State Strategies to Challenge Corporate Subsidies

By Jessica Garland, Senior Associate of Legislative Affairs

Corporate tax giveaways come in many forms. They can be tax breaks, exemptions, subsidies, incentives, loopholes, grants; even deregulation and privatization can include fiscal notes. These corporate tax giveaways are what we call “invisible spending” in our state budget, and communities foot the bill. We have lost billions to corporate tax giveaways that simply transfer our public dollars to the ultra-wealthy, rather than funding for education, healthcare, and housing.

Fighting corporate subsidies as a legislator can feel isolating and futile – these fights involve challenging multinational corporations, and a media machine falsely branding corporate tax giveaways as “economic development.” But wins are possible. Past successes in New York, Virginia, Missouri, and Maryland demonstrate that wins are possible.

Below find a summary of key strategies and resources to challenge corporate subsidies in your state. Special gratitude to Arlene Martínez of Good Jobs First and Pat Garofalo of American Economic Liberties Project whose expertise is reflected in this summary.

State Strategies

Collaboration Between Legislators & Community Advocates – Working together, legislators and community advocates can build stronger strategies with secure wins. By ensuring the community members most impacted by policy decisions have a seat at the decision-making table alongside elected officials, legislators and advocates can amplify community needs and priorities over those of corporate interests, better coordinate their efforts on the ground and in state chambers, and build grassroots momentum that shifts political realities towards implementation of economic policies that empower everyday people rather than centralize power and profits in the hands of the elite few. At SiX, we call this governing model, which centers the inherent authority of the people most impacted by policy decisions, “collaborative governance.”

Engage Local Communities – Effective community engagement is fundamental to successfully oppose corporate subsidies and/or negotiating deals to mitigate harm from such tax giveaways. Engaging local residents on proposed corporate tax giveaways and economic development plans not only strengthens communities’ capacity to fight back via political pressure in the moment but also empowers residents to identify solutions that meet their needs (ex: crafting and enforcing community benefit agreements).

Lean into transparency – Expose how incentives pass versus the incentive itself. Often, the lack of transparency behind incentive deals can derail the incentive and is easier to communicate to the public than the actual incentive.

Fighting Corporate Giveaways is Bipartisan – As seen with the partnership between MI Reps. Carra and Wegela, fighting corporate subsidies is a bipartisan issue and important both to legislators and residents regardless of their political identity.

The Data is On Your Side – Data consistently shows that corporations dramatically overestimate their economic benefits (such as the number of jobs they’ll create), strain local resources, and increase the cost of living without increasing residents’ quality of life. Beyond the fact that corporate tax giveaways draw money away from community benefits and public services by functionally transferring more wealth to the rich, many of the corporations pursuing tax giveaways violate regulatory laws meant to protect workers, consumers, the environment, and residents.

Lead with an Affirmative Vision – It is not enough to pursue economic development by solely resisting corporate tax giveaways. Legislators, partners, advocates, and community leaders should emphasize the programs and benefits that community tax dollars could fund if channeled back to public services instead of subsidies for the corporate elite. Painting an affirmative vision of how tax dollars should be spent on supporting local communities not only weakens corporate power hoarding but also generates buy-in and public momentum for funding public programs like schools, mass transit, affordable housing, and affordable healthcare.

Know What You Can Demand – State and local lawmakers have the power to demand more standards, information, and regulatory requirements in economic development deals than they may think. Knowing what questions to ask and what requirements to include within deals (such as performance based incentive agreements, community benefit agreements, additional workers rights protections, accountability to specific outcomes, regulatory data tracking, water use requirements for data centers, and transparently shared reports) will affect how harmful corporate tax giveaways can be and shape economic development plans to better meet community needs. Protip: Corporate tax giveaways are an inherently bad use of public tax dollars. It’s strategic to oppose them fully and organize from that position.

State Resources

Good Jobs First’s State Profiles provide a brief history of each state’s track record on the use of economic development subsidies, a list of the state’s key subsidy programs, state-specific research, and leading subsidy watchdog groups where relevant

Good Job’s First numerous trackers (including the Subsidy Tracker, Amazon Tracker, Violations Tracker) provide excellent data to demonstrate where corporations get taxpayer assistance, the revenue governments forgo to tax abatements, which corporations are breaking what laws, and how much the public subsidizes Amazon. Similarly, their Tax Break Tracker reflects how much revenue state and local governments have reduced or foregone through their tax abatements.

American Economic Liberties Project’s Taking on Corporate Subsidies Toolkit overviews nine policies that state and local lawmakers can pursue to reform and rework corporate subsidy programs (in the event such subsidies cannot be fully abolished) so that programs are more transparent, better serve local communities, and don’t entrench dominant corporations in local economies.

Floodlight coverage on Harvard’s Electricity Law Initiative report projections showing all U.S. consumers will pay billions of dollars to build new power plants to serve Big Tech, how utility companies are using or scaling dirty power plants to meet data center demands, and regulatory suggestions to protect ratepayers.

SiX’s Corporate Tax Giveaways Questions for Policymakers guide provides a list of simple questions lawmakers can ask to the bill sponsors of potential corporate tax giveaways during committee hearings to help the public understand how much the bills will cost them and who will actually benefit. The resource also includes guidance for effective testimony and some amendment ideas.

SRA’s Community Economic Development Agenda Resources outlines seven guiding principles for progressive economic development as well as resources from Good Jobs First, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), Economic Power Institute (EPI), and the Roosevelt Institute on both why current corporate economic development strategies don’t benefit local communities and how to improve economic incentive strategies.

We already know that Big Tech’s Data Centers are the latest frontier of this fight

Big Tech’s data centers and utilities costs are the next frontier of attempted corporate tax abatements. Beyond data centers guzzling communities’ water and electricity (which drives up the utilities cost for local ratepayers) to enhance their profit margins, utility companies often use the higher energy demand from data centers to justify expanding their gas and coal infrastructure (while charging wholesale rates to data centers) instead of investing in cleaner energy. This means communities will pay even higher utilities costs while the environment – locally, regionally, and globally – becomes even more polluted, fragile, and hazardous to human health, while the data centers get tax breaks. SiX is here to support you in this fight. Contact us here.

New Guidance on Caregiver Discrimination Policies

No One Should Lose Their Job for Taking Care of Family: New Guidance on Caregiver Discrimination Policies

Every day, millions of workers across the country make impossible choices—between earning a paycheck and caring for the people they love. For too long, outdated workplace policies and unchecked bias have penalized family caregivers, pushing people—especially women, LGBTQ+ folks, and people of color—into economic insecurity.

At the State Innovation Exchange (SiX), we believe that care is essential, and caregiving should never be a cause for discrimination. That’s why we’re excited to share our new Family Caregiver Discrimination Policy Guidance, a resource for state legislators and advocates working to end this all-too-common form of workplace bias.

What’s Inside the Guidance?

This new resource outlines:

What caregiver discrimination looks like, from denied promotions to job loss based on caregiving responsibilities—not job performance.
The current legal landscape, highlighting gaps in federal and state protections.
Policy solutions, including examples of state laws that prohibit discrimination and offer job accommodations for caregivers.
The benefits of reform, from advancing gender equity and reducing poverty to improving mental health and boosting workplace retention.

Why It Matters

Whether it’s parenting, caring for an aging parent, or supporting a loved one with a disability, most people will be caregivers at some point in their lives. But the burden of discrimination falls heaviest on those already pushed to the margins—especially Black, brown, and low-income women.

Caregiver anti-discrimination laws are a crucial step toward economic justice and gender equity. They ensure that people can show up for their families without being punished at work—and that our policies reflect the realities of people’s lives.

A Tool for Change

This guidance isn’t just a document—it’s a tool to support proactive policymaking. Legislators can use it to craft stronger protections for workers. Advocates can use it to build campaigns grounded in lived experience. And all of us can use it to reimagine workplaces where care is valued, not penalized.

Want to collaborate or learn more about how to use this guidance in your state? Get in touch with the SiX team—we’re here to support state leaders in building a future that honors both work and care.

State Power to Protect Medicaid & Build a Caring Economy

What is the Care Economy?

From childcare to elder care, to disability rights, to caring for those who are ill, we all provide care and are cared for. The care economy refers to the paid and unpaid work of caring for others. Though essential, the care economy is undervalued and underfunded. Care workers, predominantly women, Black, and immigrant workers, are underpaid and overworked. Care infrastructure, like hospitals, childcare facilities, and nursing homes are increasingly privatized and monopolized by big corporations and private equity firms. And care programs, like paid sick, family and medical leave, VPK programs, and medicaid, are hard fought, and under threat.

NV Assembly Member Cecilia Gonzalez — Nevada Assembly Member Cecilia González presents legislation providing legal protections for breastfeeding parents, along with her 11-month-old daughter in Carson City on Feb. 28, 2025

A robust care economy is a caring economy. It’s an economy that centers care for people and communities, versus an individual's profits. And it is possible. There are examples throughout history and across the world. At SiX, our team is working in collaboration with legislators and partners towards this vision in state capitols across the country – from legislation strengthening legal protections for breastfeeding parents and access to public buildings for people who are deaf & hard of hearing in Nevada, to organizing support to fund care infrastructure in Georgia, and everywhere in between, states are where we can make vision into reality. And in all 50 states, Medicaid is an essential part of our care economy, and facing direct threats. So how can states defend our wins towards building an inclusive care economy? Let’s dive in.

Medicaid Works (that’s why it’s under attack)

We know that Medicaid works, transforming health care for low-income families and individuals, including children, parents, pregnant mothers, seniors, and people with disabilities since its creation in 1965. A jointly-state and federal funded program, Medicaid covers 1 in 5 people living in the United States, providing comprehensive coverage of health and long-term care to more than 80 million low-income people. In 2023, Medicaid covered nearly 4 in 10 children, over 8 in 10 children in poverty, 1 in 6 adults, and almost half of adults in poverty. Medicaid covers more than 1 in 4 adults ages 19-64 with disabilities, and provides coverage for 41% of all births. To date, 41 states (including DC) have expanded Medicaid, but nine states have so-called trigger laws that would automatically end Medicaid expansion if the federal government reduces their share. Overall, Black, Hispanic, and Native people, and rural communities would be hit the hardest by proposed cuts to Medicaid.

Understanding Our Opponents

Medicaid’s success is exactly why the ultra-wealthy want to dismantle it, and coordinated state attacks are not new. The Trump/Musk economic plan relies on tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and a permanent, obedient underclass based on race, gender, and class. Programs like medicaid that effectively lift working families out of poverty threaten that plan and their power. That’s why Project 2025 and the congressional budget are targeting cuts to Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the ultra-rich. Testifying before the DOGE subcommittee, Stewart Whitson of Foundation for Government Accountability made the clear:

A key source of wasteful spending that DOGE and the subcommittee should set their sights on next, and that's Medicaid waste and fraud. While initially meant as a program for the truly needy, Medicaid has bloated into a massive welfare program for millions of able-bodied adults lured into the trap of government dependency.”

A co-author of Project 2025, the Foundation for Government Accountability is the same billionaire-backed think tank behind countless efforts in states across the country to undercut direct democracy, roll back child labor protections, and dismantle essential support programs for working families including medicaid, food assistance, and unemployment insurance.

State Action to Protect & Expand Our Care

State legislators in all 50 states play an incredibly important role in protecting our care, and expanding it. Every state will have unique strategies, but there’s a few key considerations:

Educate the public on the value of medicaid to your state. Georgetown University’s state-by-state snapshots are a great tool, and find messaging guidance below. President Pro Tempore Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Assistant Majority Leader Senator Lisa Cutter took to the floor to do exactly that last week.
Connect real stories to the data. Storytelling is incredibly powerful. It helps bring data to life, and for others to see themselves in someone else’s shoes. Link the impact of Medicaid funding to real people in your district– on both the benefits of Medicaid and the harms if funding is lost. Ask constituents for consent before sharing stories.
Build an affirmative vision: States are the frontlines to create an inclusive care economy that benefits everyone. From medicaid expansion, paid family, sick, and medical leave, to state auto-IRAs, free childcare, child tax credits, and inclusion of immigrant families, states have an opportunity to not only defend essential programs, but demonstrate how government can deliver real, tangible gains for all working families.
Name our opponents: According to Navigator Research, nearly two in three Americans are concerned that Trump will give tax cuts to his billionaire friends at the expense of programs Americans rely on, and that billionaires are gaining too much power under his administration. This is exactly what is at stake – it’s important to say it out loud.
Work in collaboration with state advocacy efforts to protect our care. As a legislator, your sphere of influence is essential to state-based advocates working to protect medicaid. From congressional relationships, media engagement, hospitals and care providers, and constituent outreach and story collection, your contributions are essential. Not sure where to get started? SiX can help.

NV Blog Pic02 — *Colorado President Pro Tempore Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Assistant Majority Leader Senator Lisa Cutter speak to the value of Medicaid on the Senator floor on March 11, 2025*

Messaging Guidance

Cuts to programs like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security are the issue Americans are most concerned about. Keep the following messaging guidance from Navigator Research from February in mind:

When communicating these sweeping executive actions, it’s essential that messengers clearly outline the human impacts of the Trump Administration’s latest moves to cut programs that benefit all Americans to enrich billionaires. Focus on the true victims of this decision – the people in your state losing healthcare coverage.
Medicaid and Medicare are places to take a firm stand. There is no public appetite for cutting Medicaid or Medicare. In our Navigator survey, 81% of Americans opposed any cuts to Medicaid. Similarly, 72% opposed cuts to SNAP and Head Start childcare funding. Put simply, Americans consistently reject slashing essential programs that people rely on to fund government handouts for billionaires and mega-corporations.
Frame this as protecting programs Americans rely on. People do not like having things they rely on taken away, and when asked about budget priorities, 62% of Americans said it is more important to “protect important programs that Americans rely on,” while only 38% preferred cuts. Americans are under no illusion about who benefits from these cuts – most believe that the proposed tax plan is designed to serve the wealthy, with the rich and big corporations seen as the biggest winners
Tie these cuts to Medicaid to Trump’s plans to write a massive tax handout to the wealthy. The top concern in Navigator’s testing on Trump’s tax cuts was “Trump’s tax plan wouldn’t help middle and working class people struggling to deal with rising costs” with 32% finding the statement most concerning. Followed closely by “Trump's tax plan would cost the government billions and limit… programs like Social Security and Medicare” with 29% of Americans finding the statement most concerning. It is advocates’ job to make these seemingly disparate actions clearly connected.

Data & Research

Medicaid State Fact Sheets (2024), KFF
Medicaid: 50-State Snapshots (2025), Georgetown University
Policy Basics: Introduction to Medicaid, Center on Budget & Policy Priorities
10 Things to Know About Medicaid, KFF
A Medicaid Per Capita Cap: State by State Estimates, KFF
Health Coverage by Race and Ethnicity, 2010-2023, KFF
State Data Medicaid Coverage Rates for People Ages 0-64, KFF
Medicaid Cuts Hurt State Economies, National Health Law Program
Medicaid’s Coverage Role in Small Towns and Rural Areas, Georgetown University
Distribution of Certified Nursing Facility Residents by Primary Payer Source, KFF
How Medicaid Supports Maternal and Infant Health, Georgetown University
State-by-State Analysis of the Who Lacks Access to Retirement Savings and the Potential Benefits of State-Facilitated Retirement Savings Programs, Georgetown University
The care economy is one of humanity's most valuable assets. Here's how we secure its future, World Economic Forum

The Path Forward

We know Project 2025 began in the states. As we face attacks from all directions, it’s essential that we build an affirmative economic vision for the future in states, in collaboration with the communities most impacted by these cuts. SiX is working to organize partners in-state and across states in support of legislators defending care for all. If you need support, let us know.

SiX’s Next Chapter: A Future Rooted in Strength and Vision

After eight years of leadership at SiX, this is our last week as co-executive directors. While we’ve spent the last year preparing for this moment, it is different experiencing all of the emotions of stepping back and saying goodbye to each of you. Sci-fi author Octavia Butler teaches, “All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you.” We leave these roles transformed - shaped by the staff, legislators, partners, board members, and funders we’ve been fortunate to be in relationships with over these years. And we hope you feel changed as well.

When we began our tenure at SiX, we were grounded in a fierce belief that state-level governance could be a transformational place rooted in values. A deep knowing that when everyday people are involved at all levels of the policymaking process, and there is an importance placed on building relationships across legislators, partners, and communities–not only do our public structures become more responsive to their needs, but these people also build greater power to shape the future. This radical paradigm shift is what we define as collaborative governance. The how matters more than the what, and we have been proud to orient towards this approach over the years.

We’re proud of the work we’ve led SiX, from convening senior legislative leaders and national movement leaders through the Outside Voices convening series, which organized state legislators and movement partners to offer a proactive vision for what it could look like to build a collective vision and practice a collaborative governance approach; to creating a home for values-aligned state legislators where we engage with policymakers as whole people; to building a culture of care and abundance for our staff, this work has been a labor of love and vision.

As we transition out of SiX, we are confident and optimistic about the organization’s leadership and direction. Molly Noble, our current senior vice president of operations who has been with SiX for over ten years, will be stepping in as interim executive director while we finalize our hiring process. Molly brings a deep understanding of SiX’s mission, a commitment to collaborative leadership, and years of experience navigating the complexities of state-based organizing. We have worked closely with Molly throughout our entire tenure, and she truly embodies the SiX values and integrity in her daily life and work. We couldn’t be more assured that SiX is in capable hands. The search process for permanent leadership is well underway, and we intend to announce new co-executive directors this summer.

The movement building we have contributed to at SiX is deeper than any one set of leaders. Our staff is leader-full, rooted in values and vision, and responsive to the needs of state legislators–like creating a new Federal Rapid Response Strategy Session bi-weekly series to adapt to an evolving landscape. This is the SiX of today and tomorrow.

It has been an honor and a privilege to lead SiX. We are grateful to the staff, board, funders, partners, and movement peers who made this journey possible. Together, we built an enduring institution—one that is stronger, more expansive, and more collaborative than we ever imagined when we began.

Though we’re stepping back, we aren’t stepping away from this movement. As we often say, movement work is like a choir – the singing continues with joy, even when some take a breath. You’ll hear our voices again in a different part of the choir.

In solidarity,

State Power to Protect our Farmers, Food, and Rural Communities.

State Power to Protect our Farmers, Food, and Rural Communities.

By: Kendra Kimbirauskas

The agricultural community has long been the backbone of our economy, but recent Trump administration policy decisions have placed unprecedented strain on farmers and rural communities across the country. In light of these actions—particularly the use of executive orders and the systematic dismantling of federal agencies—state legislators must be well-informed about the direct and indirect impacts on their states. These actions often create policy gaps, regulatory challenges, and funding shifts that significantly affect state governance.

The unprecedented decisions have had a significant impact on farmers and rural communities. Navigating these changes has been challenging, from the instability caused by tariffs to the USDA's cancellation of $1 billion in funding for local food purchasing programs that support schools and food banks. Additionally, funding freezes and plans to eliminate the EPA’s environmental justice offices have further compounded these difficulties. These decisions will have direct, serious, and long-lasting consequences for working families, with communities of color, rural populations, farmers, and farmworkers bearing the heaviest burden. However, this moment also presents an opportunity for state legislators to step up and take action in response to these challenges.

RRR rural communities 04 1 — Content summarized from our rural communities, farmers, and our food briefing as part of our bi-weekly federal rapid response series. Legislators and legislative staff can register here for this ongoing series.

The Growing Uncertainty in Rural Communities

The federal funding freeze has left farmers and rural people with a wave of uncertainty across the rural landscape. USDA local offices closing, employees being laid off, and critical conservation programs frozen have left farmers without the support they rely on. Contracts that were once secured are now uncertain, causing financial strain and distress. Many fear that these cuts will accelerate trends of farm consolidation, pushing out small and mid-sized family farms and favoring large agribusinesses.

The ripple effects of these policy changes extend far beyond individual farms. Community banks, rural businesses, and local economies are all feeling the pressure. Tariff threats and shifting market conditions have only exacerbated the situation, creating a "whiplash effect" that makes long-term planning nearly impossible for many farmers.

The Threat to Equity in Agriculture

There are deeply concerning effects of recent executive orders that have targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the USDA. These rollbacks are not just policy shifts but direct attacks on 40 years of the civil rights movement’s progress in agriculture. There have been harmful dog whistles and lies about these advances coming at the expense of white farmers. This false narrative is intended to undermine civil rights and interracial solidarity between family farm organizations, like the National Farmers Union, with predominantly white members, and those organizations working directly in communities with farmers of color. The result of these actions has been chilling and profound for community-based organizations. Many serve the most vulnerable farmers, who are now facing threats, seeing grant funds being delayed or withheld, and are being silenced by the fear of retaliation.

Additionally, the elimination of the Local Food Purchasing Program is resulting in funds being withheld that would have otherwise gone to food programs for purchasing local healthy foods directly from local farmers. This action is causing harm to the most vulnerable farmers and the communities that they serve.

Furthermore, these funding cuts and regulatory rollbacks are having a significant mental health impact on farmers. With Medicaid rollbacks occurring simultaneously, farmers are left without critical safety nets, compounding their daily stress and uncertainty.

Dismantling USAID’s impact on farmers and rural communities

While many view USAID as an international agency, the reality is that 83% of its funding flows through U.S. nonprofits, farms, and businesses, and is deeply integrated into the American economy. Less known is that USAID directed millions of dollars into university research and innovation labs, which are critical for farmers. Programs supporting food assistance and university research have been severely affected by the Trump administration eliminating the agency, and we can expect farmers and rural communities to suffer as a result.

While the future of the agency hangs with the courts, it is currently not operating on a day-to-day basis, which has led to layoffs and disruptions in critical food supply chains globally while impacting farmers here at home.

Representative Sonya Harper (IL) is Fighting Back

In mid-March, Representative Sonya Harper, who chairs the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, held a hearing to uplift the stories of farmers who were being harmed by the Trump administration’s funding freeze. With a forum to lift up the voices of those most impacted, advocates were able to quickly mobilize their members to share stories. This hearing garnered considerable media attention and highlighted the severe repercussions of the USDA’s decision to remove funding for critical programs such as the Illinois Eats Program and the Resilient Food Systems Program. These cuts, coupled with mass layoffs at the USDA and looming threats of tariffs, have created economic uncertainty and disruption for many farmers across the state. Additionally, the closure of key research institutions like the Peoria Ag Lab and the termination of federal agreements, such as those funding the Soybean Innovation Lab, have only added to the instability.

Rep. Harper’s hearing underscored the real-world impacts of these decisions—farmers struggling to stay afloat, food banks unable to provide fresh produce, and conservation programs left in limbo.

Actions Legislators can take

Regardless of whether urban or rural, state legislators have an opportunity to use their platform to raise awareness of how Trump administration policies and actions are impacting farmers and rural communities while directly threatening the food security of so many Americans. Immediate action legislators can take:

Host a hearing: If you are a legislator in a position to request that your state’s equivalent of an agriculture committee hold an information hearing on how farmers feel about Trump administration policies, this can be a powerful forum to lift up the voices of those directly harmed. If you are unable to get an official hearing through your state’s agriculture committee, host an unofficial hearing at a local business or a public library and work with your local food and farming community to invite farmers and the media.
Introduce a resolution: Use your power in the legislature to call on the Trump administration to reinstate the funding to support farmers, food for schools, and reinstate USAID as a way to support farmers and rural communities in your state.
Write an Op-ed: Use your voice to tell the stories of the farmers, farm workers, universities, or rural communities that are impacted by the Trump administration policies. Continue to make visible the consequences of federal action at a local level.
Advocate for state-level policies: Continue to be a champion for state-level policies that support farmers and build resilient food systems. Stay in relationships and connected with community partners (outside of the corporate ag lobby), and continue to advocate for organizations working to support farmers of color in your state. Collaborate with tax advocates and allied Ways & Means legislators to identify new forms of sustainable revenue in your state.

Relevant Resources:

If you have farmer constituents experiencing stress, here are some resources for them. (Note this is currently housed on a USDA site. It would be a good idea to download and file this document in the event it disappears)

Use these graphics to lift up the impacts that the elimination of USAID has caused to your state. Use these graphics to tell the story of how your state’s universities will be affected by losing resources from the program.

Keep this resource handy from our partner Dãnia Davy, who has been holding office hours about the funding freeze called What the Funding?!?!

Keep up to date on recent Trump administration actions and the impact to food and farming by bookmarking Civil Eats’ Policy Tracker.

