part of this year’s Route Fifty Future Cities Summit, two Local Progress members participated in panel discussions exploring what the future of cities could look like with innovative, equitable policy making.
- Economic Justice
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Workers’ Rights Local Government Round Up | Sept 2022
We have partnered with the Harvard Labor & Worklife Program to pilot this approximately monthly newsletter to share and celebrate innovative local workers’ rights policies that have been proposed and/or enacted across the country—and have included links to those policies where possible.
- Home Rule
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Lawsuit against anti-riot bill’s ‘defund the police’ provision advances
Five of the eight cities that filed complaints were OK’d to make their case. A Tallahassee circuit judge is letting a lawsuit against the “defund the police” provision in Florida’s anti-riot law move forward.
Have a Media Inquiry?
Local Progress is a movement of local elected officials advancing a racial and economic justice agenda through all levels of local government. We are elected leaders who build power with underrepresented communities and fight to reshape what is possible in our localities all across the country.
Want to get in touch with us for a story? Reach us at press@localprogress.org.
In The News
At Local Progress, we seek to make the aspirational pragmatic by showing how government can be a tool to create just and equitable outcomes and reshaping peoples’ understanding of governing from an institution to a collective responsibility. Here are some highlights of our media coverage:
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Ivan Luevanos-Elms and Sarah Johnson: This Is What Authoritarian Intimidation Looks Like
In this op-ed, LP ED Ivan Luevanos-Elms and former LP ED Sarah Johnson make the case that Trump's attempts to bully and intimidate local leaders is yet another sign of growing authoritarianism.
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Report: How local governments can prioritize responsible AI adoption
Earlier this month, OpenAI & Microsoft lobbyists called for a shutdown on AI regulation. Our new report details the harmful impacts of unrestricted AI on our communities and what local governments can do.
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State and local Dems form a firewall against Trump DOJ’s intimidation tactics
Across the country, the Trump administration is targeting local officials to bulldoze opposition to their agenda. Today, 190+ local officials stand in solidarity against this intimidation.
- Housing
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Rent-Setting Algorithms Find Legal Lifeline
RealPage stands to benefit as GOP tax bill seeks to bar state and local oversight of AI and automated decision systems for 10 years.
press Releases
- Housing
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LP Members & Union Leaders Call To Overturn WPA Veto
Municipal Officials join labor leaders to call out the Governor for rejecting this Common-Sense legislation
- Public Safety
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Statement: National Network of Local Officials Denounce Unjustified Arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka
In response to the reported arrest and subsequent release of Newark Mayor and Local Progress member Ras Baraka, Essex County Commissioner and Local Progress Board Member A’Dorian Murray-Thomas released the following statement.
- Public Safety
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Statement: Amid Federal Threats, Local Leaders Stand Strong for True Civil Rights
In response to the Trump Administration’s so-called “civil rights” investigation into Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s Office, Local Progress released this statement.
- Housing
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Road To Good Cause Campaign Scores 11 Victories Across Upstate New York
The coordinated campaign of local officials expand critical renter protections to thousands of tenants, setting their sights on Rochester next.
- Economic Justice
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NEW REPORT: How Local Government Can Stand Up for Workers When States Try to Stand in Their Way
This new report for Labor Day 2024 highlights ways local elected officials can advance workers rights even when facing both hostile state preemption and federal labor law preemption.
