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Federal Advocacy Roundup | January 2023

Since our last Federal Advocacy Roundup in early December, we’ve seen the passage of an end-of-year appropriations bill, landmark announcements from the administration on protecting tenants and migrant workers, and more!
photo of the rotunda in cleveland city hall

The Network Download: Community-led safety, wage theft protections, and more | January 2023

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

Localities must reimagine traffic safety. Here’s how.

Across the country, there is already work being done that reimagines traffic safety with the holistic understanding of what people need to move safely and freely within their neighborhoods and communities. This includes, among many things, removing police from traffic enforcement.
headshots of Javiera Caballero and Jillian Johnson

Durham Needs a New Vision of Safety

Durham City Council members and LP members Javiera Caballero and Jillian Johnson call for a new approach to an old problem.

Local governments can and must continue protecting and expanding abortion access. Here’s how.

Today, while we commemorate Roe, we also recommit ourselves to building a world where communities thrive, and people can exercise their full agency and live with dignity. Here’s what local elected officials can do.
Ariel view of The Michigan State Capitol lit up at night.

How Grant Makers Can Help State Policy Makers Advance Smart Approaches

As state legislative sessions ramp up, a new band of lawmakers begins the challenging work of delivering on campaign promises during a period of extreme division and threats to democratic institutions and office holders.

Workers’ Rights Local Government Round Up | Jan 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!
Local elected officials and partners raising their hands at a Local Progress convening.

The Fight for Progressive Power Starts in Local Communities

November’s election again proved what we already know: our ideas are popular and they are winning in localities across the country. But popular ideas and election wins alone will not transform how we govern.

LP2023 is Happening Sept 6-9 in St. Louis!

We’ll be sending more information on registration, financial aid applications, and travel logistics in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, please save the date and get excited!

The Network Download: ARP funds, housing work, our Year in Review, and more! | December 2022

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

Federal Advocacy Roundup | December 2022

There’s been a lot in motion on Capitol Hill. Democrats strengthened their control of the Senate and Republicans gained control of the House. The subsequent lame-duck session following the elections has resulted in the landmark passage of The Respect for Marriage Act.

Local Progress New York Hosts Housing Conversations Across the State

Over the course of four meetings, we brought together local members and community partners to explore housing issues in New York.

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:

Image of brownstonehomes. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Cities lead bans on algorithmic rent hikes as states lag behind

Minneapolis on Thursday has become the fourth U.S. city to ban algorithmic rental price-fixing software, joining San Francisco, Philadelphia and Berkeley, California, in a growing wave of legislation aimed to protect renters from rental price-gouging.
Portland City Council member Angelita Morillo is championing a local ban on the use of algorithms to set rents, following a U.S. Justice Department antitrust lawsuit.Beth Nakamura

Portland City Council weighs ban on using algorithms to set rents

Portland, Oregon could soon be the next city to ban rental price fixing!
East Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, against blue sky and clouds. Photo: Tada Images via Shutterstock

Hundreds of State Officials Oppose Anti-Sanctuary City Act

Nearly 400 state and local electeds nationwide sent a letter to Congress today urging them to vote NO on HR 32 – a dangerous bill that would strip our communities of essential funding simply for undertaking reasonable policies that make all of us safer.
Photograph of the San Fransisco skyline. Photograph Source: Raydann

Social Housing Emerging in Cities Needs Local Govt Support

Local Progress founding board chair Nick Licata makes the case for local governments to support social housing.

press Releases

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.

How Localities Use Community Responder Programs to Keep People Safe

This new video from Local Progress and Local Progress Impact Lab focuses on three specific localities: Durham, Oakland, and Albuquerque to explain what community responder programs are, how they work, and why hundreds of localities are starting to adopt them.

After Grants Pass: organizing to house all our neighbors

In response to the Supreme Court's cruel decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson, we will continue to organize for housing for all.

Local Progress Condemns Cruel Supreme Court Decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson

In response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson, Local Progress put out the following statement.