The SiX Ag team has been following some of the recent federal administration’s actions in our CROP HOT Takes emails. You can find more information here. Additionally, we’ve created several new toolkits on dangerous state policy trends this session including on the pesticide preemption “Bayer” bills and the impacts of the Immigration Executive Orders on farmworkers. With the extreme attacks on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, we’ve also compiled a messaging toolkit for state legislators to support Black farmers.

Here is a briefing with the State Revenue Alliance on budget threats and revenue opportunities in 2025, which can serve as a resource when working with allies to identify new opportunities for revenue.

Blog Series: Grounded in Our Values: Belonging and Difference - Part 1

Blog Series: Grounded in Our Values: Belonging and Difference - Part 1

This blog kicks off a series exploring SiX’s updated values to reflect who we are and how we work. After a thoughtful and collaborative process led by SiX’s operations team, we’re proud to share this updated articulation of our core values. This process was a demonstration of those values in action, shaped by the ideas and feedback of our staff. We know we each play a role in upholding these commitments—not only in our policies and programs but in the America we’re building together.

As the Trump administration attempts to undermine our country's progress on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to opportunities through a series of executive orders, SiX knows that diversity, equity, and inclusion are core to our work and we reaffirm our commitment to belonging and difference.

We are committed to upholding the inherent value of all people across identities, experiences, and perspectives. We actively work against systems of oppression that harm the communities we are a part of and collaborate with, striving to build a world where equity and justice are the norm. We are intentional in addressing racism and continuously learning to shift behaviors, beliefs, and policies that reinforce injustice.

Belonging and Difference in Action at SiX

Black Maternal Health Week

SiX is committed to advancing Black maternal health all year and celebrates Black Maternal Health Week, April 11-17. Even under a federal administration committed to removing DEI and targeting communities of color, state legislators across the country are committed to addressing maternal mortality rates among Black birthing people.

SiX is calling on legislators for quotes stating why addressing Black Maternal Health is a priority. Similar to previous years, legislators will be able to share their graphics on various social media platforms during the week of action. Legislators, if you are interested, submit a 40-50 word quote and a high-quality headshot by Friday, March 14th at 5:00 PM ET using this form.

Black Farmers Equity Working Group

SiX honors the contributions and resilience of Black communities across the country in building a sustainable and equitable food and agriculture system for all. Despite the hostile, anti-DEI landscape created by the Trump administration, communities and farmers continue to fight for greater equity in our food and agriculture system.

SiX actively contributes to this fight by organizing a Black Farmer Equity Working Group with state legislators. Legislators use this space to discuss their Black farmer equity work and how they are approaching it differently in this anti-DEI moment. To help legislators meet this moment and continue supporting Black and brown farmers in their communities, check out our Legislator Resource on Celebrating and Supporting Black Farmers with updated talking points, trends, and state policies.

Paid Family Medical Leave Legislator Cohort

Care work affects everyone — from childcare and elder care to healthcare and paid leave — but it’s often undervalued. Big corporations and private equity firms are taking control of the care industry, putting profits before the needs of care workers and the people receiving care. This leaves many caregivers overworked, underpaid, and unable to care for their own families. Women, immigrant workers, and Black workers represent large sectors of this essential but undervalued workforce. But across the country, caregivers and state leaders are fighting back, working to make care a public good, not a product for profit. They’re pushing for things like paid family leave, affordable childcare, and better jobs for care workers. To help this effort, SiX, A Better Balance, and New America started a Paid Family Medical Leave Legislator group in 2022. It includes 16 lawmakers from seven states who meet each month to share ideas, plan strategies, and find ways to create strong, fair policies that support care workers and families. To learn more, click here.

New Series: Federal Rapid Response Strategy Sessions

New Series: Federal Rapid Response Strategy Sessions

In light of the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration—particularly the use of executive orders and the systematic dismantling of federal agencies—state legislators must be well-informed about the direct and indirect impacts on their states and how to respond. These actions often leave gaps in policies, create new challenges, and shift funding, which can make things harder for state governments.

To help state lawmakers stay informed and ready, SiX and State Futures are hosting bi-weekly Federal Rapid Response Rooms. These virtual meetings give state leaders the tools, strategies, and support they need to respond to federal changes and, when possible, push back.

In these sessions, state legislators and policy experts come together to talk about new federal actions, figure out how they affect states, and plan ways to respond. The goal is to make sure states aren't just reacting to federal decisions but are also creating their own strategies and a proactive vision for the future.

State legislators and staff, click here to join us for our next Federal Rapid Response Room!

So far we have covered:

Executive Orders and State Impact

Federal actions can quickly change state funding and priorities. This first session gave lawmakers important information about these fast-moving decisions, their impacts on states, and how to respond. Experts like Somil Trivedi from Democracy Forward and Michigan Senate Leader Winnie Brinks shared their insights. Lawmakers also joined small group discussions to talk about challenges, solutions, and ways to work together across states. The meeting wrapped up with a summary, helpful resources, and next steps.

State Power to Protect Public Schools

Federal Rapid Response Strategy Sessions 02.2

Florida Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost, the Education Law Center, and North Carolina State House Representative Lindsey Prather joined this session to talk about public education. Access to education is directly tied to economic and political power — and public education wasn’t handed to us, it was fought for. But for decades, there’s been a strong, well-funded push to privatize schools.

Click here for a recap of the public education session.

Agriculture, Rural Communities, and Food

The Trump administration’s latest moves are already hitting farmers, rural communities, and our food system. In this session, expert speakers broke down what’s happening, how it’s affecting farms and families in rural areas, and what it all means for the future of agriculture and food.

Click here for a recap of the rural communities, farmers, and our food briefing.

Federal + State Regulatory Attacks and State Response

In this session, experts and lawmakers covered DOGE, efforts to weaken federal regulatory agencies, state-level DOGE actions, and positive state responses.

Coming Soon:

Rapid Response: Social Safety Net Programs
April 17, 2025, 1 pm ET / 10 am PT
Register here

How State Spending Can Build a Good Jobs Economy

State governments invest billions of public dollars into goods, services, and infrastructure. But too often, these investments lead to low-wage, poor-quality jobs that fail to uplift local communities.

Our new report, How State Spending Can Create a Good Jobs Economy, written in collaboration with Karla Walter, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, lays out clear solutions for policymakers to use public funds as a force for good—raising job quality, ensuring fair wages, and creating economic opportunities for all.

How State Spending Can Build a Good Jobs Economy State Innovation

Read the full report and see how we can build a stronger, fairer economy together.

From the Field: Nevada’s Identity Caucuses Stand United

We’re proud to launch From the Field, a new series highlighting powerful wins and policy progress in states across the country. In many of these moments, SiX has played a role behind the scenes, helping connect partners, align priorities, and strengthen legislative strategy.

And one such moment just unfolded in Nevada.

For the first time in the state’s history, all four of Nevada’s identity-based legislative caucuses—the Latino, Black, AANHPI, and LGBTQ+ caucuses—came together to issue a unified statement opposing harmful federal actions that threaten the health, rights, and dignity of communities across the state. Their message was clear: Nevada will not stand idle as federal leaders attempt to roll back civil rights and strip away protections for marginalized communities.

The statement calls out dangerous federal attacks on healthcare, immigration, transgender rights, and civil liberties, and outlines a state-level legislative response rooted in justice and solidarity. From bills protecting access to gender-affirming care, to efforts that safeguard students from immigration enforcement, these caucuses are building a strong policy front grounded in lived experience and shared values.

SiX was honored to support this historic cross-caucus collaboration—helping to coordinate and refine the messaging that shaped this joint statement. Read the full statement below.

NReal-Update-PR-NV-Identiy-Caucuses-1

Latino Nevadans Surveyed in SiX’s 2025 Poll

State Innovation Exchange (SiX) released findings from a recent poll highlighting the perspectives of registered Latino voters across the state. The survey, conducted by GSP Research, underscores support for key economic issues – such as the vast majority of respondents indicating they believe it is important for the state government to take steps on providing employees with paid family medical leave and (92%) and creating or expanding a statewide program to make childcare more affordable for working families (90%).

The survey of 500 Latino voters in Nevada was conducted from January 31 - February 13, 2025. Find the toplines here, the crosstabs here, and the summary deck here.

Protecting Immigrant Communities: A Toolkit for State Action

Protecting Immigrant Communities: A Toolkit for State Action

Across the country, immigrant communities are facing increasing threats—from aggressive federal enforcement tactics to harmful state-level policies designed to criminalize and marginalize. But state lawmakers have the power to push back.

SiX is proud to offer the State Power to Protect Immigrant Communities toolkit, a resource designed to help legislators develop proactive policies, strengthen worker protections, and expand access to critical services.

The toolkit is password-protected for the safety of our partners and communities. To access the document, please fill out this form.

What’s Inside?

A landscape of current threats and state-level responses
Proactive policy examples, from sanctuary measures to professional licensing reforms
Strategies for supporting immigrant workers and preventing retaliation
Guidance on legal clinics, mutual aid networks, and Know Your Rights resources
Messaging tips and data-backed research to support policymaking

As lawmakers, we are responsible for crafting policies that reflect our values—policies that ensure safety, dignity, and opportunity for all. This toolkit provides concrete steps to resist harmful measures and build a more inclusive future.

New Report: Prohibiting Surveillance Prices and Wages

Corporations use vast amounts of personal data to set individualized prices and wages. They charge some people more based on their perceived financial situation while paying workers as little as possible. These practices deepen economic inequality, threaten privacy, and strip power from working people and small businesses.

SiX is proud to join a AI Now Institute, American Economic Liberties Project, Commonwealth, Coworker, EPIC - Electronic Privacy Information Center, Future of Workers Initiative, Groundwork Collaborative, National Employment Law Project, Open Markets Institute, S.T.O.P. - Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, TechEquity, Towards Justice, and others in releasing this groundbreaking report, which lays out the dangers of surveillance pricing and wage setting and offers a bold state-level framework to ban these harmful practices.

🔗 Read the full report here.

Together, we can build an economy that prioritizes fairness, transparency, and economic justice.

Blog Series: Global Solidarity for Reproductive Justice - Part 2

Blog Series: Global Solidarity for Reproductive Justice - Part 2

Fighting Back in Washington, D.C.: Global Strategies to Defend Reproductive Freedom

In January 2025, SiX and Women’s Equality Center brought together U.S. and Latin American legislators to share insights and strategies in the global fight for reproductive justice. Alongside US state legislators, four Latin American lawmakers – Mexico’s Deputy Patricia Mercado, Deputy Liliana Aguilar Gil, Municipal Union of City Hall Mónica Silva Ruiz, and Argentinian Senator Guadalupe Tagliaferri – engaged in a week of learning, exchange, and collaboration designed to strengthen their work in defending abortion rights.

After traveling from Georgia to Washington, DC over four days, meeting with reproductive justice leaders, researchers, red and blue state legislators, abortion funds, clinic staff, abortion providers, abortion storytellers, and legal experts, Argentinian Senator Tagliaferri summed up an aspect of the delegation’s learning: “What’s clear to me, is that the American dream does not include women.”

This is the second installation in a two-part blog series where you’ll get a behind the scenes account of what these legislators learned. For the first, click here.

Day 3

Latin American legislators traveled to Washington, D.C. and led a congressional briefing with members from SiX, Women’s Equality Center, and Guttmacher Institute’s teams. Latin American leaders emphasize solidarity in defending reproductive rights, highlighting Argentina’s fight against restrictive policies and Mexico’s recent decriminalization of abortion. They stress the importance of proactive legislation, allyship with men, and reframing discussions beyond morality. U.S. legislators are urged to treat abortion as a public health issue and collaborate internationally. Economic disparities limit access, making government action crucial. Organizing at local levels is key, with Latin America’s "Green Wave" serving as inspiration for U.S. movements. Immediate action is needed to protect and expand reproductive rights.

Latin American legislators at the U.S. Capitol. (L-R) Senator
Guadalupe Tagliaferri; Mónica Silva Ruiz; and Liliana Aguilar Gil

After the congressional briefing, legislators met with Maryland Delegate Nicole Williams and Executive Director Arianna Kelly, Maryland Commission for Women. The discussion highlighted disparities in healthcare access across U.S. states, particularly reproductive care. Maryland policies are on the vanguard of expanding reproductive health access and officials discussed the importance of vigilance in making sure they continue to improve access. They discussed how they’re looking to eliminate maternal health disparities that persist across racial and ethnic lines, worsening in later generations. While these legislators collaborate across states to protect abortion rights, funding and political challenges remain. Conservative opposition threatens progress, requiring strategic solidarity. Both Latin American and state legislators stressed shifting from survival to thriving, with policies grounded in human rights. Maryland’s abortion laws are protective, but financial and logistical barriers persist. The discussion emphasized the need for continued advocacy, legislative action, and countering misinformation to uphold reproductive rights.

The Latin American legislators meet Maryland officials. (L-R Senator Guadalupe Tagliaferri; Liliana Aguilar Gil;
MD Del. Nicole Williams; Arianna Kelly, MD Commission for Women; Mónica Silva Ruiz).

Day 4

On the final day of the delegation, legislators began the day by grounding themselves in storytelling. Access to abortion care varies widely, with stigma and restrictions affecting providers and patients alike. Storytelling plays a key role in shifting narratives, offering catharsis, and creating space for those impacted. Training for providers remains difficult, especially in restricted states, with fewer opportunities post-Dobbs. Advocacy efforts push for expanded telehealth, harm reduction approaches, and post-abortion care. Latin America’s evolving abortion discourse highlights public health and equity issues. Reducing stigma and increasing accessibility, including through abortion doulas and policy changes, remains crucial. The goal is to normalize abortion as essential healthcare and improve provider training and patient support.

And finally, legislators met with legal scholars at Georgetown Law’s O’Neill Institute to understand the legal efforts to reverse abortion bans at the federal and state levels. Abortion restrictions in the U.S. have intensified post-Dobbs, with 12 states enforcing full bans and others imposing harsh penalties on providers. Criminalization disproportionately affects women of color, with prosecutions for pregnancy loss and self-managed abortion increasing. Internationally, a total abortion ban is recognized as a human rights violation, yet the U.S. is disregarding global norms. Latin America tracks regional trends, advocating against criminalization. Fetal personhood laws expand restrictions, while legal battles challenge bans on constitutional grounds. Activists push for protections, decriminalization, and policy shifts to counter growing prosecutions and safeguard reproductive rights.

To learn more about SiX’s reproductive freedom work, visit www.sixrepro.org and if you’re a state legislator, join the Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council here!

Throwback: SiX’s 2024 National Conference – A Powerful Gathering For Progressive State Leadership

It’s hard to believe nearly two months have passed since our 2024 National Conference, held December 11–13 at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia. Last year’s conference—marking SiX’s 10th anniversary—was an incredible opportunity to convene progressive state legislators, advocates, and partners from across the country under the theme:

Irresistible Futures: Moving from Impossible to Inevitable

Focusing on co-governance, equity, and movement-building, the conference brought together 547 attendees from 45 states, including 191 legislators.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Powerful Keynote Address by Stacey Abrams and Loretta Ross

Former Georgia State Representative and national voting rights leader Stacey Abrams headlined the event, inspiring attendees with a call to action for state-level progress and collaborative governance.

Engaging Conversations & Movement Building

Breakout sessions focused on racial, gender, social, and economic justice while equipping legislators with the tools to champion progressive policies.

“Election Reflections and Charting A Path Forward Together”

Held on Day 2 of the 2024 National Conference, this powerful plenary explored how state legislative and judicial races shaped the future of reproductive rights, democracy, and governance. Now available to watch, this session featured movement leaders and legislators reflecting on the election’s outcomes and strategizing for the road ahead.

LOOKING BACK & LOOKING AHEAD

Relive the experience: Check out our conference photo gallery and see what attendees had to say here and here!
Stay tuned for exclusive video content featuring state legislators and partners sharing their vision for the future.

We’re deeply grateful to every attendee, partner, and funder who made this conference a success. Together, we’re turning the impossible into the inevitable—one policy, one partnership, and one state at a time.

Want to stay involved? Follow us on BlueSky, Instagram, and YouTube for ongoing updates and resources!

Resisting Authoritarianism Through State Legislatures

State legislatures are places of creation and transformation. In this moment where the Trump administration is actively creating chaos and confusion by threatening to take away federal funding for essential services, deporting and separating immigrant families, and hacking the U.S Treasury funds, SiX is organizing with state legislators and partners on both rapid response defensive strategies and long-term transformative work.

Here are three ways state legislators can plug into SiX’s organizing work:

SiX is partnering with State Futures to host a virtual rapid response briefing on Thursday, February 20, 2025, to discuss the state-level impact of recent federal executive orders and explore strategies for legislative response. Register here.

This event will provide an opportunity for lawmakers to:

Gain insights from policy and legal experts on key federal actions, including executive orders affecting state budgets and policy priorities.
Hear from state legislators about how they are responding and preparing for potential challenges.
Participate in breakout discussions to connect with fellow lawmakers and strategize on coordinated state-level actions.

Remember: Trump does not hold all the power. State legislatures are influential places to resist his administration’s attempts at authoritarian rule. Build power in your state by joining one of SiX’s upcoming webinars: Exercising State Power to Protect Immigrant Communities; Corporate Takeover of Rural America: Fighting Agricultural Preemption and Big Business Influence; and check out the recording from a previous webinar, Threats and Opportunities Facing State Budgets.
Are you ready to go deeper in your organizing around issues like reproductive rights, agriculture, and economic justice? Make sure you’re signed up for SiX’s Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council (RFLC), Economic Power Project (EPP), and Cohort for Rural Opportunity and Prosperity (CROP)! In signing up for these emails, you’ll have early access to strategy rapid response rooms with experts and like-minded legislators from across the country, customized research and resource requests, and in-person and virtual trainings.

Blog Series: Global Solidarity for Reproductive Justice - Part 1

Blog Series: Global Solidarity for Reproductive Justice - Part 1

Southern Lessons: How U.S. and Latin American Leaders Are Fighting for Reproductive Freedom

In January 2025, SiX and Women’s Equality Center (WEC) brought together U.S. and Latin American legislators to share insights and strategies in the global fight for reproductive justice. Alongside US state legislators, four Latin American lawmakers–Mexico’s Deputy Patricia Mercado, Deputy Liliana Aguilar Gil, Municipal Union of City Hall Mónica Silva Ruiz, and Argentina’s Senator Guadalupe Tagliaferri–engaged in a week of learning, exchange, and collaboration designed to strengthen their work in defending abortion rights and maternal health.

After traveling from Georgia to Washington, DC, over four days, meeting with reproductive justice leaders, researchers, red and blue state legislators, abortion funds, clinic staff, abortion providers, abortion storytellers, and legal experts, Argentinian Senator Tagliaferri summed up an aspect of the delegation’s learning: “What’s clear to me, is that the American dream does not include women.”

This is the first of a two-part blog series that will give you a behind-the-scenes account of the lessons learned throughout the delegation.

68A2621web — The Latin American Delegation meets with leaders in the reproductive justice movement. (Front row, L-R) Liliana Aguilar Gil, Paula Avila-Guillen, WEC; (Back row, L-R) Jennifer Driver, SiX; Sukari Olawumi; Mónica Silva Ruiz; Senator Guadalupe Tagliaferri; Kwajelyn Jackson, Feminist Women Health Center; Patricia Mercado; Breana Lipscomb, Center for Reproductive Rights; Gabriela Hernandez, Sisterlove.

Day 1:

Latin American legislators met with reproductive justice leaders and learned the history of the movement, with an emphasis on addressing systemic issues like poverty, racism, and patriarchy alongside securing legal abortion access. Panelists discussed how southern U.S. states face severe abortion bans, disproportionately impacting Black and Latina women and marginalized communities, increasing maternal mortality, and driving providers away. Southern community-based solutions focus on comprehensive care, filling gaps for underserved populations, and countering misinformation from fake clinics—a strategy now exported to Latin America. Reproductive justice leaders urged global collaboration, proactive policies (e.g., legal protections, access to full-spectrum care, repealing barriers), and cultural change to tackle shared challenges.

After participating in an Atlanta civil rights tour, legislators met with researchers at Emory University’s Center for Reproductive Health Research in the Southeast (RISE). Researchers shared their efforts to address restrictive abortion policies through a focus on research, education, advocacy, and community partnerships. Programs like RISE emphasize evidence-based approaches, addressing structural barriers, stigma, and misinformation. Speakers shared how community-centered principles, such as self-determination and shared knowledge, guide their initiatives to align policy with public beliefs about autonomy and freedom. RISE’s research and advocacy efforts highlight the disproportionate impact of bans, including increased maternal deaths and pregnancy criminalization, while emphasizing the need for global collaboration.

Latin American legislators ended their day discussing insights and strategies on expanding reproductive freedom with Georgia state legislators. Georgia legislators emphasized that they are fighting to expand reproductive freedom beyond Roe, focusing on healthcare access, pregnancy decriminalization, and expanding insurance coverage. In Georgia, a narrow vote passed a restrictive abortion ban in 2019, forcing women to seek care out of state and allowing misinformation to thrive in clinics. While the ban is being litigated in the state, the maternal mortality crisis worsens as oversight committees are dismantled and physician shortages persist. Advocates remain committed to pushing bold legislation, even when success is uncertain, to keep the fight alive.

68A2809web — The Latin American delegation meets with Georgia legislators. (Front row, L-R) Jennifer Driver, SiX; Patricia Mercado; Mónica Silva Ruiz; Senator Guadalupe Tagliaferri; GA Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes; GA Rep. Shea Roberts; (Back row, L-R) Elida Caballero Cabrera, WEC; Paula Avila-Guillen, WEC; Liliana Aguilar Gil; GA Rep. Eric Bell; GA Rep. Kim Schofield.

Legislators from Argentina and Mexico shared strategies from their successful movements—leveraging media, reframing messaging, and countering misinformation. Fear and disinformation now shape conversations in the U.S., with simple yet misleading narratives gaining traction. To shift public perception, legislators discussed refining their messaging, mobilizing younger voices, and creating compelling, accessible narratives that resonate widely.

Day 2

Legislators began the day by visiting Atlanta’s only birth center. This birth center is the third busiest in the U.S. and one of two operating in Georgia. Most midwives at the birthing center have transfer privileges at Grady Hospital and partner with Morehouse School of Medicine. They provide gynecological care, preconception counseling, and Certified Nurse Midwife services. Initially out-of-network, the birthing center now accepts insurance and Medicaid but faces financial deficits due to low reimbursement rates. Medicaid covers 50-55% of patients, with few cash-pay clients. Staffing is a challenge due to lower wages than hospitals, and philanthropy is essential for sustainability of the center.

Next, legislators met with leaders from ARC Southeast, a regional reproductive justice organization that serves six states, providing direct funding to Feminist Women’s Health Center, practical support, and Plan B kits. They offer travel accompaniment but logistically are challenged to offer childcare – a high need since 65% of abortion clients are parents. Over 80% of callers travel out of state, averaging a drive time of four and a half hours. Speakers encouraged the reproductive freedom movement to think bigger, challenge outdated rules post-Roe, and build cross-movement alliances. Latin American legislators shared lessons to highlight the importance of community-led support and policy enforcement to sustain reproductive rights and care.

Finally, legislators ended their time in Atlanta with a tour of Feminist Women’s Health Center, a reproductive health, rights, and justice organization offering a range of services and programs including abortion care, annual exams, birth control options, emergency contraception, HIV and STI testing and counseling, pregnancy testing, and trans health services. In addition to these essential services, they also offer community programs that engage community members in policy and advocacy efforts, Lifting Latinx Voices Initiative which addresses reproductive and sexual health issues faced by Latinx families through education, outreach, and leadership development.

Stay tuned for the second blog in this series for what the Latin American legislators learned in Washington, DC!

To learn more about SiX’s reproductive freedom work, visit www.sixrepro.org and if you’re a state legislator, join the Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council here!

Threats and Opportunities Facing State Budgets in 2025

Budgets are an essential responsibility of state legislators. Every year legislatures approve trillions in public spending. Budgets are also a reflection of a state's values and priorities and can be a powerful tool to advance justice and secure meaningful, material gains for working families.

State budgets were already expected to face shortfalls in 2025 as pandemic-era federal dollars conclude, and automatic tax cuts threaten state budgets. However, with the advancing Trump administration, the possibility of completely eliminating federal public programs, grants, and jobs is real – alongside a punitive federal government that could target and scapegoat states that don’t go along with the federal agenda.

SiX created the webinar State Budgets: Threats and Opportunities in 2025, in partnership with our colleagues at the Center for Budget & Policy Priorities (CBPP), the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), the State Revenue Alliance (SRA), and more, to help state legislators, legislative staff, advocates, and movement partners navigate the unique dynamics facing state budgets in 2025.

