Minnesota
We organize across Minnesota to drive progressive change through collaborative governance with local partners and communities.

AT A GLANCE

Local Progress Minnesota (LPMN) organizes local elected officials across the state to share best practices and policy solutions across our counties, cities, towns, and school boards. After spending years of organizing – helping to advance critical work to reimagine public safety and support housing justice – we became LP’s fourth official state chapter in August 2022. See our Statement of Principles here. 

LPMN currently has more than 80 members across the state, representing the Twin Cities metro area and Greater Minnesota.

Our Work & Priorities

In Minnesota, our work is driven by community needs and done in deep partnership with state partners and movement allies.

Our key issue areas include housing and tenant protections, community safety, climate justice, and abortion access.

Organizing Committee

As a member-led network, our state work is led by an incredible state organizing committee – a group of LPMN members that meet regularly to weigh in on policy priorities, propose statewide campaigns, and drive the strategic vision for our work. 

Mitra Jalali headshot

MITRA JALALI

St. Paul City Councilmember

Robyn headshot

ROBYN GULLEY

West St. Paul City Councilmember

MAI CHONG XIONG

Ramsey County Commissioner
LPMN Organizing Committee Co-Chair

Thomas Brooks' headshot

THOMAS BROOKS

Osseo School Board Member

Azrin Awal's headshot

AZRIN AWAL

Duluth City Councilmember

Dr. Kimberly Wilburn's headshot

DR. KIMBERLY WILBURN

At-Large Minnetonka City Councilmember
LPMN Organizing Committee Co-Chair

JEN WESTMORELAND

Hopkins School Board Chair

Elliott Payne's headshot

ELLIOTT PAYNE

Minneapolis City Councilmember

Our State work

COMMUNITY SAFETY

In Minnesota, we can build real safety by investing in community needs, violence prevention strategies, and alternative response programs. We’ve supported groundbreaking safety work in Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center.

HOUSING & TENANT PROTECTIONS

Local governments across Minnesota have been working to meet the needs of their residents and stabilize communities through rent control and expanding renter protections.

ABORTION & REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

In deep collaboration with local advocates, we are working at the local level to protect bodily autonomy and support abortion access for Minnesota residents and those traveling from out-of-state to receive care.

SCHOOL BOARD ORGANIZING

School board members are the policymakers closest to students in our public education system, working to ensure the mental, emotional, and physical safety that young people need to thrive in school and beyond. We are organizing school board members around a multi-issue policy agenda.

FEATURED NEWS & STORIES

LPMN group photo

Minnesota becomes LP’s Fourth State Chapter

Local Progress Minnesota was officially certified as our fourth state chapter -- a statewide organization of Local Progress members with a formal leadership structure, a robust and representative membership, and typically a goal to raise money to hire staff capacity locally.
The LPMN delegation at the LP National Convening standing in front of a Local Progress step and repeat.

LPMN State Download 📣 | LPMN at the National Convening, Saint Paul climate action case study & more! | September 2024

Check out what LPMN is up to!
An artist's rendering of the planned residential development at The Heights, a mixed-use development slated to bring 1,000 living wage jobs,1,000 affordable housing units, and strong environmental benefits to Saint Paul's East Side. (Image by LHB Corp)

Minnesota’s New Green Bank Is Powering a Net-Zero, Mixed-Use Development With Affordable Housing

St. Paul is tapping Inflation Reduction Act funds and the state’s new green bank to turn an abandoned golf course into a large-scale mixed-use development. Plus, it all runs on geothermal energy.
A rendering of the development plans for The Heights in Saint Paul, MN.

How Saint Paul, MN is leveraging federal funds for justice

Saint Paul is leveraging federal funds for environmental benefits, affordable housing, and good green jobs. Find out how in our new case study!

featured resources and tools