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A person holding up a sign that says "My students can't read if they can't breathe" at a protest. Credit: Mario Tama / Getty Images

Minnesota Local Leaders Send Strong Message to State Leadership: Prone Restraints have NO Place in Schools

The LPMN Organizing Committee sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy and Governor Tim Walz today urging them to oppose HF 3489 / SF 3534, which would repeal the ban prohibiting school-based law enforcement from using prone restraints on students.
All seven female St. Paul city council members, four new to the council, were applauded after they were sworn in at a ceremony. photo credit: RENÉE JONES SCHNEIDER, STAR TRIBUNE

LPMN State Download ☃️ | Recent victories and highlights, #LP2024 registration & more! | March 2024

Check out what LPMN is up to!

📬 LP Network Download | Police-free schools, protecting local democracy, veto overrides, choosing welcome, & more! | February 2024

Here’s a look at some of what’s happening across the Local Progress network this month.
Group photo of the LPTX Organizing Committee meeting in Houston, TX in December 2023. Members gather around a LPTX sign.

LPTX State Download ❄️ | Organizing to defend reproductive rights & local control, plus upcoming events! | February 2024

Our Texas chapter has been hitting the ground running this year on several issues already! Check out what they are up to!

LP School Board Download 📚 | States’ voucher push, honest education, an important staff update | February 2024

Check out our newsletter about all things school board! This month, we’re sharing the latest news and resources around defending LGBTQ+ rights, fighting voucher expansion, and advocating for strong, equitable public schools across the country.
Image of a hammer smashing a city (TAP)

Pre-Preemption

Conservative states have now taken to blocking liberal cities from even thinking about legislating on behalf of their residents. LP's Francesca Menes weighs in.
Hyndai and Kia logos side by side (ABC News)

Philly councilmember among group calling for recall Kia, Hyundai vehicles due to alarming theft rate

Philadelphia City Councilmember Kendra Brooks has joined a group of elected leaders from around the country, demanding a federal recall of Kia and Hyundai vehicles over the alarming theft rate nationwide.
Members of the Fe Y Justice Worker Center hold signs to protest House Bill 2127, dubbed the "Death Star bill," during a press conference at Houston’s City Hall on July 14. Credit: Douglas Sweet Jr. for The Texas Tribune

Texas local electeds are not giving up their fight for local democracy

Yesterday, nearly 60 local electeds from across the state of Texas banded together to once again tell the courts that they will NOT stand for the Death Star Law or any of the Texas Legislature’s efforts to undermine local democracy.

Local Leaders Denounce Senate Deal That Would Gut Asylum

In response to the Senate’s proposed border deal that would gut asylum in exchange for foreign military spending, Local Progress released this statement.

📬 LP Network Download | Traffic safety, ceasefire, history in Minnesota, & more! | January 2024

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

Local Electeds Call on NHTSA to Recall Kia & Hyundai with Theft Vulnerabilities

A coalition representing elected officials from 8 municipalities across the country – including Baltimore, New York City, Seattle, Minneapolis, and Austin – called on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue a recall of Kia and Hyundai models with theft vulnerabilities.

What it means to be an LP School Board Member

As we start 2024, we’re proud to share our School Board Cohort Statement of Values. This statement of values unites school board members in Local Progress under a set of shared values that guides our work together.

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:

Multiple Cities Across the Country Are Resisting Rent Algorithms

Hoboken and Jersey city are two of the latest localities to join the nationwide movement to tackle corporate greed in the rental market and ban algorithmic rental price fixing.
Portland Street Response crisis worker Angela Sands and EMT Kaya Ascott respond to a 911 call in Portland, Ore. (Kaia Sand)

This Organization Proved There Was an Alternative to the Police. Now It’s Being Defunded.

Portland, OR proved what we all know to be true: we keep us safe. LP's Reynold Graham talks to The Nation about Portland's program.
A black and white image of Trump with a yellow background.

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.
An image of someone using a phone and computer at the same time (d3sign via Getty Images)

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.

press Releases

A group of local elected officials holding a letter in the Colorado state capitol

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
An image of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka

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. 
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty who was sworn into office on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 speaking at the All Square restaurant in Minneapolis on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023 where supporters gathered to celebrate her election. Mshale Staff Photo by Panashe Matemba-Mutasa

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.
A large group standing around while one person speaks at a podium.

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.

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.