The webinar overviews how federal and state budgets interact with each other, who contributes to our state budgets, and the power – as well as mass popular support – state legislators have to pass common-sense tax solutions to ensure working families have access to public education, healthcare, childcare, and retirement.

If you would like to access the recording and slides or receive follow-up support on advancing state budgets that center on the needs of people over corporate and billionaire profits, fill out this password form. If you’d like to share the webinar recording or slides with a colleague, please send them the password form instead so we can keep track of who has access!

During the webinar, SiX and our partners at CBPP, ITEP, and SRA shared some essential tools and resources we’ve released for legislators, legislative staff, and advocates to defend and advance progressive state budgets:

Who Gives and Who Gets? Explore the Balance of Payments between States and the Federal Government, Rockefeller Institute of Government
Federal Policy Debates in 2025 Carry High Stakes, Center for Policy & Budget Priorities
FAQs on Impoundment: Presidential Actions Are Constrained by Long-Standing Constitutional Restrictions, Center for Policy & Budget Priorities
Who Pays? 7th Edition (see where your state ranks!), Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
Tax Payments by Undocumented Immigrants, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
Medicaid Threats in the Upcoming Congress (includes state-by-state impacts), Center for Policy & Budget Priorities
- See also: Medicaid Work Requirements Could Risk 36 Million People Losing Health Coverage; State Efforts to Take Medicaid Health Coverage Away From People Likely to Resurface in 2025; and Work Requirements Don’t Work
SNAP: State-by-State Data, Fact Sheets, and Resources, Center for Policy & Budget Priorities
States Should Reverse Course on Defunding Public Education Through Private School Vouchers and Property Tax Cuts, Center for Policy & Budget Priorities
Black Women Best Framework Points the Way to Equitable and Just State Tax Reform, Center for Policy & Budget Priorities
Financial Exposure: Rating the States on Economic Development Transparency, Good Jobs First (See also: Film and TV Subsidies: Frequently Asked Questions)
Punitive Fines and Fees Are an Invisible Cost of State Tax Cuts, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy
Tax Policy Polling and Modeling District Lookup Tool, State Revenue Alliance
2024 Legislative Session Overview recapping many of the 2024 state tax revenue highlights, State Revenue Alliance

SIX’s Economic Power Project:

This webinar is part of SIX’s Economic Power Project, our national economic justice initiative, organizing legislators committed to building economies that empower people and advance justice. With alarmingly rising corporate and billionaire influence in the federal government, the states are the frontlines for building people-centered economies that deliver tangible wins for working families. Learn more and join here.

State Legislatures and the Fight for Reproductive Rights in 2025

Written by Jennifer Driver, Senior Director of Reproductive Rights at the State Innovation Exchange

52 years after the Supreme Court first handed down the Roe v. Wade decision, abortion has gone from a constitutionally protected right to the focus of an all-out fight in the states, with state legislators on the frontlines. This year, the inauguration of Donald Trump—and one of the most anti-abortion administrations and congresses in our country’s history—signals the next chapter of that fight, and lives are on the line—but not lives that these politicians care about.

Politicians like JD Vance have built their identities and platforms around words like “pro-life.” But their agenda is not about protecting life, and it never has been.

I know this because their playbook is nothing new for SiX. For decades, our Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council members have seen this extremist agenda play out in statehouses and communities and the harm it causes, especially to Black and brown communities and those working to make ends meet–people who were most likely to lack access to abortion even before Roe fell.

Try as these politicians might to hide their intentions, we know the truth: Abortion bans aren’t protecting life; they’re destroying it. In the past year alone, we saw story after story of people who died after being denied emergency care or forced to delay miscarriage treatment. Since Dobbs, we watched clinics close, ob-gyns leave ban states, and people (with the means) forced to travel out of state for abortion care.

And it’s not just abortion policies that call anti-abortion politicians’ values into question. Politicians who preach family values are planning mass deportations that will tear families apart. Lawmakers who sound the alarm about “protecting children” are proposing legislation to deny transgender children health care, while doing nothing to regulate guns despite hundreds of school shootings each year.

If these politicians cared about life, they would take up policies and allocate resources that protect it. They would strengthen state maternal mortality review committees instead of appointing anti-abortion extremists. They would push to expand contraception instead of attacking it. They would protect Medicaid and other programs to meet people’s basic needs instead of gutting it.

But policies that protect life are nowhere to be found on their agenda. In the world they’re creating, patients have to be airlifted to hospitals, doctors are under threat of civil and criminal punishment for providing care, and lifesaving medications are locked away from hospital staff. We will see people continue to lose their lives under this administration and its policies.

As troubling as this moment in our history is, one thing gives me hope. We have something on our side that these extremist politicians don’t: the people. Most Americans, across political ideology, support abortion access. We saw this in the election, as abortion rights ballot measures passed even in states that went to Trump. The power has always been with the people and in the states–and we must act on it.

The administration that gutted Roe will be emboldened. But so will we.

This year, state legislatures must hold the line, defending our freedom, health, and well-being in the face of renewed attacks. State lawmakers have incredible power to make decisions that protect our lives and our freedoms. We’ve seen incredible examples of this, from Michigan’s Senate advancing the “Momnibus” package to address maternal health disparities, including a bill requiring reports of obstetric racism and another protecting reproductive health data, to California Democrats introducing several bills to safeguard medication abortion and enforce the state’s Reproductive Privacy Act, which ensures the right to make reproductive care decisions without government interference, to Kentucky pushing for postpartum insurance coverage, diversifying medical teams, and increasing access to doulas.

In the face of a Trump presidency and the ongoing attacks on our democracy, state lawmakers are on the frontlines. They have a renewed duty to use their power for good and to advocate for policies that allow us, not politicians, to make our own decisions about our lives and futures.

That’s pro-life.

To learn more about SiX's reproductive rights work and to join the Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council, visit sixrepro.org.

New Poll Shows Coloradans’ Strong Support for a State Voting Rights Act

State Innovation Exchange (SiX) is thrilled to release findings from a recent poll highlighting overwhelming support for the Colorado Voting Rights Act among registered voters across the state. The survey, conducted by Aspect Strategic, underscores Coloradans’ pride in their state’s election system and their commitment to ensuring fair and equitable access to the ballot box.

At a time when federal voting protections are being eroded, and many states are implementing restrictive voting laws, Colorado voters are championing reforms that protect civil rights and strengthen democracy.

Key Findings Include:

Two-thirds of Coloradans support taking action to protect civil rights and liberties in elections.
Voters back the Colorado Voting Rights Act by a 28-point margin (61% to 33%), with significant support across all major demographic subgroups.
Unaffiliated voters and self-identified independents also show strong support, with margins of 64% to 28% and 62% to 30%, respectively.

"The results are clear: Coloradans want bold action to protect our civil rights and build a more equitable democracy,” said Maggie Gómez, SiX Colorado State Director. “The Colorado Voting Rights Act sets clear and fair standards to ensure that every community member has an equal voice in our elections.”

As courts continue to undermine federal voting rights protections, Colorado has taken a different approach. It has increased access to mail-in voting, enacted same-day voter registration, and created opportunities for incarcerated individuals to vote. These poll results affirm that voters are ready to take the next step: pass CO VRA to solidify Colorado’s status as a leader in election access and equity.

The poll was conducted online from January 6 to 9, 2025, and surveyed 500 registered voters statewide using SMS-to-web methodology. The margin of error is ±4.9% at a 95% confidence level.

Read the Full Polling Report Here

How States Can Take the Lead Challenging Corporate Monopolies

Days before the next presidential administration begins, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan joined state legislators from across the country for a conversation on how state policymakers can challenge corporate monopolies and secure federal wins at the state level – fighting for fair markets and protecting workers, consumers, and local businesses in states across the country.

As Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, Lina Khan and her team adopted and championed a wide range of key protections for US workers, consumers, and local business. These have included a proposed rule to ban noncompete clauses, scrutinizing dominant middlemen across sectors, protecting people’s sensitive data from unchecked surveillance, and fighting for Americans’ right to access affordable, high-quality healthcare.

During the briefing, our partners at the American Economic Liberties Project (AELP), National Employment Law Project (NELP), and the NYU Wagner Labor Initiative shared some essential tools they’ve released for legislators and legislative staff to continue the anti-monopoly momentum:

AELP, NELP, the NYU Wagner Labor Initiative, and SiX are here to support you year-round in building people-centered state governments.

Also in January, Lina Khan’s Federal Trade Commission voted 5-0 to seek public comment (including legislators & constituents) on mega investors' single-family home holdings. In another 5-0 vote, the FTC and the State of Colorado announced that they are taking action against Greystar, the nation’s largest multi-family rental property manager, for deceiving consumers.

We cannot extend our gratitude enough to Chair Khan and her team, for doing the hard and brave work of challenging the most powerful corporations and individuals in the world, and for investing so much time and passion into centering the needs and stories of those closest to the ground: legislators, workers, consumers, and local business.

State legislators across the country are ready to pick up the baton and build state governments that work for people. Together we can secure federal wins at the state level, and protect these essential safeguards for working families.

For more insights on how states can take on corporate monopolies and rebuild local economies going forward, check out the recording of SiX and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s (ISLR’s) briefing on the future of antitrust policies.

Watch: SIX and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance also hosted a briefing on States and the Future of Antitrust

SIX’s Economic Power Project:

This briefing is part of SIX’s Economic Power Project, our national economic justice initiative, organizing legislators committed to building economies that empower people and advance justice. With alarmingly rising corporate and billionaire influence in the federal government, the states are the frontlines for building people-centered economies that deliver tangible wins for working families. Learn more and join here.

About Chair Khan:

Lina M. Khan served as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces the nation’s antitrust and consumer protection laws, from June 2021 to January 2025. Khan got her start in antitrust as a business reporter and researcher examining consolidation across markets, from airlines to chicken farming. Since joining the FTC, Khan focused on exercising the full suite of the FTC’s statutory authorities, regularly engaging with and hearing from the public, and ensuring the agency is updating its tools and skillsets to tackle new market realities and next-generation challenges.

Under her leadership, priority initiatives included a proposed rule to ban noncompete clauses, scrutinizing dominant middlemen across sectors, protecting people’s sensitive data from unchecked surveillance, and fighting for Americans’ right to access affordable, high-quality healthcare. Prior to joining the FTC, Khan served as counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law. She was also an associate professor at Columbia Law School. Khan is a graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School.

Building Bold Futures: Key Themes for 2025 State Legislatures

No matter who holds power at the federal level, the majority of policymaking happens in the states. In many states, legislators have spent years working to beat back Project 2025 priorities that extremists are actively field-testing. But defensive work alone won’t win us the future. We must also build a bold affirmative vision that centers care for working families and advances justice in all states– in all constituencies and all communities — rural, urban, and suburban.

SiX is dedicated to empowering state legislators to lead boldly with their communities and make transformative changes. We have a decade of success supporting state legislators by addressing their governing needs and helping them organize with their communities.

After the election, SiX invited legislators from our network to share their priorities for the 2025 legislative session. Legislators shared plans spanning diverse political contexts, including harm reduction through community-based approaches, strengthening bipartisan relationships, and bold initiatives on racial equity, immigrant justice, reproductive rights, taxes, climate change, worker power, and anti-monopoly reform.

And at SiX’s National Conference in December 2024, state legislators and movement leaders reflected on what the election results mean for the future of state governance and discussed the work ahead in the mainstage panel, “Election Reflections and Charting a Path Forward Together.” You can watch the plenary here.

As we prepare for 2025 state legislative sessions, here are trends we’re anticipating:

Economic Justice

Building economic power for working families is essential to all of our organizing power efforts. These must center racial, gender, and immigrant justice while building class solidarity across racial and ethnic lines, immigration status, and geographies. In doing so, we’re strengthening a common thread through all topics and communities: economic justice.

Progressive economic policy measures won across the country this election, from paid leave to raising the wage, to the right to organize, abortion rights, and getting big money out of our politics. Efforts to roll back our progress failed too– voters protected public education in every state with a private school voucher measure on the ballot. Similarly, efforts to repeal state capital gains tax and climate programs also failed. With these electoral victories, we’re anticipating legislators will feel emboldened to introduce additional progressive economic policy measures.

States are the frontlines for building worker power and protecting consumers from corporate monopolies rigging the economy to their advantage. They’ve protected workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain, leveraged public dollars to build a good-jobs economy, stopped anti-competitive corporate mergers and safeguarded workers and consumers from abusive AI, junk fees, and non-compete agreements. But there are still countless opportunities for state legislators to build economies that advance tangible gains for working families, empowering them to pass local laws that meet their needs and defend local freedoms.

Budgets are an essential responsibility of state legislators. Every year, legislatures approve trillions in public spending. Budgets also reflect a state's values and priorities, and can be a powerful tool to advance justice and secure meaningful, material gains for working families. State budgets were already expected to face shortfalls in 2025 as pandemic-era federal dollars conclude, and automatic tax cuts threaten state budgets. However, with the advancing Trump administration, the possibility of completely eliminating federal public programs, grants, and jobs is real– alongside a punitive federal government that could target and scapegoat states that don’t align with the federal agenda.

For a deeper dive into how federal and state budgets interact with each other and how states can lead in 2025, legislators and staff are invited to the “State Budgets: Threats and Opportunities in 2025” briefing on January 23, 1-2 pm. Organized with the Center for Budget & Policy Priorities, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, and the State Revenue Alliance, this meeting will overview federal and state budget interactions, contributions to state budgets, and the influence of legislators in enacting tax solutions for public education, healthcare, childcare, and retirement access for working families.

Register Here

Reproductive Rights

As the states approach the third anniversary of Roe v. Wade's reversal, legislatures are gearing up to debate laws that either broaden or restrict access to abortion and reproductive health care. States with strong safeguards for reproductive rights are proposing measures to protect patients and healthcare providers should the new administration roll back abortion policies even further. We anticipate states in more progressive climates to safeguard contraception, medication abortion, and telehealth, as well as introduce further protections to guarantee the right to make reproductive healthcare choices free from government intrusion.

Meanwhile, states with abortion bans are advancing proposals such as fetal personhood laws (a radical legal doctrine that seeks to endow fertilized eggs, embryos, and fetuses with full rights and legal protections), penalties for abortion pill use, and other restrictive measures. After Louisiana passed a law last year classifying mifepristone and misoprostol controlled substances, other states, like Texas, are introducing similar measures.

Restrictive measures aren’t simply targeted at abortion access. The state legislators seeking to restrict abortion access are setting their sights on limiting access to minors, whether through constraining travel for health care, including gender-affirming care or imposing unnecessary parental notification.

And still, other states are prioritizing improving maternal healthcare, especially for communities of color and rural populations. Michigan's Senate advanced the "Momnibus" package to address maternal health disparities, including a bill requiring reports of obstetric racism and another protecting reproductive health data. In Virginia, lawmakers plan to expand Medicaid and offer remote monitoring for high-risk rural patients. Kentucky is pushing for postpartum insurance coverage, diversifying medical teams, and increasing access to doulas, while California proposes reimbursing alternative birth centers under Medicaid. Texas is considering initiatives to combat its "maternity care deserts," where nearly half of counties lack maternity services, exacerbating pregnancy complications.

Legislators and legislative staff are invited to join us for our next Rapid Response Room meeting – a virtual space for state lawmakers and staff to collaborate as they work on reproductive health, rights, and justice laws in their states on January 13, 12 pm. Professor Zakia Luna PhD, MSW will be discussing reproductive rights as human rights. Register here.

Register Here

Rural, Agriculture & Food Systems

State and federal agriculture and environmental policies are deeply interconnected. States rely heavily on federal funding for climate, agriculture, and food and nutrition programs. A Trump administration alongside a Republican-controlled Congress could lead to significant changes in federal policies, which would directly affect state budgets and state programs.

A Trump administration may prioritize deregulation, cut critical programs, and shift focus to market-driven solutions. This could result in looser environmental protections, such as easing restrictions on industrial animal agriculture, pesticide use, and water quality standards; consolidation of the agriculture sector, benefiting large corporate agribusinesses at the expense of family farms, rural communities, and the environment; and volatility in trade policies and tariffs, creating instability in agricultural markets, potentially increasing costs and reducing export opportunities for farmers.

While federal cuts and policy shifts could present significant challenges, many states have already built the foundations for resilient and sustainable local food systems and healthy rural communities, and we have no doubt that legislators will continue advocating for these solutions to protect the people living in communities that they represent.

States are moving forward with climate-resilient policies to promote regenerative agriculture, soil health, and agro voltaics (solar-powered farming). This will support farmers and ranchers to implement practices that are good for the climate. Similarly, local food infrastructure and procurement policies have been supporting rural economic development, ensuring food security and benefiting independent family farms, and farmer equity programs in many states have resulted in legislators and farmers working together to ensure that the unique barriers farmers of color face are addressed through policy and programs.

Join us in driving real change. Watch and share this video on SiX’s agriculture and food systems work today!

2024 National Conference - Atlanta, GA

Day 1

Day 2

Research Summary and Message Guidance on Maternal Health, Criminalization of Pregnancy Outcomes, and Economic Wellbeing post-Dobbs

By the Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council, a project of State Innovation Exchange

SiX has partnered with former Georgia State Representative and CEO of Courage for Progress, Renitta Shannon, and Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) to create a new report: “Maternal health, Criminalization of Pregnancy, and Economic Wellbeing: Research Summary and Message Guidance for State Legislators on the Impacts of the Dobbs Decision.”

The report provides research summaries, key takeaways, and evidence-based messaging guidance- all in easy to pull out sections- to meet the unique needs of state legislators. Whether speaking to colleagues or press, this packet provides references and tools to discuss the impacts of the Dobbs decision in these three key areas.

Read the report to access research summaries, key takeaways, and message guidance.

Watch former Georgia Representative Renitta Shannon’s ‘how-to’ video to get the most use out of the report.

User Error: Democracy

By Kairos Action and SiX

From having our freedom to vote and our judicial systems and the free press undermined, to having to deal with disinformation, surveillance, and money in our politics, we’re fighting for a functioning democracy that will serve the majority of people in the United States on particularly difficult terrain.

And unlike the physical world, the virtual world of the internet has no borders and no government. It is dominated by profit-driven private companies led by CEOs who have made it clear that they value their pocketbooks over people’s safety and run their business on the commodification of our personal information. They have unfettered control and set the stage and terms for democratic discourse and movement building; they are determined to monopolize their control over our democracy in order to guarantee their control of our economy.

To read the full report, click here.

Watch: Housing Justice in the States - Trends, Tools & Tenant Power

Watch: Housing Justice in the States - Trends, Tools, & Tenant Power

By Ida V. Eskamani

We all have a right to safe, affordable, sustainable housing. We also know housing is an intersectional issue that touches all facets of our lives. From racial justice, to infant mortality, to the climate crisis, and more, housing sits at the intersection of countless identities and policy areas:

Our Economic Power Project's October briefing focused on renters. Renters in all states face skyrocketing costs and unfair evictions, while unchecked corporate landlords and private equity firms consolidate housing supply and price gouge working families. These corporate actors dominate the policy landscape— often through trade associations like the Apartment Association, Realtors, Homebuilders, and Chambers of Commerce— while policy decisions affecting renters are often made without renters at the table.

Corporate-backed solutions are generally “build-build-build,” through developer subsidies and incentives— but we know that we must go beyond supply-side strategies to ensure we’re not simply building more unaffordable housing and rewarding the same bad actors responsible for the housing crisis with more of our public dollars.

Featuring our partners at PolicyLink, American Economic Liberties Project, Private Equity Stakeholder Project, HouseUs, and Local Progress, this briefing details those trends and threats housing justice efforts face, as well as how legislators, local electeds, and renters have collaborated across the country to find solutions.

Need help connecting to tenant organizers in your state? Or are you a tenant organizer working to connect with aligned legislators? SiX can help.

Resources shared during the briefing:

PolicyLink; Housing Tools & Resources
American Economic Liberties Project & Local Progress:A New Culprit in the Housing Crisis: Rent-Setting Software Algorithms
American Economic Liberties Project: How States Can Take on Junk Fees
Private Equity Stakeholder Project: Report Series - Tools for Tackling Corporate Landlords
FTC Takes Action Against Invitation Homes for Deceiving Renters, Charging Junk Fees, Withholding Security Deposits, and Employing Unfair Eviction Practices
- Have you or your constituents faced predatory landlord practices? Make sure to file a complaint to the FTC: FTC.gov/Complaint
Criminalizing Homelessness Through Abusive Preemption

Would you like the slides from this presentation? Email us.

This briefing is part of our Economic Power Project (EPP) – a series of briefings SiX will hold throughout the months ahead on key economic trends in states across the country. Sign up for the EPP newsletter if you would like early invites to future briefings.

About our speakers:

Tram Hoang, Senior Associate, supports the PolicyLink housing team in transforming our nation’s housing system through policy analysis, research and advocacy, narrative change, and building the capacity of our partners in movement spaces. She brings experience working on ballot initiative campaigns, tenant protections, and housing and equitable development issues in roles with non-profit community developers, city planning departments, and policy advocacy organizations. In 2021, Tram led the historic Keep St. Paul Home campaign, which saw St. Paul voters pass the strongest rent stabilization ordinance in the country. Tram holds a master of urban and regional planning degree from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, where she was a Charles R. Krusell Fellow in Community Development at the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs. She was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she spends her free time seeking elevation, ocean vibes, and recipes to replicate grandma-level food.

Pat Garofalo is the Director of State and Local Policy at the American Economic Liberties Project. Pat is the author of The Billionaire Boondoggle: How Our Politicians Let Corporations and Bigwigs Steal Our Money and Jobs. Prior to joining Economic Liberties, Pat served as managing editor for Talk Poverty at the Center for American Progress. Previously, Pat was assistant managing editor for opinion at U.S. News & World Report and economic policy editor at ThinkProgress, and his work has also appeared in The Atlantic, The Nation, The Guardian, and The Week, among others.

Jordan Ash is based in Minnesota and is the Housing Director for the Private Equity Stakeholder Project where he has been for 3.5 years. Prior to this, he worked for a dozen years doing research and strategic campaigning for labor unions, including SEIU, LIUNA, and the St. Paul Federation of Teachers. Before that, he was at the grassroots community organization ACORN for 12 years, where his work focused on community reinvestment and fighting predatory lending.

NEW VIDEO: SiX's Agriculture and Food Systems Program

Our rural, agriculture, and food systems programming is a cornerstone of the work that we do here at SiX.

In this new video, Kendra Kimbirauskas, senior director of agriculture & food systems talks about the importance of this work and why state legislators have the opportunity to be leaders in advancing rural, agriculture, and food systems policy that not only is good for people, the planet, rural communities and animals, but also advances economic and reproductive justice and our democratic values.

State lawmakers can be powerful advocates for change, and this video highlights the importance of their leadership in advancing a more just and sustainable future for everyone.

Video by: No Sudden Movements.

Watch: Legislative Briefing on Tax Justice Trends in the States

On September 25th, SiX and State Revenue Alliance (SRA) organized a joint-briefing for legislators and legislative staff across the country on all things tax justice in the states. The briefing featured the latest research on tax justice initiatives across the country, overviewing notable state revenue bills introduced in 2024 as well as anticipated trends in the future.

This presentation is part of a series of briefings organized under SiX’s Economic Power Project, SiX's national economic justice initiative, organizing legislators committed to building economies that empower people and advance justice. At SiX, we know another world is possible – where our economies center people, not corporate and billionaire profits. And that world starts in the states. Learn more about our Economic Power Project here.

Preparing for Election Harassment and Violence

Preparing for Election Harassment and Violence

State legislators face persistent violence in and outside of legislatures. In the face of this, SiX stands as a steadfast ally for state legislators. SiX is dedicated to providing the support and resources necessary for our leaders to thrive, even in the most daunting circumstances. We offer a community where legislators can find solace, guidance, and the strength to continue their vital work.

Inside state legislatures work environments have reached new levels of toxicity, and women of color, LGBTQ+, young, and disabled legislators bear the brunt of racism, sexual harassment, and anti-trans and abelist rhetoric and harassment.

We know this from listening to state legislators like Colorado Representative Elisabeth Epps on her experience: “The Capitol is not a safe place for folks who prioritize following the law and telling the truth...It is a very racist place. It is a place that is very anti-Black, it is a place that is anti-immigrant, it is a place that is misogynistic."

Research from the Brennan Center for Justice further proves that Elisabeth is not alone.

According to their data, state and local officeholders report alarming, increasing levels of threats and other abuse. Forty-three percent of state legislators experienced threats; 38% of state legislators reported that the amount of abuse they experience has increased since first taking public office; and larger shares of women and people of color serving in local elected office experienced abuse related to their families — including their children — than did other officeholders.

