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Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers (UAW), center, marches with UAW members and supporters during a Labor Day parade in Detroit, Michigan, US, on Monday, Sept. 4, 2023.

📎 Federal Advocacy Roundup | Holding this moment, government shutdown averted, SCOTUS preview, and more | October 2023

Welcome back to the October edition of the Federal Advocacy Round Up, where every few weeks we distill what’s happening at the federal level, how it’ll impact localities, and what you can do to influence change.

Learning from Leaders in Milwaukee About School Safety

This month, Local Progress and the Local Progress Impact Lab brought two dozen local elected officials, community partners, and government staffers together in Milwaukee to learn about the work done to create real safety in schools. Read how the trip is helping inform work across the country.

How to take action in solidarity with UAW members on strike!

Photograph of the State Capitol building in Tallahassee, Florida.

Less Politics Is Local: States Get Increasingly Aggressive About Pre-Emption

Preemption of local authority has been a major concern over the past decade. Now, states are not only blocking specific laws but stopping cities and counties from addressing entire areas of policy.
dinances in a push to win back the local freedom to act in the best interest of Missourians.

📬 The Network Download | Localities standing up for local democracy, exploring bold ways to help their communities thrive, and more | September 2023

Check out what we've been up to this month!
LPMN members pose for a photo at LP's 2023 National Convening in St. Louis.

LPMN State Download 🍂 | Progressive Governance Academy, Summer Highlights, Cannabis Memo & More | September 2023

Check out what LPMN is up to!
LPTX member and Austin City Councilmember Zohaib “Zo” Qadri speaking at a rally for local democracy in St. Louis, MO.

LPTX State Download 🍁 | A win for local democracy, next steps in the fight, & upcoming events! | September 2023

See what’s in store for our LPTX Chapter!

Federal Advocacy Roundup | September 2023

The September 2023 Local Progress Federal Advocacy Roundup breaks down recent Biden administration decisions around TPS and Medicare as well as the upcoming impacts of Supreme Court decisions on student loan debt and abortion.

Local Electeds Praise Portland Street Response As National Model, Urge Continued Investment

Local elected officials representing nearly a dozen localities across the country have joined the chorus of Portlanders calling for renewed support for the Portland Street Response program.

LPNY State Download 🍂 | Organizing committee meeting, housing, immigration work & more! | September 2023

This edition of the Local Progress New York newsletter covers our recent NY Organizing Committee meeting, the fight for immigrant justice in NY state, and movement on housing justice in Kingston!
Members of the North Carolina Public Service Workers Union rally.

Workers in the South Aren’t Letting Anti-Labor Laws Stop Them From Organizing

From a recent work action in Durham, North Carolina to union drives at REI and at academic institutions, workers are taking important steps to organize the South.
A delivery worker rides his bicycle along a path on the West Side Highway in New York City.

States and cities eye stronger protections for gig economy workers

In the past five years, lawmakers in at least 10 jurisdictions — including cities such as Chicago and Seattle — have proposed new protections for ride-share drivers and food delivery workers. LP's LiJia Gong weighs in on the importance of local gig economy legislation.

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:

Factory workers and UAW union members form a picket line outside the Ford Motor Co. Kentucky Truck Plant in the early morning hours on October 14, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Michael Swensen / Getty Images)

Workplace Militancy Isn’t Enough for Labor

Progressive labor movement must collaborate with like-minded local, state, and federal elected officials through networks such as Local Progress, the State Innovation Exchange, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus to expand and sustain hard-won gains.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services has been asked to extend the work eligibility period for people with pending renewals on their permits to work in the states. Photographer: John Moore/Getty Images

Immigrant Advocates Push Work Permit Fix as Deadlines Near

LP member Pious Ali – a city council member in Portland, Maine – stresses the importance of work authorization for new arrivals. “They are transforming the face of the workforce and the face of the community in a very positive way,” he said.
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.

press Releases

180+ State and Local Elected Officials Urge Congress to Reject the EATS Act

LP and the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) released letters calling on Congress to protect local and state governments ability to create policy that is responsive to the issues their own communities face in the agricultural industry. 

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.

Local Progress joins 100 tenants in DC at Homes Guarantee’s Tenant Takeover

Local Progress joined over 100 tenants at Homes Guarantee's Tenant Takeover to urge the federal government for vital tenant protections.