- Home Rule
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The ‘Death Star’ Bill is About Kneecapping Democracy in Texas
LP's Kara Sheehan weighs in on what the Death Star Law means for localities across Texas.
- Public Safety
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Cops Should Not Respond To Mental Health Emergencies, Experts Say As City Weighs Ordinance
Chicago Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez's “Treatment Not Trauma” ordinance would enable the city to handle mental health emergencies without police officers.
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Federal Advocacy Roundup | July 2023
The July2023 Local Progress Federal Advocacy Roundup breaks down recent troubling SCOTUS decisions that advance the interests of right-wing billionaires at the expense of working people and communities of color.
- School Boards
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Plainfield BOE Debates Cultural Responsiveness of its Textbooks, Votes to Resurface Hub Stine
Plainfield Board of Education Commissioner Azim Gray stands up for culturally responsive curriculums.
- Economic Justice
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Workers’ Rights Local Government Round Up | July 2023
Check out some of the landmark workers’ rights policies that passed across the country over the last few months, as well as news of recent enforcement actions!
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‘Suit up for the backlash!’: The battle to regulate New York’s gig economy
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander says efforts to establish a minimum wage for food delivery workers have met well-funded resistance from the sector’s leading players.
- Economic Justice
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New Resource Helps Local Electeds Use Procurement to Advance Equity
Our newly released report – a joint collaboration between In The Public Interest and the Local Progress Impact Lab – offers a roadmap for community advocates and local elected officials to examine how governmental entities can better design their procurement processes to incorporate public values.
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📬 The Network Download | Passing rent caps, supporting LGBTQ+ communities & more | June 2023
Check out what our network has been up to this month!
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School Board Members Are Organizing to Build a Multi-Racial Democracy
More than 40 school board members from 16 states across the country gathered in Baltimore for two days of strategy, peer learning, community building, and leadership development at our first-ever school board convening. Check out the highlights here!
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LPMN State Download 🌻 | Tenant protections, legislative recap & more! | June 2023
Check out what LPMN is up to!
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LPTX State Download ☀️ | Legislative round-up & exciting announcements! | June 2023
See what our LPTX Chapter has been up to!
- Abortion & Reproductive Rights, Home Rule
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Republicans Are Systematically Blocking Cities’ Ability to Protect Abortion
As we approach the one-year mark of the devastating Dobbs decision, LP's LiJia Gong & Gaby Goldstein with Sister District sound the alarm on state legislatures interfering with cities' attempts to advance reproductive justice.
Have a Media Inquiry?
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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:
- Public Safety
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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.
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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.
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.