Now more than ever, it is essential to lead with hope and resilience. By coming together, we can foster a political environment rooted in relationship with our communities.

In addition to resources like the ones listed below, SiX offers decompression and healing spaces for state legislators. These spaces are created to be a soft landing space of restoration and renewal after attacks in statehouses on legislators’ racial and cultural identities, their support of abortion access, LGBTQ+ liberation, and other marginalized communities. Join us in Atlanta on December 11-13 to participate in a healing space!

The following are readings and resources to support legislators:

Digital Defense Fund: Digital Security for Abortion & Pregnancy Privacy

The Digital Defense Fund was established in 2017 in response to the increased need for security and technology resources in the abortion rights movement after the 2016 election. Many of the resources below are adapted from this resource.

Keep your browsing private with Tor or a no-logs Virtual Private Network (VPN), to the extent permissible under your state’s transparency laws. A virtual private network is a mechanism for creating a secure connection between a computing device and a computer network, or between two networks, using an insecure communication medium such as the public Internet. You can have a VPN on your laptop, desktops, and phone. Keep in mind that state open-records laws can have a bearing on the technology you use, although your state’s rules might impact only your email and not your browsing. Check with your state ethics officer and state house information technology staff.

Tor is a secure, free browser that encrypts your internet traffic and routes your internet traffic through multiple different computers, which masks the origin of your traffic.
VPNs route your internet traffic through their servers instead of your internet service providers. It’s important to choose a VPN that doesn’t keep track of what you’re doing - commonly called a no-logs VPN. Most no-logs VPNs cost a few dollars a month (such as Proton VPN), but there are two free options: ProtonVPN’s free tier, and Tunnelbear’s limited free tier.

Limit Location Services on Phones and Devices
To turn off location sharing,
- For IPhones:
  - go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. You can choose when to share your location for each app.
- For Androids:
  - Open Settings > Location > Turn Use location on or off.

Subscribe to DeleteMe:

DeleteMe opts you out from sites that collect and sell your data using a combination of automation and direct human intervention. This includes information like your address, email, and phone numbers. It costs $129 annually for basic plans, with more advanced security subscriptions as well.

Use a Password Manager and 2 Factor Authentication (2FA)

Password Managers such as 1Password, Bitwarden and Dashlane ensure your accounts are secure and less hackable or vulnerable to identity theft. Make sure to also enable 2FA, especially on any social media or other public facing accounts.

Block harmful words on social media comments

Social media websites such as X, Facebook and Instagram have settings that allow you to block slurs, swear words, and other derogatory phrases. Consider blocking these words on your social media pages. Similar filters can also be set for most websites created on common platforms like Wix and WordPress. Consult with legislative ethics counsel to ensure your actions are consistent with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Lindke v. Freed, which addresses government officials’ ability to block people on social media.

Create a physical safety plan

A physical safety plan can include: A security team (if your municipality/state provides one); familiarizing yourself with your buildings’ entry security, guest procedures, and policies; a safe place ready to go if you need to leave your home; a home security system; and support network of neighbors and friends. A safety plan can also include participating in an address confidentiality program (ACP).

The Surveillance Resistance Lab is focused on challenging technologies that fuel state and corporate power. You can view their resources here.

The Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence Project is the culmination of many organizations and individuals from across the country who have joined forces to better understand the problem of political violence and strategize and mobilize together across many lines of difference. View their guide here.

Women’s Democracy Lab has trainings and programs that address elected Indigenous women, women and femmes of color, and those seeking to engage with or support them most pressing challenges, including fostering a sense of belonging, ensuring safety, securing a living wage, and delivering culturally responsive professional development.

The Violence Prevention & De-escalation Resources for State & Local Officials Guide outlines four steps for elected officials to mitigate violence through resources on how to (1) analyze risk; (2) understand state-specific laws and options for enforcing them; (3) build stakeholder engagement for high risk events; and (4) communicate insights and guidance. This resource was jointly compiled by Georgetown's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, the Crime and Justice Institute, Over Zero, Institute for Strategic Dialogue, More in Common, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Princeton's Bridging Divides Initiative, and the Anti-Defamation League.

Over Zero’s Guidance for Reporting on Extremist Groups and Threats resource outlines considerations and guidelines for responsible and de-escalatory reporting on extremist threats that clearly outlines the threat white supremacist groups pose without amplifying their message or enabling them to use you to shape their narrative. Over Zero is an organization that works to prevent and reduce violence based on identity.

End Tech Abuse across Generations (eTAG) created a Digital Evidence Collection Guide in English and Spanish to help folks collect digital evidence of cyber abuse that can be used in civil and criminal court cases, including protection orders. It is a good idea to document and store digital evidence even if you aren’t ready to pursue legal action in case you change your mind later.

Crash Override published a guide on what to do after you’ve been doxxed. They define doxxing as “the act of publishing someone’s personal information, of which there would be a reasonable expectation of privacy and dubious value to the conversation, in an environment that implies or encourages intimidation or threat.” Their guide provides a high level overview on the realities, consequences, and considerations of being doxed.

Building State Power in Response to Project 2025

At this moment, every potential future is in play.

Extremists continue to advance a dangerous agenda rooted in white Christian nationalism consolidating their political and economic power, as seen in Project 2025.

And at the same time, state legislators and our communities in states across the country remain on the front lines to push back against these attacks and, against all odds, build people-centered policies to create an equitable, resilient, healthy, and prosperous future for all. This webinar seeks to align state legislators and partners to the organized threat from extremists and redirect our movement from a rapid response orientation to an approach of building toward a future that works for everyone through collaborative governance.

Check out the video below to learn from SiX's Co-Executive Director, Jessie Ulibarri about collaborative governance -- the antidote to the authoritarian playbook and from Damaris Allen, executive director at Families for Strong Public Schools and Nayda Benitez, director of organizing at the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition on how they are organizing in the face of rising extremism.

Learn more about the threats Project 2025 poses to states:

Project 2025: What it Means for Women, Families, and Gender Justice, National Women’s Law Center
Project 2025 is Already a Reality in Many States, Center for American Progress (CAP)
The Harmful Effects of Project 2025 by State, CAP
Project 2025: Exposing the Far-Right Assault on America, CAP’s full Project 2025 series

User Error: Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice

By Kairos Action in Collaboration with SiX

People seeking abortion care, abortion clinics and providers, and people who help facilitate abortion care, such as abortion funds and practical support networks, are being surveilled by both state agencies and private actors. The corporations that govern our digital spaces act as a significant, largely unregulated arm for these surveillance systems, constantly collecting and sharing intimate data about our behaviors, movements, and communications that are easily weaponized. And while some medical information that flows through Big Tech is protected by expanded HIPAA protections, anti-abortion lawmakers are already suing to remove those safeguards.

Big Tech companies and data brokers have supplied anti-abortion groups and law enforcement agencies with the information they need to surveil, criminalize, stalk, doxx, and harass abortion seekers or anyone connected to them. These companies have:

Collected personal information and communications including private Facebook messages and shared them with law enforcement in states that have criminalized abortion.
Sold location data of people visiting reproductive healthcare clinics to anyone willing to pay.
Platformed dangerous disinformation on social media and in paid search results and ads.

To read the full report, click here.

User Error: AI, Tech, & Workers Rights

By: Kairos Action, SiX, and Economic Security Project

Surveillance, work intensification, algorithmic management, and loss of autonomy are not new trends
in the workplace. These are tactics that abusive employers have used for centuries. But the rapid
introduction of technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technologies, in the workplace
supercharges existing trends that are harmful to workers.

Technology can be used to advance or undermine progress. Technology does not have to undermine
workers’ rights. Tech companies and employers that use these tools are taking advantage of the
emergent nature of these technologies to dictate regulatory frameworks, including whether there is one
at all. But contrary to what the tech industry might suggest, the proliferation of these abusive tools isn’t
inevitable or uncontrollable. They can and should be regulated, including prohibited, to safeguard our
rights.

It is important for legislators to understand these harms and who is behind them, and to collaborate
with impacted workers and work toward solutions. Black, brown, indigenous, and immigrant workers,
especially those who are undocumented, continue to be disproportionately at risk of being exploited,
discriminated against, and made victims of predatory practices in the workplace by these technologies.
Both private- and public-sector workers are also impacted, and while the use of tech in the workplace
undoubtedly affects blue-collar workers, the use also extends to white-collar workers such as
educators, writers, lawyers, healthcare professionals, and others, as was highlighted during the SAGAFTRA and WGA strike in 2023.

To read the full report, click here.

Building Rural Power: Midwest CROP Workshop Brings Legislators and Partners Together

By Siena Chrisman

At the end of June, SiX hosted its first Midwest Movement-Building Convening and Farm Tour, in and around Omaha, Nebraska. Ten state legislators from six Midwestern and Plains states joined SiX staff, our partners at Nebraska Communities United, and other regional rural advocates for two days of tours, learning, and strategy sessions.

The event was part of SiX’s ongoing investment in progressive organizing across perceived urban/rural divides. While urban and rural communities are often painted as diametrically opposed, the reality is that Americans face common struggles and share common values no matter where they live. Bringing together urban and rural leaders to build relationships and learn about each others’ realities is a critical way to build progressive power for the future we want.

After setting the stage with a short Nebraska agriculture history, analysis of corporate power, and research on rural values, the group spent a day on the ground in rural Nebraska, seeing both some of the worst extractive industrial agriculture practices and inspiring, scalable regenerative farms.

Greg Lanc, a farmer and farm machinery mechanic, took the group on a tour of his rural neighborhood, which has been overrun by dozens of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs): large-scale chicken barns, a cattle feedlot, an enormous calf-feeding operation, a mega dairy, and more. A CAFO of one kind or another is visible from nearly every intersection of the gravel roads in a several-mile radius of Lanc’s house.

The chicken houses, where millions of Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chickens are raised, are the worst, spouting dust, bacteria, and an overpowering smell of ammonia into the surrounding air. Many days, Lanc cannot spend time outside on his property because the smell is so bad. Chicken and feed trucks kick up dust and wear down the gravel roads and Lanc has documented dead chickens left in open dumpsters just uphill from streams. Costco promised the barns and the nearby chicken processing plant would bring jobs and other economic benefits to the community, but that has not been the case.

This kind of factory-style farming is often touted as an economic boon for rural communities, but research repeatedly proves what the neighbors know: industrial farms extract far more than they add. There are, however, numerous models of beneficial farm operations, including nearby in Nebraska.

Legislators and partners had lunch and a tour of Grain Place Foods, a regenerative farm and grain business. The farm has been certified organic in 1978 and its fields go through a nine-year rotation of grains and pasture for cattle, building healthy soil and a thriving ecosystem. The grains are processed at an on-site mill and sold in products locally, around the country and the world. Between the farm and the mill, Grain Place employs about two dozen workers, many of whom have worked there for decades, ensuring that the business not only invests in its natural resources, but in the economic health of its community.

Low clouds had threatened rain all day, but by the time the tour reached its last stop at Alex Daake’s farm, the sun was shining through. Daake has recently taken over part of his family’s land and is in the process of transitioning to a four-year rotation of corn, soybeans, small grain, and pasture. He grazes cattle on the pasture and sells them for beef. Between keeping a lookout for the newest calf born just that morning and admiring the many grasses, forbs, legumes, and flowers growing in the pasture, legislators discussed ways that state policy and other initiatives could support more diversified farm operations like this one.

On the final morning, back in Omaha and absorbing all they had experienced the day before, legislators heard about bridge-building organizing in Nebraska, Louisiana, Illinois, North Carolina, and elsewhere. They had stories of unexpected coalitions creating David-over-Goliath victories, like a mostly-red rural Oregon community partnering with progressive Portland legislators to pass rules to protect communities from new CAFOs; rural and urban Minnesota activists and legislators building long-term trust and determining priorities for a progressive policy agenda for the state, and much more.

Legislators and advocates left the convening excited to keep talking, to visit each other, and to dream across state lines. They went back to their districts with a greater sense of possibility for who their allies and partners might be – one urban legislator, considering previous stereotypes and all the people he had met over the two days, said, “I learned that I’m not as alone as I thought I was.”

Legislators, Indigenous Leaders, and Advocates Gather for First Ever Coastal Convening on Sustainable Aquaculture

By: Emma Newton

In July, legislators from across the country traveled to Seattle for a special three-day convening on sustainable aquaculture, working waterfronts, and tribal food sovereignty. Twenty-two state legislators from coastal states gathered with international advocates, experts, and Tribal Leaders for the first of its kind gathering hosted by the SiX’s Agriculture and Food Systems Program in partnership with Don’t Cage Our Oceans (DCO2). The event aimed to spark dynamic conversations, foster collaboration, and champion the protection of ocean economies and natural resources.

Group picture on the beach of the SiX aquaculture convening

A Grand Opening: Culture, Community, and Celebration

The convening kicked off on Friday evening with an opening dinner. Attendees were warmly welcomed by Chairwoman Cecile Hansen of the Duwamish Tribe and SiX Co-Executive Director Neha Patel, who set the tone for the event by emphasizing movement building, collaborative governance and joy.

Yakima Tribal member Christina White of Native Candies, who’s husband personally fished for the salmon on the Klickitat River that was served at dinner, shared the meaningful story behind the meal. The evening was made even more special with a traditional song from a Yakima Elder, creating a sense of unity and gratitude among attendees.

Eating and relationship building at coastal convening

Diving Deep: Discussions at the Duwamish Longhouse

Throughout the weekend, the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center in West Seattle served as the meeting space where attendees engaged in thought-provoking presentations and discussions. Topics ranged from the threats posed by industrial finfish farming to ocean economies and resources, to the power and influence of corporate entities. Catalina Cendoya of the Global Salmon Farming Resistance shared insights on successful community organizing efforts against corporate fish farms in Latin America, where she stressed the strategic partnership between community leaders, chefs and policymakers.

A Journey to the Suquamish Nation

A highlight of the convening was a visit to the Suquamish Nation, where Tribal scientists and leaders showcased their innovative work in protecting the geoduck and developing a sustainable tribal-led seafood economy. Attendees visited the tribe’s oyster beds and salmon hatchery, and savored a delicious geoduck ceviche snack prepared by Tribal Council Member and fisherman Jay Mills.

Stories from the Waterfront

The final day of the convening was marked by an enlightening visit to Seattle’s bustling working waterfront. Policymakers and advocates heard firsthand accounts from independent fishermen at the Fisherman’s Terminal. The spectacle of “flying fish” as the St. Jude, an independent fishing vessel, docked to sell freshly caught tuna, gave attendees a real-world glimpse into life on a fishing boat.

The convening wrapped up with a compelling presentation from Gideon Mordecai, a fisheries scientist from British Columbia, who shared the science behind the impacts of industrial aquaculture. The event concluded with a picturesque lunch on the shore of the sound, leaving attendees inspired to return home and engage with their communities on these issues.

Building Bridges for a Shared Vision

Throughout the weekend, state policymakers forged meaningful connections and began exploring innovative ways to collaborate with local and international advocates and Indigenous communities. Together, they envisioned a future where ocean economies and natural resources are protected and celebrated.

A participant and Hawai’i state legislator reflected on the experience: “I am used to union organizing, where we are very explicit about expectations around connecting and growing power, collecting ‘data’ and evidence on our effectiveness in that regard. Now, I am thinking about how this translates into change-making in my own context. For policymakers to truly experience that additional level of connectedness, we need opportunities to act in support of each other and a shared vision.”

The Coastal Convening on Sustainable Aquaculture marked the beginning of a powerful movement towards a more sustainable and equitable future for our oceans and the communities that depend on them.

SiX Economic Power Project: Back To School Edition

By: Ida Eskamani, SiX's Senior Director, Legislative Affairs

The Economic Power Project (EPP) is SiX's national economic justice initiative, organizing legislators committed to building economies that empower people and advance justice. With school back from summer break, our August edition is all about public schools.

WATCH: FTC Chair Khan keynote at the American Federation of Teachers conference, linking labor and antitrust as united fights for workers’ freedoms. Learn more about the FTC’s efforts to ban non-compete agreements nationwide here.

The Hard-fought Promise of Public Schools

Education access is directly tied to economic and political power, which is why universal public education was never given to us – it was hardfought. Today, a coordinated and well-funded state-by-state effort to privatize public schools through vouchers, tax credits, or “education savings accounts,” is rooted in this history, designed to roll back progress and concentrate power in the hands of the elite few.

The Racist Roots of Private School Vouchers

The privatization of public schools has its roots in racism and segregation. After the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board decision, school vouchers were used as a tool for perpetuating segregation the Court had ruled unconstitutional. Southern policymakers passed laws setting up tuition voucher or grant programs closing down public school systems altogether, rather than desegregate.

Today, vouchers still promote segregation and discrimination by funneling public funds to private schools, which are often more racially segregated than public schools and discriminate against students based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, ability, and religion. Vouchers mostly fund students who are already attending private school, and wealthy families are overwhelmingly the recipients of school voucher tax credits. Rural communities in particular are harmed by the redistribution of resources towards private vouchers.

The Extremist Network Consolidating Power by Dismantling Public Education

The same coordinated network of extremist billionaires, think tanks, and corporations pushing state laws to privatize public education are also working with legislators to erase Black history, criminalize queer kids, ban books, censor science, prohibit sex-education, bust public sector unions, preempt local revenue, and roll back child labor protections. Extremist billionaires like the DeVos family, the Uihlein family, and Kochs – and the front groups they finance like the Foundation for Government Accountability, the Alliance Defending Freedom, American Legislative Exchange Council, and The Heritage Foundation – are just a few of the players in this state-by-state strategy. They are also key authors behind the extreme right-wing federal initiative known as Project 2025.

At every level of government, their goal is a policy regime of economic and political control by enriching themselves with our public dollars while widening racial, gender, and economic disparities via discrimination, indoctrination, censorship, and criminalization.

Organizing Together and Winning for Our Communities

Public schools are the vehicle that anchors our democracy and creates opportunity for all. Across the country, legislators and education advocates are organizing together:

In North Carolina, students, educators, parents, and legislators stopped voucher expansion legislation.
In Virginia, a powerhouse of 27,500 education workers unionized in Fairfax County, creating the new Fairfax Education Unions, an alliance between the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers and the Fairfax Education Association.
In Alabama, advocates and legislators blocked legislation to expand the state’s “Don’t Say LGBTQ+” law. In Florida, 21 of the 22 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were defeated.
Across the country, community schools are transforming public education. See this report by In The Public Interest for details on 20 case studies.

WATCH: Vermont Rep. Mary-Katherine Stone discusses her advocacy for community schools.

People overwhelmingly support improving public education and oppose vouchers. That’s why privatizers have shifted their focus to values-based arguments, like those around school curricula and parental consent, framing voucher expansion as a “path to halt woke indoctrination” and “escape government-run education.”

Extremists often create fake problems to hide their true agenda. The American Federation of Teachers campaign, Real Solutions for Kids and Communities, is working to ensure educational opportunity for all. Learn more here.

Education is Everything

Education is directly tied to economic and political power, sitting at the intersections of policy making: from budgets and revenue, worker power, and civil rights, to criminalization and democracy. Below are additional resources to consider as we advocate for public education for all:

Educator Pay In America - 2024 State Data (National Education Association)
Keep Her Safe: Centering Black Girls in School Safety (National Women's Law Center & Southern Poverty Law Center)
What is the school-to-prison pipeline, and how do we disrupt it? (Southern Poverty Law Center)
Freedom To Learn Messaging Guide and Digital Toolkit (We Make The Future)
Vouchers undermine efforts to provide an excellent public education for all (Economic Policy Institute)
Accelerating Latino Student Recovery (UnidosUS)
State Snapshots of Learning Disabilities (National Center for Learning Disabilities)
Know your religious freedom rights in public school (Americans United for Separation of Church and State)
Conservatives Go to War — Against Each Other — Over School Vouchers (ProPublica)
Unmasking “Moms for Liberty” (Media Matters)

SiX Announces National Conference Speakers

SiX Announces National Conference Speakers

By: Eme Crawford

At this moment, every potential future is in play.

And they’re playing out in front of us.

The radical right continues to advance an extremist agenda at every level of governance. And at the same time, state legislators and our communities remain on the front lines to push back against these attacks and build people-centered policies to create an equitable, resilient, healthy, and prosperous future for all.

Join 600 state legislators and movement partners, on December 11-13 in Atlanta, Georgia for SiX's national conference and influence this moment to create futures where all people have power and agency over their lives.

This will be the largest gathering of state legislators post-election. Hundreds of state legislators and trusted partners from around the country will gather, reflect and plan for a future where all people have power and agency over their lives.

We have a slate of powerful speakers joining us on panels like "Election Reflections and Charting a Path Forward Together," "Leading in an Authoritarian Moment: Global Models for Resistance in the State House," and "Looking to the Horizon."

Visit our conference website to register and for the latest updates on speakers!

Middle-Out Economics: Communicating Policies The Empower Workers

Middle-Out Economics: Communicating Policies The Empower Workers

SiX and the Rural Democracy Initiative co-sponsored a webinar on new polling from the Winning Jobs Narrative Project, a working people-centered narrative architecture for talking about jobs, work, and the economy that resonates across race, geography, and issues.

Following an ambitious research agenda, the Winning Jobs Narrative team has developed a narrative architecture that progressive advocates and leaders can draw from to frame a broad range of issues.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization SiX works in close coordination with legislators, advocacy groups, think tanks, and activists to provide the tools and information legislators need to be successful. SiX’s resources are free of charge to state legislators and staff.

Act on Climate by Challenging Corporate Power

Act on Climate by Challenging Corporate Power

By: Ida Eskamani

As the fossil fuel industry works with state legislators across the country to censor “climate change” from state laws, investments, and text books– the Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate, with human activity as the principal cause. Costs and consequences are increasing for everyone. But it is historically disenfranchised communities – Black, immigrant, indigenous, rural, and working class – who are most harmed. These communities’ expertise and organizing power is essential to combating climate change and building the futures we deserve. Not yet collaborating with grassroots organizations doing this work in your state? SiX is happy to connect.

Climate Action is Economic Justice

The climate crisis is intrinsically tied to economic justice. Rather than embrace a just transition to clean energy, the fossil fuel industry is leveraging state legislatures to preempt local solutions, shield themselves from accountability, and shift costs to consumers. A few examples:

Renters: Climate change threatens 41% of rental homes. According to a Harvard University report about 3.2 million units with rents below $600 are in at-risk areas. When natural disasters hit, communities often see rent and eviction increases. Corporate investors are known to swoop in, buy vacated property and raise rents.

Property Insurance: As legislatures serve fossil fuel lobbyists and ignore the climate crisis, property insurance companies respond by either hiking up rates or leaving state markets entirely. This isn't just a problem for coastal communities; it impacts homeowners, renters, and local landlords nationwide, escalating both costs and risks.

Worker Safety: Outdoor workers, such as those in agriculture, warehouses, construction and hospitality are grappling with severe heat and its devastating consequences. As local governments partner with workers to find solutions, corporations are pushing abusive statewide preemptions that ban local heat stress protections like water, shade, and breaks.

Energy: Monopoly investor-owned utility companies dominate state energy markets and legislatures, raising rates, preempting publicly-owned power, blocking access to the courts, sabotaging solar competitors, and undermining democracy.

How We Got Here:

The climate crisis did not happen by accident; it’s not the result of inevitable forces. It is a product of deliberate policy decisions pushed by the fossil fuel industry. The industry has persuaded some policymakers to support its agenda even though we know that states with the highest increases in wind power and solar energy since 2010 – Iowa, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas – have all seen customer rates rise slower than inflation because they reduced exposure to fossil fuel costs. However, deceptive "greenwashing" marketing promotes false solutions like “clean coal,” “renewable natural gas,” and “biogas,” which exacerbate the climate crisis. This Climate Integrity report helps identify and counter tactics used by fossil fuel interests to evade accountability.

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How Legislators can Act on Climate by Challenging Corporate Power

The United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Chevron Deference doctrine at the federal level makes the work in the states even more essential. The fossil fuel industry leverages state legislatures to maintain monopoly power, secure corporate tax giveaways, and undermine our democracy – making more profits while exacerbating the climate crisis. In addition to advancing a justice transition to clean, renewable energy, legislators and organizers are tackling the root cause of the climate crisis in states across the country in a myriad of ways:

Anti-Monopoly Reform: The Institute for Local Self-Reliance published a new report titled “True Costs of the Monopoly Utility Model” detailing the harms of monopoly investor-owned utilities and how states can act.

Accountability in the Courts: A recent poll shows that the majority of U.S. voters support holding Big Oil accountable for its climate lies in court – as in recent California litigation that advocates are referring to as People of the State of California v. Big Oil.

Direct Pay: The IRS issued regulations on direct pay of clean energy credits for state and local governments and tax-exempt organizations. Check out our legislator guide to building jobs and sustainable public energy and our stakeholder webinar, as well as this teaser video from our partners at the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center.

Exposing Private Equity: The first-ever Private Equity Energy Tracker was just updated by the Private Equity Climate Risks data consortium project. The Tracker showcases a list of the energy holdings of the largest private equity firms globally, compiling their energy deals in one, easy-to-access database.

Heat Stress Protections: States like California and Maryland are putting forward heat stress protections for outdoors workers, and the US Department of Labor just announced a forthcoming proposed rule at the federal level.

Money in Politics: A growing movement aims to restrict how utilities can use customer money to further their political goals through lobbying, trade association dues, and charitable giving. At least eleven states filed legislative proposals last session to prohibit investor-owned utilities from using customer funds to support political activities.

Property Insurance: Insurance is a key channel through which climate risk is transmitted through the financial system, and it is almost entirely regulated at the state level. This report by Climate Cabinet Education summarizes state policy interventions.

Public Power: Consumer-owned utilities (COUs) are providing reliable electricity to U.S. customers, as they have since the 1890s. Today, about 2,900 “municipal” and “cooperative” COUs serve 91 million Americans. COUs often outperform investor-owned monopoly utility companies (IOUs) because of one essential difference: IOUs serve their shareholders while COUs serve their ratepayer/owners.

Renters’ Rights: Support is also growing for eviction moratoriums during natural disasters – along with other essential tenant protections like required air and heat maintenance, just cause, and right to counsel – that can help protect renters from extreme weather and keep people in their homes. Estimates show measures such as rental assistance and eviction moratoriums helped more than a million households avoid losing their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Revenue: The Center for Policy and Budget Priorities released a brief on worldwide combined reporting (WWCR), a policy solution for states that stops large multinational corporations from dodging state income taxes by shifting hundreds of billions of dollars in profits earned in your state into tax-haven states and nations.

Interested in any of these organizing efforts? SiX can connect you with organizers in your state, legislators, organizers, and climate caucuses in states across the country, as well as national experts.

SiX’s Cohort for Rural Opportunity & Prosperity (CROP) is tackling the climate crisis impact on agriculture & food systems

Making the Connection Between LGBTQ+ Liberation, Racial Justice, and Economic Power

Making the Connection Between LGBTQ+ Liberation, Racial Justice, and Economic Power

By: Ida Eskamani, SiX's Senior Director, Legislative Affairs

The Economic Power Project (EPP) is SiX's national economic justice initiative, organizing legislators committed to building economies that empower people and advance justice. For Pride Month, originating from the Stonewall Uprising of June 28, 1969, we’re highlighting the intersection of LGBTQ+ liberation, racial justice, and economic power.

As a legislator advocating for the LGBTQ+ residents in your state, it is imperative to work in collaboration with our state-based LGBTQ+ organizations and organizers. Need help getting connected? SiX can help. Contact SiX’s Ida V. Eskamani, Senior Director, Legislative Affairs, ida@stateinnovation.org.

Pride in Understanding the Opposition

The so-called “culture wars'' are directly tied to economic justice – designed to both divide communities and deny economic opportunity to LGBTQ+ working people. And because racism is entrenched in our economic system, it is Black queer working people most impacted. Solidarity is also essential in our work: the same coordinated network of extremist billionaires, think tanks, and corporations pushing anti-LGBTQ+ laws also aims to privatize education, weaken unions, and repeal child labor protections. Billionaires like the DeVos, Uline, and Koch families, along with think tanks such as the Foundation for Government Accountability, The Heritage Foundation, and groups like the Alliance Defending Freedom and American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), are key players in this effort to undermine our collective progress, and centralize control of our economy and democracy among the elite.

Pride in Equal Pay

June 13 marked LGBTQ+ Equal Pay Awareness Day. Organizers in state capitols across the country have long-advocated for equal pay for all – our fight for equal pay takes an intersectional approach, acknowledging that the wage gap is magnified for LGBTQ+ people, especially Black trans woman. The National Women’s Law Center broke down emerging pay gap data for full time LGBTQ+ workers here. Spread awareness of the LGBTQ+ pay gap with this social media toolkit!

Pride in Paid Family Medical & Leave

By embracing inclusive definitions of family, our laws can better support the diverse structures of all families, including chosen family members, crucial for LGBTQ+ workers. States like Minnesota and Maine are at the forefront, implementing comprehensive paid leave programs that include all families.

Pride in Public Schools

The Washington Post recently ran a major story on the billions of taxpayer dollars that have been spent to subsidize private religious schools through voucher plans. School vouchers further anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination and are rooted in segregation-era policies. Strengthening public schools is directly linked to LGBTQ+ justice. AFT’s Real Solutions for Kids and Communities offers solutions. States can protect LGBTQ+ students; as well as introduce inclusive curricular standards.

Pride in Housing Justice

From family rejection leading to LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness, to LGBTQ+ elders facing new forms of discrimination in retirement, and every stage of life in between; housing and LGBTQ+ justice are connected. Tenant organizers across the country are working with legislators to advance this agenda, via just cause eviction, rent hike caps, and opportunity to purchase; as well as regulating corporate landlord AI-rent setting and private equity buyouts.

Pride in Criminal Legal System Reform

Criminalization in itself is a profit-driven agenda: incarceration is a multi-billionaire dollar industry that we all subsidize with tax dollars. The Stonewall Uprising of 1969 was in response to police brutality and criminalization targeting queer communities, and queer people have always been over-criminalized and over-incarcerated. According to the Sentencing Project, LGBTQ+ adults are incarcerated at three times the rate of the general population. Among trans people, 1 in 6 report being incarcerated at any point in their lives, and nearly half of those are Black trans people. From queer youth to adulthood, criminalization sits on the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities, racism, and classism. This brief by the Sentencing Project examines the criminalization and over-incarceration of LGBTQ+ people in the United States, highlighting the drivers of overrepresentation and presenting recommendations for reform.

Pride in Our Irresistible Futures

When we dismantle the structural barriers LGBTQ+ people face, we are all more free. We hope you can join us and 600 state legislators and partners as we build an irresistible future, where all people have power and agency over our lives at SiX's 2024 National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia from December 11-13. Early Bird Registration is now open.

The Economic Power Project is an effort spearheaded by SiX’s Legislative Affairs team.
Contact SiX’s Ida V. Eskamani, Senior Director, Legislative Affairs, ida@stateinnovation.org.

SiX is Transitioning Leadership

SiX is Transitioning Leadership

A Message from SiX and SiX Action's Board Chairs, Cathy Duvall and Tamieka Atkins

As the board chairs of SiX and SiX Action, it’s with deep gratitude that we share Neha Patel and Jessie Ulibarri are transitioning from their roles as co-executive directors of SiX and SiX Action with thoughtful intention. Their last day with SiX will be March 31, 2025.

On behalf of the SiX and SiX Action boards, we are grateful to Neha and Jessie for co-creating a vibrant and resilient organization that will last well beyond their leadership. Their vision and planning has prepared SiX to continue building power with state legislators and partners for the long-term.

Over the past seven years Neha and Jessie have more than tripled the size of the organization’s operating budget, doubled the size of staff, built a strong financial reserve and multi-year funding pipeline, and have helped SiX’s programs to grow in their impact.

SiX has never been stronger.

Our state legislator and partner network is over 12,000 members strong - across all 50 states - and growing. Our legislator cohorts continue to innovate with programming like partnering with FTC Chair Lina Khan to hear anti-monopoly concerns from midwestern farmers and legislators; amplifying the voices of state legislators time and again who push back against attempts to limit abortion access at the U.S. Supreme Court; training over 1,000 state legislators through the Progressive Governance Academy, a joint partnership with Local Progress and re:power; producing research reports on child labor and taxing investment gains; and launching two new legislator cohorts – Economic Power Project and State Gender Policy Collective – within the past year.

To our partners, our funders, our legislative network - we’re just getting started. Thank you for entrusting your time, talents, and trust with SiX. We are confident in SiX’s ability to thrive for its next chapter. To this end, we will be launching a formal search for executive leadership in early fall.

Jessie and Neha will see us through organizational milestones and external dynamics, including the 2024 election, our 10 year organizational anniversary, and SiX’s high-profile 2024 National Conference. SiX will continue to be with you in this work for the long-haul.

Should you have any questions or want to reach out to us, the board chairs, please contact us at boardchairs@stateinnovation.org.

In shared power,

Cathy Duvall and Tamieka Atkins
SiX and SiX Action Board Chairs

A Message from SiX Co-Executive Directors Neha Patel and Jessie Ulibarri

We’re writing with joyful and bittersweet news. We will be transitioning out of our roles as co-executive directors in 2025. We are so proud of the organization we’ve helped to build and we also know it’s time for a new chapter. We are leaving the organization from a position of strength and joy -- both for ourselves and for the colleagues who will remain at SiX. After over 7 years of co-leadership at SiX, we have envisioned a different future for ourselves and for SiX.

We arrived into our partnership with intention, care and love and we want to transition out of SIX in the same way.

Most people don’t know this - we didn’t know each other before we entered into these roles together. But it was clear from the first day that we would need each other - our experiences, our talents, and our support - to build an institution that could transform American governance from the states outward. We didn’t realize how radical it was at the time, but we trusted that if we started in relationship, with respect and love for each other as people, we could build an intentional and enduring partnership. We know that the way you build power is by sharing power -- and that is as true in organizational leadership as it is in elected office. It should be no surprise then that we are ready to pass the baton of leadership to others who will grow power by/with/for our communities. We build a bigger “we” by ensuring there is more space for folks to lead across our movements.

When we came to these roles, we experienced pretty traditional views of how leadership looked, where a single leader was responsible for every major decision. But our lived experiences told us that we could build a very different approach to leadership. In our families, in our communities, and in our relationships with our movement peers, we see that collaborative governance is the way we build durable outcomes that can last beyond any one single leader.

We set out to challenge the status quo of what leadership could look like so folks of color could thrive in leadership. There were central questions of our leadership journey that have been foundational to us since day one. Could leadership be for people like us in a way that wasn’t extractive, but generative and joyful? This has influenced every aspect of our work at SiX.

How we govern.

How we build a culture of care as managers.

How we incorporate other worldviews into our own.

How we manage conflict and disagreements.

How we movement stitch.

How we center each other’s humanity.

How we love.

We knew what we needed for us and our people. That is why we fight for collaborative governance as a way to be. More people need to be involved for the outcomes we fight for to be real for everyone. So we structured leadership in a way that isn’t focused on just the two of us. We know in our bones that individuals aren’t the answer -- it is community that saves us. When we treat people as people first, and do the work together, we can overcome every obstacle and that is true of our institutions. We are so proud that this is true for SiX. Which is why we think this is exactly the right time to plan a transition.

It is a responsibility to set the conditions for who comes after us – so they can lead with abundance - and this is our way of meeting that responsibility with love and care. We have shared power at SiX and this is a moment for us to share it again. This is our way of doing that. Our identities and lived experiences as people of color are so central to how we have led, that it’s hard to separate this aspect from our leadership to how we transition. This is the best time for others to lead this organization, and we feel called to other forms of movement leadership and presence in our own lives.

The SIX of today is not Jessie and Neha's SiX. It is the SiX of everyone who has helped to build this place over the past decade and everyone who is still here, building for the future. We couldn’t be more proud of the journey we have been on with SiX and its incredible board, staff, partners and funders. We have collectively built an enduring institution that is centered on the values we hold dear to us, building a future we haven't seen yet.

It has been an honor to meet so many of you who are doing so many great things. As we say, movement work is like a choir - the singing continues with joy - even when some take a breath. We aren’t done world-building with you or with each other. You’ll hear our voices again in a different part of the choir.

In Solidarity,

Neha + Jessie

P.S. We invite you all to continue building our future with joy and to join us December 11-13 in Atlanta, Georgia as we celebrate the 10 year anniversary of SiX at our national conference!

Iowa Farmers and State Legislators say Keep Koch Industries Out

Iowa Farmers and State Legislators say Keep Koch Industries Out

By Ida V. Eskamani and Kendra Kimbirauskas

“Farmers were really on the frontlines fighting back in history…. Antitrust laws of the past were really designed to make sure our markets were open, fair, and competitive. In the same way we were rejecting monarchs in our political sphere, we were also rejecting monopolies in our commercial and economic sphere. Ultimately consolidation of power was seen as a threat, whether it be in the political or economic sphere.” -FTC Chair Lina Khan, opening remarks

In Iowa this time of the year, if the weather is decent, farmers will be on their tractors planting crops. But on a windy spring day this past weekend, over 100 Midwesterns impacted by agriculture paused their planting to join their neighbors and other farmers from across Iowa and the Midwest to welcome the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair, Lina Khan to Nevada, Iowa.

The listening session was organized by SiX in collaboration with Iowa State Representatives J.D. Scholten, Elinor Levin, and Megan Srinivas, who have been champions for Iowa’s independent family farmers, and the Iowa Farmers Union (IFU). The intent of the event was for farmers to share with the Chair what the multinational corporation Koch Industries’ recent acquisition of Iowa Fertilizer Company means for their farms, families, and futures. For more background on the potential merger, click here.

FTC Listening Session cropped — *Photo by Kendra Kimbirauskas, State Innovation Exchange.*

In December 2023, the Dutch chemical company OCI Global announced the $3.6 billion sale of Iowa Fertilizer Company to Koch Industries. Koch Industries is one of the largest multinational companies in the world, their influence deeply felt in America’s economy and democracy. If they are allowed to buy the Iowa Fertilizer Company it will merge with one of its five domestic competitors and gain further dominance in the U.S. fertilizer market. This merger is cause for a lot of concern for many Iowa farmers, which they shared with Chair Khan.

At the event, the farmers’ testimony was powerful with details of how corporate consolidation is impacting their bottom line more and more each year. Many described grim situations such as when commodity prices increase and they receive a better price for their crops, their suppliers would also raise the costs for fertilizer, soil amendments, and supplies.

Dwindling competition is driving up prices and making it impossible for young farmers to compete against monopolies that leverage state policy towards an unfair advantage via incentives, deregulation and rising costs. One farmer shared that she was extremely worried that due to the continued rising costs she and her husband would have nothing to pass on to her sons who wanted to farm. As an example, she shared that last year her family spent $20,000 on new tractor tires, the same amount of money that her parents had paid for 80 acres of prime farmland in the 1960s.

IFU President Aaron Heley Lehman provided an overview of the lay-of-the land of the future of Iowa agriculture and shared that he believed the acquisition of Iowa Fertilizer to the multinational Koch Industries would harm the future of Iowa’s farming families and rural communities because Iowa farmers would continue to be squeezed by their suppliers.

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew traveled to the event from West Virginia and shared that what is happening in Iowa is a microcosm for what NFU farmers and ranchers have been up-against across the country as less competition in the market is making it increasingly difficult for farmers and ranchers to survive. He reminded the group that capitalism without competition is exploitation.

Iowa state legislators stood with farmers and community members in expressing unease over the potential merger. In traveling his district, Rep. Scholten shared that concerns about lack of competition in agriculture is one of the top worries that Iowa farmer constituents share with him. He said that monopolistic behavior by agribusiness companies is squeezing both farmers and consumers in his district, making in increasingly difficult for the next generation to be able get into agriculture at a time when a significant portion of Iowa’s farmland will be changing hands over the next ten years as the average age of Iowa’s farmers is nearly 60 years old.

Other officials attending the event with Chair Khan included former Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who was the longest serving Attorney General in United States history and Iowa Farm Service Agency Executive Director Matt Russel who farms with his husband in Marion County, Iowa.

Chair Khan expressed her gratitude to SiX and our partners for organizing the listening session and providing a forum for the farmers to share their stories, views and experiences. She said that the information gleaned from the event in Iowa would be used to help the FTC determine if they would challenge the merger.

Before the listening session, event organizers hosted Chair Khan for a local farm tour– so she could see firsthand the impact corporate consolidation has on small and large farms alike.

The FTC is an essential federal agency, tasked with enforcing the nation’s antitrust and consumer protection laws. As Chair of the FTC, Lina Khan has reinvigorated antitrust in the country, prioritizing competition in the economy and fairness for consumers, workers, and local businesses. Under Chair Khan’s leadership, the agency has taken on corporate giants– from monopolies in agriculture, tech companies, grocery chains, healthcare, and private equity.

FTC Panel — From left to right: IA Rep. Elinor Levin, IA Rep. Megan Srinivas, IA Rep. J.D. Scholten, FTC Chair Lina Khan, IFU President Aaron Heley Lehman, and NFU President Rob Larew. Photo by Kendra Kimbirauskas, State Innovation Exchange.

To learn more about SiX’s agriculture and economic justice work, click here and here.

Celebrate Black Maternal Health Week 2024 with SiX

Celebrate Black Maternal Health Week 2024 with SiX

Black legislators are spearheading the advancement of Black maternal health outcomes in their states. This year, Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) will take place April 11-17th, 2023 and the theme is Our Bodies STILL Belong to Us: Reproductive Justice NOW!

Founded by Black Mamas Matter Alliance, BMHW was created to raise awareness, inspire activism and build community support for the issues and policies impacting the health and rights of Black mothers. This week centers the work, values, and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements.
In honor of #BMHW24, SiX is uplifting state legislators across the country who are committed to supporting Black maternal health.

Show your support as a legislator in the SiX network leading the fight to improve Black maternal health outcomes and please share the following graphic and messages on social media.

Sample tweets:

Message 1: I’m taking part in this year’s #BlackMaternalHealthWeek with @Stateinnovation & @blkmamasmatter! Come engage in unforgettable activities & conversations aimed at shifting the state of Black Maternal Health in the U.S. Learn more: blackmamasmatter.org/bmhw #BlackMamasMatter #BMHW24

Message 2: @BlkMamasMatter advocates for the advancement and investment in practices and solutions that incorporate the true needs, wants and desires of Black women and birthing people! Throughout the week, I’ll be sharing how I am uplifting & empowering Black Mamas through policy. #BMHW24

Message 3: It’s #BlackMaternalHealthWeek and I'm joining @Stateinnovation in centering Black women’s scholarship, maternity care work, and advocacy. #BlackMamasMatter #BMHW24

Message 4: Black women are 3 times more likely to die from preventable pregnancy-related causes than white women. This #BlackMaternalHealthWeek, let's raise awareness and center Black Mamas’ experiences to find solutions! #BMHW24 @Stateinnovation

*Official toolkit from Black Mamas Matter Alliance*

A Movement for Tax Justice: Our Moment is Now

By: Kyle Huelsman

The tax justice movement has arrived at a historic inflection point. One path leads toward massive cuts in government spending, divesting unprecedented levels of funding from our schools, our affordable housing stock, and our broader social safety net. The other path leads toward the ultrawealthy and corporations paying what they owe in taxes, enabling us to fund our future. The next two years will determine whether we can build together, across states and across movements, to fight for the second path, and realize a government that works for us all; or whether we will be overpowered by our opposition and become resigned to the worst possible outcome.

The root of this crisis has two main causes: the loss of federal funds and declining state revenue. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was hailed as a once in a generation investment in states, and for good reason: it provided $350 billion in emergency funding to respond to the COVID-19 emergency. ARPA funds, however, are expiring. States have until the end of 2024 to designate those federal funds, and until 2026 to fully spend down the remaining balance. Simultaneously, structural budget imbalances are starting to appear across the country. California, New York, and Pennsylvania face dramatic, multi-billion dollar deficits heading into 2024, but are by no means the only states with serious issues. Based on budget analyses of states published in late 2023, roughly half of Americans live in states that report short-term budget gaps, potential long-term deficits, or both (Pew, 2024). Across the board, we are seeing systemic and chronic budget shortfalls, which will outlast even the best resourced rainy day fund.

The collision of these two events has created the perfect storm for state government deficits. In no uncertain terms, there are only two possible choices as we move into 2025 and 2026: states can cut critical government programs or increase revenue. Let us be clear, if we do not act decisively to raise revenue from the ultra-wealthy and corporations, the default option is massive budget cuts. We need only look to the Great Recession, when states collectively extracted billions of dollars from their budgets, creating gaps in education funding that persisted over a decade later (CBPP, 2017).

For the 11 states participating in the Tax Justice Initiative cohort, our theory of change is simple: we must maintain and expand our power over 2023 and 2024 in order to be positioned, and strong enough, to win in 2025 and 2026. This frame will be critical to keep us focused on the medium-term objective, while also staying motivated in the face of unfavorable legislative environments throughout 2024.

We know that transforming state tax systems often takes years, which is why SIX and State Revenue Alliance (SRA) are supporting a broad, multi-year effort. The investigative reporting piece from the Center for Public Integrity (The Long Struggle Over Taxing the Rich) lays out the rationale behind our multi-year, multi-state strategy to counter the entrenched power and resources of our opposition, sharpen the inside/outside the building strategy of our allies, and support tax justice across the country. If we were to judge the success of the Tax Justice Initiative on the outcomes of 2023 alone, we would see a modest level of success. In 2024, we are already surpassing the high watermark of the previous year, but will face challenging political headwinds in many states. However, if we step back into a multi-year orientation, we can see the essential building blocks of transformational change. Examples include: favorable polling (70%-78% support for wealth taxes in TJI cohort states), stronger revenue coalitions and legislative champions, and deeper penetration of our message – in 2023, we received 189 media mentions and stories on the Tax Justice Initiative, including top tier national press from: The Washington Post; CBS News; Los Angeles Times; Yahoo! Finance; Bloomberg News; The Guardian; Business Insider; Associated Press; CBS News; Wall Street Journal; Forbes; In These Times; CNBC; and the New York Times in January 2024.

We saw important progress in 2023 with record numbers of cosponsors (256 total), and incredible efforts so far in 2024 - highlighting both the deep popularity of these reforms and the rewards of intentionally building power with legislative champions. Yet, our opposition hired more lobbyists, spent more on paid advertisements, and received more earned media coverage. No matter how popular our policies are outside state capitols, the disproportionate level of resources spent within legislative chambers create a real power imbalance. There is only one answer to this larger problem: we must relentlessly compete for more power because we don’t have enough today. Power is measurable, and we need to stay laser focused on our ability to increase the level of influence inside and outside the building.

For the champion legislators and movement partners leading this work at the state level, we have your back. As legislative leadership and Governors dismiss your reforms as “radical” and “untimely”: know that there is a eleven state network moving forward toward a common goal; know that the biggest revenue measures of the past decades faced the same criticism in the years before passage; know that the pushback is a reflection of the power that you are amassing. The 2024 legislative sessions may largely be a difficult and frustrating time for folks on the ground, but every ounce of power we build this year will mean the difference between success and failure when the moment is ready in the next legislative session. When we build together, over the long-term, we are unstoppable!

States Leading the Way on Paid Family and Medical Leave

By: Ian Pfeiffer

From the first moments of a child’s life to the last moments in the life of a loved one, we all need time to care for our families. No one should have to worry about losing their job for putting their family first during some of the most important moments in life. This simple sentiment is shared by an overwhelming majority of Americans in poll after poll, which makes it so confounding that the United States is one of just six countries on the face of the earth that does not guarantee paid leave for workers.

In the three decades since the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed into law, which made some workers eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave, both corporations and extremist politicians–with support from their deep-pocket donors–have stood in the way of strengthening these benefits.

Under FMLA, only 3 in 10 workers are eligible for and can afford to take unpaid leave, deepening divides between historically marginalized communities. A report produced by the National Partnership for Women and Children illustrates the severe racial disparities in wealth and wealth building between white families and Black and Latino families due to past and present institutionalized racism, which are only exacerbated when serious medical and family challenges arise.

In 2021, federal paid family and medical leave was included in the Biden Administration’s “Build Back Better” legislation, coming the closest to enactment in the 30 years since the passage of FMLA. State lawmakers in 10 states and the District of Columbia had enacted legislation establishing a Paid Family and Medical Leave program leading up to this once in a generation moment to pass paid leave at the federal level. State legislators demonstrated the feasibility of the program and led to incredible momentum within Congress. Unfortunately, a small group of conservative Democrats in a closely divided Senate doomed this vital program, frustrating the millions of families that need to support a loved one in need.

State legislators have retaken the movement to pass PFML across the country in the wake of federal inaction. We are seeing incredible movement in Red states passing legislation to extend paid family and medical leave to state employees, including South Carolina, Tennessee and Louisiana. This is an opportunity to build towards a social insurance program, and particularly impactful as an important step towards gender and racial equity, as state employees are disproportionately women and Black workers. Not to be outdone, universal social insurance programs have been passed in Delaware, Maine, and Minnesota. SiX’s PFML Legislator cohort project is committed to help accelerate the second national push for federal PFML legislation, positioning passionate state legislators as national leaders in the fight for a more just economy.

The hard work in State Capitols across the country to discuss, debate, and advance paid leave legislation is vital to the lives of millions of Americans. Each small step builds towards a tipping point in Washington, where eventually federal lawmakers will be forced to react to the community-driven policy-making on paid family and medical leave that has been built in the states.

In an effort to accelerate the progress of these state-by-state fights by supporting and connecting the key legislative champions, SiX partnered with A Better Balance (ABB) and New America to organize a cross-state Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) Legislator cohort.

Launched in 2022 with 16 legislators from 7 states who joined together to share insights, coordinate cross-state actions, and strategize on shaping the narrative around PFML. We hold monthly meetings centered on in-state and cross-state strategies for long-term PFML advancement. Legislators come to the table to discuss policy language, legislative strategy and any potential compromises, as well as implementation and enforcement challenges.

Importantly, the cohort members are building relationships that allow them to share their personal lived experiences which initially brought them to champion paid leave, organically fostering cross-state peer-learning that influences how they approach their in-state political eco-systems going forward.

This curated space was impactful because the challenges the legislators face are so daunting. They discuss how to navigate “knee-jerk” business opposition, while being encouraged by their business-owning colleagues to calculate and testify on the savings a proper PFML program would provide to actual small business owners. They also push back strongly against watered down versions of PFML designed to undercut our momentum and should be seen for what they are–an attempt to shift the debate in face of strong public opinion support and growing power.

Particularly resonant was the PFML track at SiX’s Innovations Accelerator Conference in September 2023, which brought together legislators and partners together in one room from across 11 states (CO, GA, IL, ME, MI, MN, NV, NM, NY, PA, VT) to share lessons and insights grounded in the necessity of grassroots support behind policy and centering the leadership, experience, and stories of those most impacted by PFML.

Since the PFML cohort was formed, initial cohort members in Minnesota and Maine have passed PMFL laws in their states, joining the now 13 states and Washington, D.C. who have done so. We expect the cohort will both help legislators continue passing these critical protections, including in states that have joined the cohort, Nevada and Georgia, and deepen the connection that leads to further areas of focus.

While the passage of the PFML bills creating these programs is a reason to celebrate, implementation and enforcement of the programs can be a multi-year odyssey. Historically, not enough focus has been paid to how the programs are built in reality and the negative impact these delays have on those who need these important protections the most. Legislative champions and advocates are doubling their efforts to “stay in the fight” to have the programs implemented as soon as possible.

The work that can be done in any state to extend these benefits to workers and their families is vital to this ongoing nationwide struggle. We invite you to join us in this important effort to fight back against those corporate interests that stand in our way while millions of families grapple with an impossible choice between keeping a job and caring for a loved one.

Challenging Corporate Power Initiative

By: Ida V. Eskamani

The consolidation of corporate power in the hands of the elite few impacts every facet of our lives; connected directly to expanding wealth disparities and the rising cost of living, the existential climate crisis and rampant expansion of authoritarianism, and to the very existence of the multiracial democracy we strive for.

Ida V. Eskamani of State Innovation Exchange chats with her twin sister Representative Anna V. Eskamani of Orlando, Florida about challenging corporate power in the states.

The concentration of corporate power does not happen by accident; it’s not the result of inevitable forces. It is a product of deliberate policy choices over decades and centuries. Racism, sexism, and classism are entrenched within our current economic system, by design. As a result, Black, immigrant, Indigenous, working class and rural communities, women, and queer people are disproportionately exploited and denied prosperity by these policies.

But historically, state legislators, in collaboration with the communities most impacted by these policy choices, have led the fight challenging corporate power– organizing our communities and taking on the corporate lobby to build economies that empower people.

Challenging corporate power not only advances justice; it is essential to our organizing, allowing us to build movements that cross racial and ethnic lines, geographies, and issue-silos. Regardless of your area of expertise and the communities you organize with– whether it be education, agriculture, climate, housing, healthcare, criminal justice; or rural, urban, and suburban; the harms of corporate influence tie us together. Challenging corporate power offers easily identified villains, which is critical to organizing; and diminishes our opponents’ power by allowing us to neutralize the faux populism leveraged in the so-called “culture wars,” and expose the corporate donors and billionaires who fund these extremist campaigns.

And finally, challenging corporate power is an opportunity to restore people’s trust in government, by demonstrating that governments can improve the daily lives of people and work with, by, and for all people, versus the elite few. Faith in our public institutions is essential to protecting our democracy from the rising threat of authoritarianism and increasing people’s engagement in our governing system. This work is essential towards advancing racial, gender, and economic justice; and state legislators are uniquely positioned to lead the charge, and win.

Understanding our opponents:

The abuse of corporate power is rampant in our state capitols, where despite public opinion and undeniable economic disparities, the corporate lobby sets the agenda, with bipartisan success.

From seemingly infinite campaign contributions, to state-by-state coordination of model policy, corporate lobbying power is massive– outnumbering public interest lobbyists in every metric. Corporate mergers, tax-giveaways, privatization, deregulation, abusive preemption, and undermining workers’ collective bargaining rights are just a few of the policy tools used to concentrate corporate power over our economy and our democracy. Increasingly, private equity and AI threaten our economic freedoms as well.

The corporate lobby also thrives on anonymity. Corporations protect their brands by hiding behind industry associations, such as state-affiliates of the national Chambers of Commerce, Retail Federation, Restaurant Association and Apartment Association.. The agribusiness lobby is especially good at concealing its true interests; capitalizing on romantic ideals of family farms and the fact that the majority of Americans now live far from farm life. Groups like the American Farm Bureau Federation, a pro-big business insurance company, and state-based groups such as “Oregonians for Food and Shelter,” a front group for the agro-chemical lobby, acclaim to represent farmer interests while actually promoting policies that run roughshod over rural communities, the environment, and public health – meanwhile asserting that anyone who opposes them is an out-of-touch urbanite. All of these front groups lead efforts to lobby policymakers on behalf of a small group of multinational corporations, despite claims that they represent small businesses.

Despite what their public relations teams may claim, major corporations are deeply entrenched in the so-called “culture wars” as well, designed to both divide communities and deny economic opportunity. The same coordinated network of extremist billionaires, think tanks, and corporations pushing state laws to privatize public education, bust public sector unions, and roll back child labor protections are also working to erase Black history and criminalize queer kids. Extremist billionaires like the DeVos family, the Uline family, and Koch brothers, and the think-tanks they finance like the Foundation for Government Accountability, The Heritage Foundation, the Alliance Defending Freedom and American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) are just a few of the players involved in this strategy. While rigging the economy to their benefit with model policy, this same network is dismantling our freedom to vote, fueling election denial conspiracies, and pushing for a radical rewrite of the United States constitution.

This network promotes a false narrative that “government doesn’t work,” to erode people’s trust in government, leading to less engagement and further justification for the privatization they profit from, with our public dollars. We argue that our government is working very efficiently, but not for people– for corporations and their shareholders. By challenging corporate power, we reclaim control of our public institutions and build governments that work with, by, and for people.

How do we challenge corporate power?

We know that corporate power poisons every industry and impacts every facet of our lives. So how do we effectively challenge corporate power in the states? Our strategy consists of five key pillars:

1) Educate: We consistently educate legislators and partners on the past and present crisis of corporate power in the United States. We demonstrate the interconnectedness of our fights, the long-term and cross-state coordination of the corporate agenda, identify emergent threats and opportunities, and connect the dots of the corporate agenda not just in the economy, but in strengthening white supremacy, ideological extremism, and threatening our democracy. We also dream and build an economy that puts people before corporate power.

2) Name Opponents: Effective campaigns have clearly identified and tangible villains. We are up against a coordinated and cynical machine of corporations, billionaires, and extremist front groups who find power in anonymity. We must name who is financing these campaigns, as well as their financial contributions to lobbying and elections. By exposing the coordinated network we are up against, we weaken their power and undercut their divide-and-conquer tactics.

3) Organize: We organize state legislators in collaboration with the communities most impacted by these policy choices. We build broad, people-centered, multi-racial and multi-issue coalitions that name corporate power at the root of our challenges. We organize in-state and cross-state to facilitate peer-learning and multi-state strategy taking on corporate power. Recognizing that corporate interests have long promoted rural/urban culture wars and antagonism as a way to strengthen their position, our Cohort for Rural Opportunity and Prosperity helps state legislators be bold champions for progressive policies in rural and agriculture spaces that are typically dominated by legislators beholden to corporate interests.

4) Policy Campaigns: Policy campaigns come from the grassroots, reflecting the dreams of communities most impacted by corporate power. There are countless policy campaigns taking on corporate power, from workers rights, rent control and right to repair, to holding corporations accountable, ending private prison contracts and busting corporate monopolies; legislators should be key organizing partners with communities leading the charge. All policy campaigns help to build a cohesive state and national narrative. Defensive fights undermine the faux populist narrative leveraged by extremists and create a platform that speaks directly to the material needs of working families. Offensive campaigns offer real-world models for how the government can offer meaningful services directly to people.

5) Collaborative Governance: Our organizing model centers directly-impacted people working alongside and acting as key decision-makers with state policymakers. This includes policy drafting, passage, and implementation. Co-governance advances racial, gender, and economic justice while restoring trust in a government, by improving the material conditions of people and providing services better than corporations can. Ultimately, we seek to build an economy that serves people by promoting public options, fully-funded safety nets, and well-resourced state agencies.

The work ahead:

It’s hard to overstate the influence of corporations in every aspect of our lives. From our freedom to vote to the price of groceries; the cost of housing and healthcare to the curriculum we teach in schools; child labor and the right of workers to organize; the climate crisis, immigrant detention, and mass incarceration– you will find corporate influence at nearly at every level of government , undermining our public institutions to centralize power and profits at the expense of our livelihoods and freedoms.

After a year of planning, partner cultivation, and strategy development, SiX formally launched our Challenging Corporate Power Initiative at our 2023 Accelerator Conference. We organized legislators and partners from across 16 states and DC to learn about the far-reaching impacts of corporate monopolies on workers, consumers, and local businesses, and how we can build an economy that works for us all.

We began the convening with a history of corporate power in the United States, fromour Rural, Agriculture & Food Systems team. The presentation links the concentration of corporate power to white supremacy and the foundation of the US economy, including the genocide of and landgrab from Indigenous people and the exploitation of Africans and Black Americans trafficked into the slave trade. With that foundation, we demonstrated how both everyday people and elected officials have successfully taken on corporate power to advance justice, how corporate power has fought back, and brought us to the present crisis we are in now.

With legislators inspired by the convening, we launched a sign-on letter in partnership with the American Economic Liberties Project (AELP), rallying legislators behind the federal government's draft corporate merger guidelines. In less than a week, we secured 56 state legislators from 22 states in support of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) proposed corporate merger guidelines.

As legislative sessions grind on, our team is on the ground and working across state lines to organize lawmakers, workers, and local businesses and leverage legislatures to fight back in ways that advance justice and build long term, durable power. We invite you to join us in this effort to challenge corporate power in our state capitols and our communities, towards a future where people, not multinational corporations, have what they need to thrive.

Acknowledgement: Gratitude to our Agriculture & Food Systems team members Kendra Kimbirakuskas and Siena Chrisman, for their work, and contributions to this piece.

SiX Holds Innovations Accelerator Conference in Denver

By: Ida Eskamani, Senior Director, Legislative Affairs

We just held our second-ever Innovations Accelerator Conference, bringing together over 150 legislators and movement partners from 29 states to strategize on our work to advance tax justice, gender justice, paid family and medical leave, and taking on corporate monopolies.

SiX joins with movement partners and Legislators at the 2023 Accelerator Conference in Denver.

We are incredibly proud of the diverse states we convened on various issue-specific tracks, from Alaska to Florida and everywhere in between.

Here are a few highlights from the conference:

Tax Justice: Organized in partnership with the State Revenue Alliance, we brought together legislators and organizing partners from across 14 states (CA, CO, CT, HI, IL, ME, MD, MN, NV, NJ, NY, OR, VA, WA) to coordinate on shaping the national narrative around government, wealth taxes, and public investment.

Gender Justice: Organized in partnership with the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), we officially launched the State Gender Policy Collective – a joint project between SiX and NWLC that will resource and harness the collective power of state lawmakers and leaders to advance gender justice wins across all states. We brought together legislators and partners across 17 states (AL, AZ, CO, CT, FL, IL, MD, MI, MN, MS, MO, NY, NC, OH, RI, UT, WA) to strategize around the infrastructure that is needed to advance this work.

Paid Family and Medical Leave: We partnered with organizations such as A Better Balance, New America, and 9to5 Colorado, and united legislators and partners from across 11 states (CO, GA, IL, ME, MI, MN, NV, NM, NY, PA, VT) to continue building our coordinated group of legislators leading a national movement around paid family and medical leave.

Anti-Monopoly: We also gathered legislators and partners from across 16 states (AK, CA, FL, GA, IL, ME, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NV, NY, NC, OH, PA) and DC to learn about the far-reaching impacts of corporate monopolies on workers, consumers, and local businesses, and how we can build an economy that works for us all. At the convening, we launched a sign-on letter rallying legislators behind the federal government's draft corporate merger guidelines.

We are grateful to the state and national organizations we collaborated with to organize the conference – including the Progressive Governance Academy. We could not have done this work without our sponsors: the Economic Security Project, National Women’s Law Center, Women’s Democracy Lab, and State Revenue Alliance.

As we continue building momentum from this conference, we invite you to explore our latest publication, “States Leading on Leave: A Playbook on Winning Paid Family and Medical Leave," released in partnership with A Better Balance and New America. Based on lessons learned from state lawmakers and advocates, the playbook outlines strategies around expanding paid family and medical leave (PFML) laws in state legislatures nationwide. It provides guidance for coalition building and management, campaign strategy, policy design, and planning for successful implementation, drawn from SiX’s experts and interviews with state legislators and advocates who have recently won PFML enactment in DE, ME, MD, MN, and OR.

Check out the playbook at: https://stateinnovation.org/pfml.

Pressure's On: How SiX Legislators are Fighting Back

Pressure's On: How SiX Legislators are Fighting Back

By: Nahal Zamani, Senior Vice President, State Strategy & Services

Across the country many statehouses have wrapped up their legislative sessions, and have faced extraordinary challenges along the way. SiX’s network of legislators engages in a strategic deliberation each legislative session by responding to immediate threats and the onslaught of attacks on our rights, while also daring to be visionary. This is never an easy balance.

Below, we share significant learnings and moments from this year’s legislative session:

When anti-abortion lawmakers came after bodily autonomy, SiX’s network of legislators was on the frontlines.

This June, our SiX Reproductive Rights team premiered Fractured, a five-part, first-of-its-kind docuseries spotlighting legislators in action amid one of the most contentious and monumental fights of our lifetime.

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Caption: North Carolina Sen. Natalie Murdock, Former Kentucky Rep. Attica Scott, and Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani, all participants in the Fractured docuseries, hold pañuelos verde, a symbol of solidarity with the transnational movement for abortion rights ignited in Argentina.

Fractured captures lawmakers from our Reproductive Freedom Leadership Council, medical professionals, faith leaders, and activists mounting a response to the most dire assault on abortion rights in decades. At a time when Americans’ fundamental rights are increasingly under threat from authoritarian forces, Fractured showcased a cross-section of elected officials who work with communities, not against them; support bodily autonomy, not undermine it; and inspire hope, not cynicism.

This legislative session, our Reproductive Rights team worked closely with legislators and movement partners to advance and protect abortion access across the country. Despite consistent public opinion in support of legal abortion, abortion is banned in 13 states, leaving large regions of the country without abortion care and contributing to increased wait times at clinics in states where abortion remains legal. Some states are further testing the legal limits of the post-Roe landscape by passing extreme restrictions, such as a ban on helping a young person travel out of state to access legal abortion care. Find out more in our latest publication, The State Abortion Policy Landscape One Year Post-Roe, in partnership with the Guttmacher Institute.

Lastly, states like GA, TX, MS, and MO expanded postpartum Medicaid coverage, an issue that has been championed by Black women legislators and reproductive justice groups for years. And in a major win, over-the-counter and pharmacist-prescribed birth control was expanded in states like IL, NV, NY, and MD.

We championed working families and advanced economic justice.

In May, a strong comprehensive paid family and medical leave insurance program was signed into law in MN, making it the first midwestern state to pass paid family and medical leave. Under the new program, most workers in the state will be able to take up to 20 weeks of job-protected paid leave if they qualify. This legislation was led by Sen. Alice Mann and Rep. Ruth Richardson, members of SiX’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Legislator Cohort Project.

Earlier this month, ME became the 13th state, along with D.C., to pass paid family and medical leave legislation. Under this legislation, nearly all workers in ME will be entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid leave each year if they qualify. This legislation was also led by our cohort members, Sen. Maddie Daughtry and Rep. Kristen Cloutier. Similarly, MI repealed its anti-worker ‘right-to-work’ law; NV and VT passed state-sponsored retirement savings plans; and MN passed a new antitrust law establishing a “public interest standard” for hospital mergers, protecting access to care and workers’ collective bargaining power.

The fight continues in all states, and as we celebrate the victories, we also recognize that working families faced a plethora of regressive legislative proposals, too. IA and AR passed dangerous laws weakening child labor protections; FL passed legislation undermining public sector unions' right to organize, and TX passed an omnibus preemption law erasing countless local laws, including heat stress protections for outdoor workers.

We remained steadfast in our commitment to advocate for Black farmers and rural communities against corporate lobbyists.

We hosted U.S. Sen. Cory Booker’s staff for a Justice for Black Farmers: Where Are We Now? Webinar, focusing on the Justice for Black Farmers Act and how to advance farmer equity in the states. The SiX Agriculture & food systems team also supported legislators who organized alongside advocates and impacted individuals to advance farmer equity bills, including a Black farmer breakfast for legislators in GA and Black Farmer Lobby days in NC and IL. This work demonstrates the power that comes from legislators and advocates working in partnership to advance good policy forward.

For the past two years in OR, rural community members, advocates, and legislators have been attempting to strengthen the way the state regulates mega livestock operations or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) in order to protect rural communities and the environment from the negative impacts associated with raising massive numbers of animals in confinement. SiX partnered with local impacted communities to host a legislator tour of proposed poultry CAFO sites, leading to a working group examining shortcomings with how states regulated mega livestock operations and culminating with the introduction of the CAFO Moratorium bill. This bill, despite being amended and weakened due in part to pressure from the corporate agribusiness lobby, demonstrates what can be achieved when legislators work directly with impacted communities, farmers, and advocates instead of corporate lobbyists.

Protecting democracy remains a crucible for our work together.

Democracy remains under threat. This legislative session, CT expanded early in-person voting, preclearance requirements for problematic jurisdictions, expanded language assistance, increased protections against discrimination in voting, and instituted a civil offense for poll worker intimidation; ME expanded mail ballot access for caregivers and people with disabilities, and instituted automatic voter registration; in AL, compensation for election clerks and inspectors was raised; NV created a new reservation based polling system; and in AR, we saw increased flexibility for overseas voters returning ballots and for election officials to establish vote centers. CT, MN, and NM passed state Voting Rights Acts. We also remain extraordinarily proud of the leadership of the legislators of Southern Freedom to Vote Alliance who are working across the South to advance democracy.

As we saw in the resolution of crucial U.S. Supreme Court cases, state legislators remain at the front lines of how we protect our freedom to vote and uphold the tenets of our democracy.

We fought back against the passage of anti-LGBTQ+ laws that were both heinous and insidious.

This session, we also saw efforts to protect access to gender affirming care, expand existing civil rights provisions, and ban conversion therapy. When anti-LGBTQ fights in FL spread outside the state into NC, SiX connected advocates on the ground in FL to both NC and GA to learn best practices and build off of our collective work.

SiX has maintained a deep focus on organizing and caucus work, especially with regard to racial, gender, and LGBTQ identity. We believe that supporting and empowering identity caucuses is one of the most powerful strategies for legislators to reshape the center of power in their respective legislatures, and to ultimately build long-term durable power for their communities. From helping launch the first LGBTQ caucus in NV, to coordinating public support from all four identity caucuses in CO for the Equal Pay bill, to garnering support from members to speak up for OK State Rep. Mauree Turner and MT State Rep. Zooey Zephyr after they faced calls for censure for defending the rights and dignity of transgender, non-binary, and intersex people – SiX is embedded with our caucus members and chairs.

The road ahead.

While we may have struggled, each and every one of us consistently showed up and engaged to fight for our values and defend our freedoms. What some consider to be “legislative losses,” SiX sees opportunities for guiding how we must work and govern differently. Together, we must look forward and strategize with our movement partners and our legislator network to shape the country we want to live in.

This is co-governance at its finest.

Legislator Spotlight: TN Minority Leader Karen Camper

Karen Camper has represented Tennessee's District 87 for over twelve years and is the first African American House Democratic leader in the state's history. She sits on the House Finance Ways and Means Committee, House Business and Utilities Committee, Ethics Committee, House Rules Committee, and Joint Pensions and Insurance Committee.

This interview is part of a series for No Democracy Without Black Women, a report about the underrepresentation of Black women in state legislatures.

What drove you to become a leader in the Tennessee House of Representatives?

I started my life on the southside of Chicago, where I was very involved in school and in my community. My mother and grandmother set that tone and expected success. I have lived these values of being active in my community since I was young. I was an activist in college, demanding that the college divest from interests in South Africa over apartheid, and after college I volunteered to serve my country in the United States Army.

In my role as a State Representative, I make sure that the people in my community have their voices heard and that we have a seat at any table where decisions are made. This drive propelled me into leadership.

Today is the 3rd annual celebration of Rosa Parks Day in Tennessee. Sen. Raumesh Akbari and I sponsored the legislation to recognize Dec. 1 as the day our state remembers the sacrifice and tenacity of an ordinary citizen creating an extraordinary legacy. You don’t have to be pic.twitter.com/rAWHaqWwlo
— Leader Karen Camper (@KarenDCamper) December 1, 2021

What role do you see Black women playing in state legislatures? And what makes Black women so well suited at this moment to lead?

When we look at the future of our country and how to make things better, one of the most important challenges we must tackle is to make sure that every stakeholder has a seat at the table. It doesn’t matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat. We all need to be able to talk to each other about what is really important—community, family, opportunity, fairness, justice.

I think Black women are well-positioned to lead because we have our roots in community, we know how to build bridges, and we know how to lead in the face of adversity. I know how important it is to spend time meeting with people in my community to make sure they all have a voice in crafting our policy priorities.

There are techniques and strategies that you can use as a leader, and part of it is recognizing your strengths and using them to advocate for your constituents. You also have to remember people come from various walks of life, they all come here out of their love and commitment to the mission. Everyone can contribute. I've walked in that mindset here in the Tennessee General Assembly.

I have had strong mentors and I think that is incredibly important as you navigate this world. Keep following your path, reach out for help and guidance when you need it and the rest will come along.

Looking back over the last few years, could you share a victory that was particularly meaningful?

It is always important to show up and fight every day for your values. I advocate for justice and equality for all human beings. Just three years ago, I collaborated with my colleagues in the Tennessee General Assembly to officially recognize Rosa Parks Day in Tennessee. This acknowledgment was as much a reminder to future generations of Tennesseans as it was a tribute to the past. Three of the four Minority Leadership members in the House and Senate are African American, and two of us are women.. As the two highest-ranked women of color in Tennessee’s legislative history, we recognize that our work would not have been possible without the sacrifices of people who were persecuted for exercising their civil rights and the millions who continue to march in the spirit of equality. The ideals Rosa Parks embodied are those that I continue to fight for today.

Legislator Spotlight: Maryland Speaker Adrienne A. Jones

Adrienne Jones is the first woman and first African-American Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. In 2021, she introduced and passed an ambitious set of bills to address health and financial disparities in Black communities. This interview is part of a series for No Democracy Without Black Women, a report about the underrepresentation of Black women in state legislatures.

You have successfully reached the heights of leadership in the Maryland legislature. What propelled your trajectory to becoming Maryland Speaker of the House?

Throughout my career, I worked hard to take advantage of the opportunities that have been presented to me – from my transition from the central committee to delegate and Speaker Pro-Tempore to Speaker of the House.

After graduating from UMBC, I was unsure about my career goals but knew I wanted to make a difference. I applied and was accepted into a federal government program that helped recent college graduates find their first job. Just six months after I graduated from college, I began working for Baltimore County government. My first position was a Clerk III serving as an Assistant to the Assistant Director of Central Service. A few years later, I joined the Baltimore County Executive’s Office as an aide where I discovered my love for public service.

While I continued to work for Baltimore County, I volunteered on several political campaigns, served on numerous community service boards and commissions, and was appointed as a Member Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee.

In 1997, following the death of one of the Delegates in the 10th district, I was encouraged by my Senator Delores Kelley and then County Executive Dutch Ruppersberger to apply for her vacant Delegate seat. But finally agreed to compete for the seat in a crowded field of 16 other candidates and I was appointed in October of 1997 by Speaker Casper Taylor. I subsequently ran for re-election in 1998, won and have won every reelection since then.

On November 20, 2002 at 8:30pm, I received a call from then Chairman Michael Busch that changed everything. He told me that he was going to run for the Speaker position and asked if I would run with him as his Speaker Pro Tem. I told him yes right away, and he and I were Speaker and Speaker Pro Tem for 16 years until his death in April of 2019.

Following Speaker Busch’s death, I was unanimously elected by the full House of Delegates to become Speaker of the House. My story serves as a lesson that you never know who is watching, and you never know when opportunities will become available to you.

What challenges did you face in your rise to leadership?

Initially, I was reluctant to compete for the delegate seat because I was caring for my sick mother, but finally agreed. After being a Delegate for a few years, I would ask myself, “Did I make a mistake?” There weren’t enough women or people of color serving with me. In this country there have been only two other Black women as Speakers in their states—current Congresswoman Karen Bass and New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver. I spent late nights in my office reading bills only to get on the House floor and hear some men talk loudly and say nothing in their floor remarks. It’s important that women – particularly women of color – have a voice in government. I’m reminded of the old expression “If not you, who? If not now, when?”

If we strengthen the Black and Brown community, it makes a stronger economy for everyone — everyone benefits. #TheBlackAgenda https://t.co/DqBKjMAXQE
— Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (@SpeakerAJones) January 19, 2021

You introduced the Black Agenda this legislative session. Can you elaborate on the impact the policies will have on Black communities post COVID-19, especially how they will address the wealth gap?

Absolutely. The Black Agenda is a comprehensive approach to providing more economic opportunity and upward mobility for more Black Marylanders. It targets five key areas including health, housing, corporate management, business, and government. It will have a lasting impact, not just as we recover from COVID.

The most common large investment of any American family is a home, but redlining mortgage rates and banking investments since the New Deal have left Black families in Maryland without this valuable wealth creation tool. As a result, we passed a bill that creates tax-free savings accounts for all first-time homebuyers. We passed a bill preventing housing loan and credit applicants from being denied if they can provide alternate forms of creditworthiness, like a history of rent payments or utility payments. We also passed a bill requiring Maryland companies to report on the racial diversity of their boards to demonstrate diversity in their membership, leadership, or mission in order to qualify for state capital funding tax credit contracts over $1 million. Another part of the agenda is declaring racism a public health crisis and requiring health workers to undergo healthy equity and bias training.

I'm seeing a difference after this legislation was passed. I'm looking forward to doing more to ensure that no communities will be left out. Everyone should have the opportunity to build wealth in Maryland and across the country.

Legislator Spotlight: TN State Senator Raumesh Akbari

Senator Raumesh Akbari is the first African American chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus in the Tennessee Legislature. She serves on the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee and the Senate Education Committee. Akbari has represented the 29th District since 2018 and previously represented the 91st District as a state representative from 2014 to 2018.

This interview is part of a series for No Democracy Without Black Women, a report about the underrepresentation of Black women in state legislatures.

What compelled you to run for office as a millennial?

I was one of those weirdos that knew early on that I wanted to run for elected office. As far back as middle school, I knew I wanted to run because I thought, “If you don't like the way the law is, you have to change it.” I was inspired by the National Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King, and all of the folks protesting for the passage of the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. That really motivated me.

Over the years, I saw a lot of problems in my community and people shared their concerns with me. I knew that actually having a seat at the table where legislation is being made would give me an opportunity to make a direct impact. You can raise awareness of an issue, get people’s attention, and then really make change with legislation. When I first got elected, I was the youngest member in the legislature and I knew that was an important role to fill.

My OFFICIAL office sign is up!! Excited to serve the great people of #Tennessee as the first African-American Senate Democratic Caucus Chair. #111thGeneralAssembly #tnleg #FantasticFive pic.twitter.com/cyjE9fJP5B
— Senator Raumesh Akbari (@SenAkbari) January 17, 2019

How did you become acclimated to the transition to working in the legislature as an elected official?

I ran for the Senate in 2018 and now serve as the Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman, and I'm the first Black woman to be in that role. I understand that I'm not just there for myself and the things that are important to me, but I am also there to represent other Black women and encourage other Black women. Now for the first time ever, we have three Black women in the State Senate.

I'm here, I have a seat at the table and I represent the people who elected me. I did not over promise and I knew there were some good things that I could pass. I also recognized that even while I'm in the super minority, it's about building relationships. Building relationships is the key to actually passing legislation.

As far as my priorities go, I've tried to lean into three main areas: criminal justice reform, education reform, and economic development. I think those issues really translate across the aisle and will also make a big difference for people in my district.

Every day is a different day. This work is not for the faint of heart. It's difficult, it's heavy. Look, you can do this, but you have to know there’s a lot of work that comes along with it.

A criminal justice bill by @SenAkbari passed today with unanimous support!

Under SB1435, police interrogations with juvenile suspects must be recorded. This best practice protects the innocent, helps convict the guilty, and shields officers from false claims of misconduct. pic.twitter.com/o0pqXvYNHy
— Tennessee Senate Democrats (@TNSenateDems) April 14, 2021

You have been an advocate for criminal justice reform. Where do you see the political landscape shifting around rights restoration and prison gerrymandering?

We've been talking about prison gerrymandering and restoration of rights for a long time. Our situation in Tennessee is particularly unfair. We are the only state in the entire union that if you exit the justice system and have child support payments still, you have to pay them before you can have your voting rights restored. You also have to pay your fines and fees before you can register to vote.

What happened in the Florida legislature after the victory for rights restoration on the ballot in 2018 was modeled off of Tennessee’s laws. Republicans in the Florida legislature rolled back that victory and the vote of the people with fines and fees and other language meant to dissuade eligible voters from voting. Other southern states also target Black and brown voters with requirements to pay all your fines and fees before you can vote.

Unfortunately, I feel that many legislators are taking steps backwards in Tennessee when it comes to criminal justice reform, but that doesn’t mean we will stop the fight. With the organizing that happened within the Black Lives Matter movement and the national recognition and investment to change these laws, I am hopeful. There are activists and advocates who will not give up this fight.

Legislator Spotlight: TN State Rep. London Lamar

Representative London Lamar is the youngest female legislator in the 112th Tennessee General Assembly. She serves as Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus and sits on the Finance, Ways and Means, and Criminal Justice committees. Lamar has represented the 91st District since 2018.

This interview is part of a series for No Democracy Without Black Women, a report about the underrepresentation of Black women in state legislatures.

What compelled you to run for office?

I've always wanted to run for office. I spent most of my twenties building up an apparatus for young people to take part in the political process and build up their leadership skills. I always felt like we can make change no matter where we are, no matter what community we live in. If we truly want to change society, we have to put ourselves in positions of leadership.

I am now the youngest woman in the Tennessee General Assembly, and I've been able to show young people what happens when you put yourself in a position to make substantial change. Those who came up under my leadership are now serving in elected offices themselves. As millennials, we have to hold each other accountable for taking part in the political process because it works. And we can make change. We are getting things done.

Today our Tennessee House Democratic Caucus elected our new leaders for the 112th General Assembly. I’m thankful to my colleagues for electing me as Secretary and I plan to continue to serve with the upmost integrity and commitment to advance our Caucus forward. pic.twitter.com/VLeOY11JSG
— Senator London Lamar (@SenatorLamar) December 7, 2020

How do you feel about the current state of millennial engagement in politics especially for Black women?

The world is finally taking notice of the beauty of our intelligence, of our voices, of what we have, and how we bring that to the table. We are able to use technology like social media to get our stories out there and make sure people are listening to us and hearing our stories. For example, I'm bringing moms and women into my brand and my social media, because I'm in the legislature fighting for policies for moms. I have a track record of being a leader and fighting for these issues, and you see it all in front of your face on social media, so I’m able to connect with more people than ever before.

The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. And if anybody understands that and can articulate the inequities in this system, it is us. And so for me, my voice is so powerful, my experiences are so powerful, the stories of my community are so powerful.
Tennessee State Rep. London Lamar

What do you feel is your greatest asset as a Black, millennial, woman legislator?

My voice. The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. And if anybody understands that and can articulate the inequities in this system, it is us. And so for me, my voice is so powerful, my experiences are so powerful, the stories of my community are so powerful. And when I’m able to bring those stories and those real-life experiences to the work that I do, especially in my role as an elected official to truly impact policy—to me, that's my greatest asset. Black women are in this fight for justice, in this fight for equity in this country, so we must be at the forefront. Who better to fix it than us?

Black women are 3x more likely than white women to die from issues related to pregnancy — learn how environmental injustice plays a role in the Black maternal health crisis

(with @RepLamar) pic.twitter.com/oagOWmXXWd
— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) October 4, 2021

What ways do you think Black women need to be supported as it relates to public health overall?

We must take Black maternal health seriously. I fight for reproductive justice in my community, my city, and my state. This is a real public health crisis that we must bring to light. Insurance companies must cover the full range of reproductive health options and women must have full autonomy over their decision-making, which includes their ability to have a child or not have a child. Women must be able to live free from judgment and any other government restrictions that deny you the right to make your own choice about your body.

We also must focus on ensuring access to mental health services. This pandemic has exposed the need for more mental health counselors and enhanced insurance coverage for a breadth and depth of services. We need to take care of ourselves physically and emotionally.

Q&A: What is Redistricting and How Will It Affect NC?

This Q&A is excerpted from a State Innovation Exchange telephone townhall featuring North Carolina State Reps. Terry M. Brown Jr. and Brian Turner. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

What is redistricting?

State Rep. Terry Brown Jr.: Redistricting is the process states use to draw the maps that determine which district you live in.

As per our Constitution, district lines are redrawn every 10 years based on new census data. And North Carolina is in the redistricting process right now.

Why is redistricting important?

State Rep. Terry Brown Jr.: Redistricting is important because you want representatives in the North Carolina General Assembly or up in DC to reflect the community that you live in. With the new census numbers, we're also getting another congressional seat. So that's going to be a huge change for us.

We want to make sure that we redraw districts in the fairest way possible, and the only way to do that is by showing how many people in North Carolina care about this.

So I encourage everyone to make sure that you, your friends, and your family are engaged in this process. Go to ncleg.gov; there's a tab called "Redistricting" on the right-hand side where you can leave public comments.

Every single member of the House and Senate gets those [public comments]. They may not always respond, but they always see them. And I've been in committee meetings where members pause the process just because they've received so many emails. There's power in that.

How would you like to see North Carolina expand access to voting?

State Rep. Brian Turner: The best thing we can do is get rid of the voter ID requirement. But if it withstands the court challenge, and we have to live with it, I'd want to see the broadest number of IDs eligible to be used, like college student IDs or utility bills. I think it goes a long way to making sure that people have access to the ballot.

State Rep. Terry Brown Jr.: I'd like to see North Carolina continue practices that we had during the pandemic, like when we allowed voter registration through the North Carolina DMV system online. It's important to meet people where they are.

I also want to see expanded early voting locations and hours. The reasons I hear most from people who don't vote is that they didn't have time, didn't know where polling places were located or weren't aware of the elections.

Some politicians in states like Georgia want to create barriers to voting. Are you concerned that some of those threats will come back to North Carolina?

State Rep. Terry Brown Jr.: The threat is always going to be there. If one state is doing something, several other states are not too far behind. We have had some very bad bills introduced here in North Carolina, but luckily, not to the same extent as we've seen in Georgia.

That's why this redistricting process is so important. The maps will determine the future of our state and what type of policies are introduced for the next ten years.

Submit a Public Comment at NC.gov

Submit a public comment about the ongoing redistricting process in North Carolina.

Submit a Comment

Find Your State Legislators

Who's your voice at the state capitol? Find your state legislators with our easy-to-use tool.

Mary Lou from Charlotte believes that voter ID is a good thing. Can share how voter ID laws affect voter access in North Carolina?

State Rep. Brian Turner: During my first election in 2014, I was working the polls out in Leicester, a rural area in Buncombe County. And many of the voters only came to town once or twice a year and didn't have a driver's license. They're like my grandma, who was born in Flag Pond, Tennessee, on a farm.

These are folks who don't have access to IDs because they don't need them in their day-to-day lives. And just because you don't participate in our economy the way others do, it shouldn't disqualify you from having your voice heard. Your vote counts just as much as anybody else.

Sometimes we have to revisit some of the assumptions in our lives. I've been used to having an ID my whole life. But there are plenty of folks out there who have never had one. I think we need to be sensitive and recognize that.

What does the right to vote mean to you?

On November 3rd 1992, the day after my 18th birthday, I walked down to my local polling place. I was first in line, I was so excited to vote, to have a chance to decide who was going to be our president, our senator, our county commissioner. It really empowered me.

And that's something that I want to make sure that everybody in North Carolina has the opportunity to do. I want to make sure that when they walk into a polling place, that they're not being asked six different questions, all with the intent of keeping them from casting their ballot. That is something that I'm going to fight for as long as I'm in the General Assembly.

There's nothing more basic to our democracy than being able to vote, and it's being threatened. But it will not be undone. Because you've got folks like me, like Rep. Brown, and a bunch of others in Raleigh, who are fighting to make sure that it is preserved.

Connect with your elected leaders

(If you don't know who your state legislators are, look them up using our tool!)

Terry M. Brown Jr.

NC State Representative

Brian Turner

nc State Representative

What We're Reading & Watching: Back-to-School Edition

As summer winds down and students of all ages prepare for a new school year, we've created our very own back-to-school "curriculum." Here are SiX staffers recommendations for what to read or watch this fall.

Jump to:
📚 Nonfiction Books
🪄 Fiction Books
💭 Other Reads
📺 TV Shows
🎥 Films

What We're Reading

The Kidnapping Club Wall Street Slavery and Resistance on the Eve of the Civil War

Nonfiction books

The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee
Decoding Greatness: The Hidden Strategy for Achieving Extraordinary Success by Ron Friedman
Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs by Johann Hari
The Echoing Ida Collection edited by Cynthia R. Greenlee, Kemi Alabi, and Janna A. Zinzi
How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest by Zeynep Tufekci
On Gold Mountain by Lisa See
The Kidnapping Club: Wall Street, Slavery, and Resistance on the Eve of the Civil War by Jonathan Daniel Wells
The Bold World by Jodie Patterson
Denmark Vesey: The Buried Story of America's Largest Slave Rebellion and the Man Who Led It by David Robertson

Fiction Books

Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia
Memorial by Brian Washington

What We're Watching

TV

Generation Hustle (HBO Max)
This is Life with Lisa Ling (CNN)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV)
Blindspotting (Starz)
Amend: The Fight for America (Netflix)

Film

Tina (HBO)
Right to Harm
Gather
Mary J. Blige's My Life (Amazon Prime Video)
Remothering the Land (Patagonia)
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (HBO)
Crack: Cocaine, Corruption, and Conspiracy (Netflix)
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (Netflix)

8 Bold Laws State Legislators Passed This Year

Every legislative session brings its share of twists, turns, and unique hurdles. But 2021 greeted state legislators with an exceptionally challenging session marked by a worsening pandemic and sluggish economy. Despite unprecedented barriers and growing community needs, state lawmakers delivered victories for working people, and even passed laws that seemed unimaginable a few short years ago.

Here are eight of the boldest progressive laws state legislators passed this legislative session.

Virginia passes its own Voting Rights Act

For nearly fifty years, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 acted as a guardrail, steering states away from Jim Crow policies and closer to realizing the principle of "one person, one vote." But in 2013, the Supreme Court gutted a vital part of the law, clearing the way for states with a history of voter suppression to change laws without federal approval. The ruling opened the floodgates to a sea of polling place closures, voter ID laws, and other anti-voter regulations that continue to this day.

As voting rights advocates work to formalize and reinstate voter protections at the federal level, Virginia legislators stepped up to adopt a voting rights act for their state. The first-of-its-kind, the Voting Rights Act of Virginia requires pre-approval before election changes and expressly outlaws racial voter discrimination.

Maine requires a racial impact analysis of new laws

More Americans than ever realize that even seemingly "race-neutral" laws and customs can disproportionately impact people of color. Maine is one of many states to embrace our national reckoning with race and use it as an opportunity to pass anti-racist progressive policy.

Shortly after becoming the first Black woman to serve a leadership role in Maine's legislature, Assistant House Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross sponsored a first-of-its-kind racial impact assessment law. Just as many legislatures evaluate bills for fiscal impact, the new law requires state lawmakers to analyze all proposed bills for impacts on marginalized communities. The law, which will be piloted in the 2022 legislative session, helps make racial equity a central component of the legislative process rather than an afterthought.

Colorado creates a “bill of rights” for farmworkers

One of the biggest triumphs of Colorado's historic legislative session is the "Farmworkers’ Bill of Rights," a law that will overhaul protections for Colorado farm laborers. Because agriculture workers have historically been excluded from many rights that other working people enjoy, they experience disproportionate levels of poverty and fatal work injuries.

California, New York, and Washington have made significant strides to protect farm laborers, but no state has enacted a policy as comprehensive as Colorado's new law. The Farmworkers’ Bill of Rights will require that farmworkers be paid the state minimum wage—$12.32 per hour—rather than the federal rate of $7.25. The legislation will also ensure that Colorado's nearly 40,000 farmworkers receive overtime pay, have the right to organize, and can take meal breaks and rest periods.

Farm laborers harvest strawberries in field — *California farm laborers harvest strawberries. (Photo: Tim Mossholder/Unsplash)*

Nevada waives college tuition for Native American residents

One in three Americans over the age of 25 has a Bachelor's degree, compared to only 14% of Native Americans. While not the only barrier to college enrollment, college affordability is a substantial burden for Native communities, which have the highest poverty rate in the United States.

A recent law will waive tuition and fees at Nevada's two-year and four-year state colleges for enrolled members of any of the state's 27 tribes. The legislation also grants in-state tuition to members of federally recognized tribes outside of Nevada.

Though the tuition waiver cannot undo the harms inflicted upon indigenous Nevadans, it is an important step in the state's long-overdue process of repairing generations of state-sponsored violence.

Maryland leads the way on police reform

In 1974, Maryland became the first state in the nation to enact a "bill of rights" for police officers. This year, Maryland made history again, but this time for becoming the first state in the nation to overturn its Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights.

With an ambitious package of reforms championed by House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, Maryland is rising to the forefront of states reimagining the role of policing. The law, which passed in the wake of Derek Chauvin's trial, also bans no-knock-warrants, and establishes one of the nation's strictest use of force policies.

*Demonstrators raise their fists during a Black Lives Matter protest on Veteran Plaza in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland (Joao Kermadec / Shutterstock)*

New Mexico protects abortion rights

In a year when state legislatures considered over 550 bills to restrict abortion, New Mexico legislators bucked the trend by repealing an outdated abortion statute. The 1969 law was not being enforced, but it left New Mexicans vulnerable to a rollback in reproductive rights if the Supreme Court overturned its 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade.

The move underscores the importance of proactively defending the right to abortion care, regardless of what cases are on the Supreme Court's docket.

Washington State makes the wealthy pay their fair share

Washington's new capital gains tax is a monumental victory for working people. For decades, Washington’s upside-down tax code favored the wealthy at the expense of the lowest earners in the state: a 2018 report found that Washington's regressive tax system was the least equitable in the entire country. Beginning in 2022, a new capital gains tax will begin rebalancing the tax code in a way that benefits all Washingtonians.

The legislation will generate an estimated $445 million each year by imposing a 7% tax on profits exceeding $250,000 from the sale of stocks and other investments. Washington will funnel the newly generated funds into the state's struggling public schools.

Black father playing with daughter on playground slide — *A father plays on the slide with his daughter at a public city park in Tacoma, Washington. (iStock)*

Illinois abolishes cash bail

Activists and researchers have long known that the system of cash bail is inherently biased against low-income defendants. When faced with costly bail or an indefinite stay in one of our nation's inhumane jails, many Americans without means are coerced into a plea bargain, regardless of guilt.

Though several states have reformed cash bail, efforts to pass an outright ban have fallen short—until this year. In February, Illinois became the first state in the country to abolish the use of money bail. The landmark new law, championed by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and organizations like End Money Bond, passed alongside a sweeping criminal justice reform package.

Legislator Spotlight: State Senator Kesha Ram

This interview originally appeared on The Brown Girls Guide to Politics in a series spotlighting women of color state legislators who navigated the unprecedented influx of racist, anti-democratic, anti-abortion, and anti-transgender legislation introduced in 2021.

What made you fall in love with politics?

Politics shaped my family's journey and where they landed when I came into the world. My father's family fled the partition of India when it became Pakistan. My mother’s family fled the transition of Eastern Europe and the persecution of the Jews. And so, these global political upheavals shaped where their families ended up, and what that meant for their life and potential, and allowed me to access the American Dream.

When I was a child, I became more keenly aware of the ways that economic policy shaped their potential and opportunities. My mother is a Jewish woman, my father is an Indian immigrant. And when they found resources to open an Irish pub in Los Angeles, it came from the Women's Bank of Los Angeles, because there was a policy commitment to women's financial access to capital. When I was younger, and my parents got divorced, being on the free lunch program, I could take the SATs for free and access college. So I became aware over time that good policies were really important things that made my life, and my potential, able to be realized.

Vermont State Senator Ram in front of Vermont state legislature — *State Senator Ram in front of Vermont state legislature in January 2021 (Photo: Facebook)*

And then, when I was a sophomore in college, Bernie Sanders was running for the US Senate for the first time and wanted to have a huge event on campus to encourage young people to vote and kick off his campaign. At the time, he couldn’t draw thousands of people as he can now, so he invited this rockstar—a senator from Illinois, Barack Obama—to come to join him on stage. And the event drew in 7,000 people, which is more than 1% of Vermont’s population. And they said, you know, we don't have any women on stage. My friend was the campus organizer for Bernie and he was like, “I know just the person. She's really not afraid to speak up.” And so I introduced Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders as a sophomore, and Barack Obama in his speech said, “You know what, Bernie, if you don't behave yourself, we're gonna run Kesha for the Senate instead of you.” And it was the first time anyone encouraged me to run for office. All of a sudden, with a father from India and a mother from Illinois, I saw someone who had a father from Kenya, and a mother from Kansas, who had a story like mine, and I thought, “Oh, I'm not that complicated. I'm not too complicated to be in the political arena.” And it really changed everything for me.

It was women who gave me that real sense that it was possible. It's easier for men, even Barack Obama, who I love, to tell me, "You should run for office, go for it," but I had a lot of women in my life who said, "These are the roadblocks you're going to hit and we're here to help you get over them."
Vermont State Senator Kesha Ram
Tweet

Was this the moment you decided to run for office?

There was more to it. I went to Washington, DC, worked for Dianne Feinstein for a summer, came back to school, and ran for student body president. And all of a sudden, I was on people's radar, because when you're University of Vermont student body president, you often represent more people than a state legislator does in Vermont.

My friend, Rachel Weston, who had been the Graduate Student Senate President, had become a legislator at 26 and she kept encouraging me to run. She explained the mechanics of it to me and she had been mentored by Governor Madeleine Kunin.

It was women who gave me that real sense that it was possible. It's easier for men, even Barack Obama, who I love, to tell me, “You should run for office, go for it,” but I had a lot of women in my life who said, “These are the roadblocks you're going to hit and we're here to help you get over them.”

A record number of statehouses passed laws attacking abortion, democracy, and LGBTQ+ rights this year—but Vermont was an outlier. What piece of legislation are you most proud of passing?

One of the things that I'm most proud of is banning the suspension and expulsion of small children from school. I had introduced similar legislation in 2014, that banned expulsion of children under eight and I was almost laughed out of the building. The unions wouldn't support it and everyone was saying this is pretty much impossible to change.

But this year, when introducing a ban on expulsion for young children, I had legislative colleagues who said, “Let's add suspension. Why are we suspending six- and seven-year-olds?” So what happened between 2014 and now? I haven't changed what I fight for. I'm doing the same things I was then, but I was a troublemaker and kind of an outlier. And now there are coalitions built around the state. There's a racial reckoning happening in the country. And all I say to people is I haven't changed, the culture of accountability has changed, and we can't let it change back.

In 2014, I was fought bitterly when working with the @ACLU_VT to ban expulsion for children under eight. Now, we will end suspension and expulsion for young children. A major step forward. Thank you @BrianCampionVT @VTEducation @VTHouseDems #vted #vtpoli https://t.co/vRPqveheSL
— Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale (@KeshaRam) May 15, 2021

Tell us about banning the "LGBTQ+ Panic Defense" in Vermont.

One of my closest friends and someone who inspires me every day in the legislature is Rep. Taylor Small, who is the first openly trans woman to serve in the legislature. I want to give her full credit for working with other members of the House to introduce and advance this legislation.

Vermont is a very LGBTQ-friendly state as compared to most other states, but Taylor faces dangers here. When we would do “honk and waves” together, that was the only time I felt unsafe—and I’m the first woman of color in the State Senate! When I was with Taylor, we would have things shouted at us. I thought people were going to throw things out the window, people would circle back around to yell. So as a trans woman, Taylor faced danger to run for office and continues to face people talking about very intimate parts of her life publicly, and they feel licensed to do that because she is an openly trans woman who is not afraid to have a legislative battle.

The Senate Judiciary Committee almost didn’t hear from Taylor and it felt really important that, before they make a decision or propose any amendments to the bill, they needed to talk to the one legislator in our statehouse who has the lived experience to be personally affected by this legislation. I know how common sense that feels as a person of color and how often that doesn’t happen.

Vermont is also leading on reproductive freedom by advancing Proposition 5, a proposed state constitutional amendment that would guarantee reproductive liberty.

I think it's just as important that we passed an apology for the eugenics movement this year. We apologized for the state's role in the forced sterilization of many Vermonters— mostly women—in a movement that was intellectually led in Vermont.

And those are two sides of the same coin. If you are going to be able to access your full range of reproductive freedoms and liberties, that means access to abortion, it means access to reproductive care to help you bring a healthy child to term, it means childcare, it means maternal health, so it means making any decision that is right for you both emotionally, socially, and economically.

Vermont legislators Kesha Ram and Taylor Small hold signs reading, “Thanks ❤️,” “Taylor Small for State Rep,” and “Kesha for state senate.” — Vermont state legislators Kesha Ram and Taylor Small (Photo: Twitter)

While many state legislatures have seen an uptick in anti-voter bills since the 2020 election, Vermont expanded voting rights.

This year, we passed S.15, which takes a huge step forward in access to mail-in balloting and convenient voting at home.

One of the other critical steps we took this year is we're starting to allow local municipalities to decide if they want to allow all residents to vote in their elections, like their school board elections and municipal elections, regardless of their citizenship status.

In our capital city and our most multicultural city, about 42% of the kids in the schools come from English-language learning families. And those are families who by and large aren't able to vote in school elections and in local elections that affect their families. They both passed city charters to allow all residents to vote. The Governor vetoed these charters in an unprecedented move and we have an override session where I hope we override his veto. These charters mean just as much to me as the mail-in voting.

I relish being the first woman of color [in the Vermont Senate] only in so much as I have the responsibility now to turn around and make sure there are also Black women, Indigenous women, and trans women in the state Senate as well.
Vermont State Senator Kesha Ram
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A recent report about the underrepresentation of Black women in state legislatures revealed that there are no Black women state legislators in Vermont. How do we help elevate Black women’s voices in state legislatures?

That's a central question in my life.

We just started an organization called the Bright Leadership Institute (BLI) to help BIPOC candidates run for office. It's named after Louvenia Dorsey Bright, the first Black woman and one of two Black women to have served in our legislature. By starting the organization and telling her story, we've got cover page articles about her legacy. Many people didn't even know she existed.

The other Black woman who served in our legislature, Kiah Morris, is still an incredible leader and very involved in politics, and she left the legislature because of racial harassment. And so we're trying to help people understand that it's not just because we're a very white state that Black women are not represented in the Vermont statehouse. They've come to the table, and they've been threatened, harassed, rejected, made to feel less than, and they have taken themselves out of the arena after they've lost a battle to be seen and heard by the communities that they need help and safety from.

I've tried to help white Vermonters understand that saying, “We just need to recruit Black women here,” doesn't mean we've done the work to retain them. Vermont doesn't have a recruitment problem, it has a retention problem. We have had waves of Black communities come to settle here: we've had Buffalo Soldiers, we've had fugitive slaves, we've had waves of Black folks try to make a home here and feel the ever-present racism of “You're not doing it the way we do things here. This is the way Vermont does things.” And that's become shorthand for, “You're not white enough, you don't fit into our culture.” And so we have a lack of diversity not because Black people haven't tried to live here, but because they haven't been able to be part of shaping their communities.

The other thing BLI is focusing on is tapping into these innate skills that already exist in communities of color, particularly among Black women. Black women have organized every important movement in this country. Black women have the skills, the power, and sometimes they just haven't used it in a political campaign way. When you do use it, people realize how powerful you are, and they will challenge you and you need an army of people behind you to back you up when that happens. So often, Black women are left on their own when the really small vocal minority of racist people get really loud, and they're left without support. We need to stop that because that can feel really lonely.

I have my sights set on Black women to join me in the state senate. I relish being the first woman of color, only in so much as I have the responsibility now to turn around and make sure there are also Black women, Indigenous women, and trans women in the state Senate as well.

Q&A: Childcare in Michigan

This Q&A is excerpted from a State Innovation Exchange telephone townhall featuring Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, and Eboni Taylor, Michigan Executive Director of Mothering Justice.

Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Childcare access has been a concern for years. What is different now that can finally help parents tackle the problem?

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist: You are absolutely right. For too many years, in Michigan and the rest of the country, we've been content with saying that paying for childcare is a parent's responsibility. And we've only made modest investments to help low-income families afford childcare.

That's why we proposed a generational investment in childcare in our recent budget to:

Expand access to childcare to an additional 150,000 families at low, and in many cases, zero cost
Compensate child care professionals more fairly and equitably
Incentivize the creation of childcare businesses in childcare deserts

We've also recently received $1.1 billion to invest in childcare, and we're going to be sharing an even bigger and bolder plan to invest those funds wisely. And I'm optimistic that we're going to find a way to get this done on a bipartisan basis.

Lt. Governor Gilchrist wife, Ellen and two children — *Lt. Governor Gilchrist with his wife and two children*

Senator Mallory McMorrow: I've been speaking very candidly about my experience becoming a mother, going through postpartum depression, and why taking a 12-week leave was so important to me, even though it's not something that legislators technically qualify for.

I was walking down the street in my neighborhood, and a woman stopped me to say she really appreciated me being vulnerable in that way. And then she asked me, "Can you do childcare next?" She said that as a working mother of two young kids, she was effectively using her entire salary to cover their childcare. But she kept working because she needed the health care associated with her job.

So, in the same way that we invest in public education and guarantee that every child has a right to an education, every child should have the right to quality childcare.

We have such a huge opportunity to radically change how we invest and prioritize childcare in this state, which can completely change our economy moving forward.

Currently, I am caring for my adult, disabled brother and am unable to work. What are we doing to increase access to adult care facilities so that people like me can get back to work?

Senator Mallory McMorrow: I feel this, so personally. My husband and I have a fourth-month-old daughter, and my husband also has an older brother who has Down Syndrome and currently lives with his mother-in-law, who's now in her 80s. So many families are part of this "sandwich generation," where you're taking care of either a sibling or a parent, and your kids as well. Part of the solution to these issues is to invest in in-home care providers across the board because caretaking looks very different for many people.

This way, we can enable people to continue their retirement or continue working rather than having to put their entire life on hold to care for family members.

mallory mcmorrow playing with kid — *State Senator Mallory McMorrow*

I am a grandmother, and my daughter is a single parent. She works midnight shifts, so I have to take care of my granddaughter throughout the night and morning. Is there some type of system where I'm considered a caregiver and paid as such?

Senator Mallory McMorrow: I'm not aware of any programs right now that allow for compensation in a situation like yours, but I think that is something we should absolutely look into because there are so many people who are in multi-generational care situations, caring for grandkids, parents, and other family members.

In other areas of law right now, you can get paid as an in-home caregiver. For example, if your loved one or your family member gets in a catastrophic accident and you're their part-time caregiver, you can be reimbursed.

Eboni Taylor: You are what we at Mothering Justice call an "other mother," which is the term that we use to describe people in the informal childcare space.

We are working diligently to think about "other mothers" all the time. We have an entire strategy dedicated to clearing a better pathway for people like you to become a licensed care providers, such as waiving certain fees and increasing pay for license-exempt child care providers.

Connect with your elected leaders

(If you don't know who your state legislators are, look them up using our tool!)

Garlin Gilchrist

Lieutenant Governor

Mallory McMorrow

michigan State senator

Q&A: How New Laws Are Changing Voting in Florida

This Q&A is excerpted from a State Innovation Exchange telephone townhall featuring Florida State Representatives Tracie Davis and Rep. Geraldine Thompson, and Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones.

Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

What voting changes passed this legislative session? How will those changes impact Floridians?

Rep. Geraldine Thompson: One of the most significant things in Senate Bill 90 is the restriction on voting drop boxes. In 2020, we saw drop boxes used in enormous numbers. Now, drop boxes can only be available when the Supervisor of Elections office is open or when early voting sites are open. So, people who work 9-5 will have difficulty accessing the drop boxes.

Another new restriction is that only family members or someone who lives at the same address can drop your ballot off. This will make it especially difficult for people who have no transportation or have medical conditions and need someone else to take their ballot to the polls.

Rep. Tracie Davis: This new law also implements a fine of $25,000 on Supervisors of Election offices if they don't comply with the new dropbox provisions. So if they are being fined $25,000, a supervisor may suddenly not want to use as many drop boxes, or they won't use the drop boxes at all.

I have a ninety-year-old mother who gets an absentee ballot sent to her. Should I request a ballot for her for the upcoming 2022 elections? And do I need to submit a copy of her I.D. to do that?

Rep. Tracie Davis: Yes, you probably want to call to request that ballot for your mother. But you don't need to show her I.D. at the time. When you request the ballot over the phone or by e-mail, you have to give her date of birth; driver's license or I.D. number; or the last four digits of her social security number.

If you go inside to pick up the absentee ballot, you're going to have to have written authorization from your mom. But that's to pick up that ballot—not to request it.

Rep. Geraldine Thompson: One victory was, they did grandfather-in people who already submitted vote-by-mail requests.

But just to be on the safe side, as Representative Davis said, I would request it.

But after the election in 2022, you're going to have to request the vote by mail ballot each year. So it's no longer going to be good for two general elections, as it was in the past. It's better to be safe than sorry.

What recourse do we have concerning the voter suppression law? And are organizations taking this case to court?

Rep. Geraldine Thompson: There has been litigation filed. But while the litigation goes through the courts, you're bound by this law. So we need to prepare for it.

Nonprofit groups are preparing to transport people to drop their ballots at either the supervisor's office or the drop boxes. And they are also going to provide food and water to voters. Voter education will also be a big part of how we counteract the laws that have been put in place.

Voter drops ballot in drobpox in Fort Lauderdale Florida in front of Broward County Government Building — *Person returns ballot at Broward County Supervisor of Elections Building during November 2020 Elections. (Photo by YES Market Media / Shutterstock)*

Are there new I.D. requirements when returning ballots through drop boxes or the post office?

Rep. Geraldine Thompson: One of the victories with this legislation is that we were able to get a part removed so that you don't have to show a photo I.D. at drop boxes. There are no I.D. requirements at the post office either.

But please be mindful, the new law does make it a criminal offense to possess more than two ballots, including your own. If you are helping someone else, the best thing to do is take an individual to the dropbox with you and allow that person to drop their vote-by-mail ballot.

And please make sure your signature is updated. The signature on your ballot's envelope will be compared to the signature you provided when you initially registered to vote or last updated your signature.

As we age, our hands are not as steady, or maybe we have arthritis. You want to make sure you have a current signature on file.

Can you explain the recent anti-protesting bill that the governor signed into law?

Sen. Shevrin Jones: At the beginning of September, the governor made HB1, the anti-protesting bill, a priority instead of COVID. This was during the time of the George Floyd demonstrations and Justice for Brianna Taylor.

The bill basically criminalizes protesting. For example, suppose Rep. Davis, Rep. Thompson, and I get together on the side of the road holding up signs. A police officer can deem that to be "mob intimidation," which is not defined, or feel that we are "rioting," which is also not defined. Then the three of us will go to jail and not be released until we see a judge.

And if convicted, we would be convicted of a felony. As you may know, in the state of Florida, a felony restricts me from voting, makes it hard for me to get employment, and hard to get a loan. But let me be clear, the fear they are trying to instill with this law should not scare us and stop us from going out to protest injustice.

Protests gather to demonstrate against HB1. Two demonstrators in foreground hold signs reading, “Stop HB1 #KillTheBill,” and “Protesting is not a crime.” — *Demonstrators protest HB1 in Jacksonville, Florida (Photo by Michael Scott Milner / Shutterstock)*

With the new law making many things criminal offenses, voting can be fearful to individuals like me. What do we do?

Sen. Shevrin Jones: That's exactly what they want us to do; they want us to be fearful. But we can't allow that, and that's why we have to organize. We need groups like churches to get communities together to have these conversations, to inform the community of these changes.

We don't have time to be fearful. We have to act right now.

Rep. Tracie Davis: That's why we're having this conversation. We cannot let this law make us fearful. We need to continue to educate our voters, educate ourselves, and educate each other. Churches are having conversations like this. Legislators around the state, including myself, will be coming to talk to our constituents.

We will make it happen. We will continue to register, and we will continue to get people to the polls to vote. Do not be fearful. We have been here before. And we will make it through just like we did before.

If I get a group of 180 people to my church at Miami Garden, can I get a representative to come out and speak?

Sen. Shevrin Jones: Yes, e-mail me with the name of the church and your information, and we'll set it up.

Q&A: Voting Rights in North Carolina

This Q&A is excerpted from a State Innovation Exchange telephone townhall featuring North Carolina State Representatives Ashton Clemmons, Amos L. Quick, and Pricey Harrison.

Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Can you talk about the struggle for voting rights happening across the country?

Rep. Ashton Clemmons: Every person in North Carolina and the U.S.—no matter who they are—should have an equal voice in electing our state's leaders. But there are four main reasons why we aren't living up to that ideal.

First, there is a blatant attack on voting rights to make it harder for people to vote instead of easier. Second, we are lessening the voices of some folks by packing them into districts through gerrymandering. Third, is the undue influence of money and politics. Corporations overtly influencing the outcomes of elections is an assault on what should be: that no matter how much money you have, your voice is equal. And fourth, we see an intentional effort to undermine the three branches of government by making the judiciary more partisan and limiting executive power at state legislative levels.

What existing barriers make it harder for North Carolinians to vote?

Rep. Ashton Clemmons: Right now, we have the voter I.D. provision in litigation. And the research is very clear that voter I.D. laws would disproportionately affect the elderly and voters of color in North Carolina.

We've seen efforts to lessen the amount of early voting time from three weeks to one week. We've also seen proposals requiring mail-in ballots be received by five o'clock on election day instead of up to six days after election day.

What is gerrymandering?

Rep. Amos L. Quick: The simplest explanation is: gerrymandering is the drawing of voting districts and manipulating boundaries to give an unfair advantage to one party over another.

Pile of "Voted" stickers with American flag — *Photo by Element5 Digital/Unsplash*

What is independent redistricting?

Rep. Amos L. Quick: Right now, we have a process where politicians pick their voters—redistricting power belongs to the dominant party in the legislature.

Independent redistricting is a process that would take power out of the hands of politicians—who are most directly advantaged by drawing their own districts. An independent commission would draw fairer districts that more accurately represent the populace that will be voting.

This is my third term, and I think there's been a bill filed every term since I've been here for some type of independent redistricting commission. It gets tremendous bipartisan support, but it doesn't get a hearing in committee, nor does it get a vote on the floor since I've been in office.

I'll close with this: right now, we have a congressional delegation that does not reflect the population of North Carolina. And that's because politicians drew the lines. An independent redistricting commission would take that power out of the hands of politicians.

We have seen a lot of threats to voting rights in Georgia. Is anything like that coming to North Carolina?

State Rep. Pricey Harrison: We are not seeing bills like what has been proposed or passed in Georgia, Florida, and Texas.

The main issue we're going to face this legislative cycle, as Rep. Clemmons mentioned, is not accepting absentee ballots beyond election day.

And there's an effort to increase poll observers as part of a national trend, and poll observers can be very threatening intimidating to voters.

I'm sorry for Georgia and the other states that are having to deal with that, because it's really, really bad for voting and our democracy.

person placing a mail-in ballot into a mailbox — *Photo by @g_dezigner/Twenty20*

What is going on with redistricting, and when will we know what district we're in?

State Rep. Pricey Harrison: Right now, we do not have any kind of independent redistricting process, despite our efforts. And so it's the redistricting committees in the house in the Senate that will draw them.

We've got commitments from the leadership in the house in the senate that it will be transparent. But those who participated in the most recent redistricting will remember that it was only partially transparent.

So if we can't get the independent redistricting process going, we're committed to fighting for better access for the public to participate in the process. We are committed to protecting communities of interest and keeping counties and municipalities whole. But it doesn't look like we're going to be doing any of that until after we get the census numbers, which I believe is not until the very last day in September.

State Roundup: Cannabis Equity, Workers' Rights, & More

We know not all news coming out of state legislatures is positive right now, so this week we're celebrating the hard work progressive state legislators are doing every day to fight for their communities.

Cannabis Equity Bill Clears Illinois House

Recreational marijuana was more than a $1 billion dollar industry in Illinois last year. This week the House passed a bill to make owning dispensaries more accessible to people of color, women, people living in low-income communities, and those with previous marijuana charges. By tweaking the lottery system, the new approach gives a much more diverse group of people the opportunity to participate in the lucrative industry that has otherwise benefited primarily privileged groups, like white, and already wealthy, men.

Incarcerated Women Gain Basic Protections in New Mississippi Law

newborn checked by doctors in hospital — Photo by Solen Feyissa/Unsplash

A new bipartisan Mississippi law grants basic rights and health care to pregnant incarcerated women. The law prevents the shackling of women during childbirth, ensures the newborn can stay with its mother for 72 hours after birth, requires staff training, prevents invasive searches not provided by health care professionals, and allows for visitation with young children, among other provisions. These are small but needed steps to improve a prison system that too often neglects the health and well-being of pregnant women.

Workers Win in Washington State Session

The Washington state legislature adjourned late last month. Among several groundbreaking progressive bills were major gains for workers. Employees can now put a temporary hold on the assets of an employer who engages in wage theft. All workers, regardless of immigration status, now have access to free legal assistance; farmworkers were awarded overtime pay; and the budget allocated millions for child care programs.

New York Provides Stimulus for Undocumented Immigrants

Person dressed as Lady Liberty standing in park with sign; sign reads "Lady Liberty wants DREAMers to stay." — Photo by Maria Oswalt/Unsplash

Immigrants are one of several groups hit hardest by the pandemic. Not only did they have a higher rate of contracting the virus, but immigrants were on the front lines of the pandemic—many work in jobs considered essential and kept our communities afloat while others were able to safely quarantine. Yet almost every federal program to keep people employed or safe, or to stimulate the economy, excluded aid to immigrants. But New York’s $2.1 billion stimulus to undocumented immigrants, part of the Excluded Worker Fund, will help 290,000 people directly get the benefits they have earned and deserve.

Nebraska Unemployment Extended to Caregivers

Attentive caregiver or companion and a senior adult woman in protective masks are sitting on a park bench. Summer sunny day.

The pandemic proved that most employment opportunities do not allow for the flexibility to both keep one’s job and care for a seriously ill relative. Many were forced to quit in order to help loved ones battle COVID. But now, Nebraskans forced to quit their jobs to care for sick relatives are eligible to apply for unemployment.

States Celebrate World Bee Day by Adding Protection

Dozens of bees working — Photo by Damien TUPINIER/Unsplash

World Bee Day was earlier this week and bees in several states can celebrate their legislatures’ passage of bills that limit or ban neonicotinoids, a pesticide that researchers have linked to a sharp decline in bees and pollinators around the world. States that have passed or are considering this legislation are Maine, New York, and Washington. Bees are critical to the pollination of many of our staple food crops. Protecting bees and pollinators contributes to the health and resiliency of our entire food system.

Need Volunteer Poll Workers? Wisconsin is All Set

Election poll workers wear masks during the primary election day in Nevada — Photo by Trevor Bexon / Shutterstock

A new bill in the Wisconsin legislature would require elected officials to volunteer as poll workers. The goal is to increase transparency and understanding of the election process and provides a much-needed solution to a volunteer and staffing shortage. Judges and those on the ballot would be excluded from having to serve.

Vermont Addresses Past, Present, and Future Reproductive Freedom

Exterior of the Vermont state capitol building — *Vermont State House in Montpelier, Vermont*

We know that there’s a deep and continued history of racism and sexism in our medical institutions—from non-consensual medical experimentation, to forced birth, to inequitable access to health care services, to forced sterilization, to inequitable infant and maternal health outcomes. Vermont took steps this session to repair these injustices by addressing the past and future: legislators passed a resolution apologizing for past state-sanctioned eugenics policies that led to sterilizations and passed a measure that would enshrine reproductive liberty in the state's constitution.

Q&A: The Native Tuition Waiver Bill & Voting Rights in Nevada

This Q&A is excerpted from a State Innovation Exchange telephone townhall featuring Nevada Assemblymember Natha Anderson, Marla McDade Williams (TeMoak Shoshone), and Rani Williams (Agai Dicutta Numu - Walker River Paiute.)

Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

How will the tuition waiver bill (AB262) help Native communities?

Assemblymember Natha Anderson: AB262 would do two things:

(1) grant in-state tuition to students from federally recognized Native American tribes who do not reside in Nevada

(2) grant a full waiver for costs from the Nevada System of Higher Education to students who are members or descendants of federally recognized tribes in Nevada

So this is an opportunity for us to invest in our students.

It's also an opportunity to promote more professional diversity. For example, when I'm not serving in the Assembly, I'm a teacher. When I look around, I do not see many Native American teachers. There are a few, but we need more. Not just in education—we need to see more Native attorneys, doctors, bankers, realtors. It's not about the title; it's about that different point of view.

Lastly, the Native American community has given so much to Nevada. One thing that they gave, without their permission, was the land that the Nevada System of Higher Education started on. That was both in Elko, where our first university was opened, and also at the University of Nevada, Reno, where it currently sits. We need to recognize the mistakes of the past and do something different.

Can you tell us more about the "sundown siren" in Minden and efforts to limit it?

Marla McDade Williams: An amendment to AB88, the bill that would ban discriminatory mascot names, proposed limiting the sundown siren in Minden. Like racially discriminatory mascots, the siren is a symbol that continues to inflict trauma on Native people. When the dominant society holds on to offensive symbols, it's almost as if it's a way to continually remind Native people that they aren't worthy of respect. So legislation goes a long way to help heal some of the traumas that Native people have lived with for a very long time.

How would AB321 help voting access for Native Americans in Nevada?

Rainey Williams: AB321 formalizes several changes made during the coronavirus pandemic during the last election.

One such change is that the bill extends the deadline for tribes to request a polling place. And once that request is made, and the location is established, it cannot be moved or removed unless a tribe requests it itself.

Another thing this voting bill does is make the mail-in ballot system used during the 2020 election permanent. Offering a mail-in ballot system really breaks down a major barrier to voting for on-reservation tribal voters. It's not news to anyone in Indian country that there's difficulty accessing the polls because of how rural some locations are.

Voters in the State of Nevada go to the polls on Election Day . Washoe County Nevada — *Voters in Washoe County, Nevada go to the polls on Election Day*

What is the significance of Swamp Cedars to Native people?

Marla McDade Williams: Swamp Cedars is of cultural importance to tribes that historically used the area for gatherings and spiritual ceremonies. It was also the site of massacres.

And the bodies and spirits of Native people killed there deserve respect, just like at the site of Little Bighorn. It's a huge step forward to recognize these historical areas and work with local tribes to protect them for their cultural value, and not just for their economic value.

I'm a student at the University of Nevada, Reno and I'm really interested in what other states are doing to build political power for Native communities.

Rainey Williams: I worked in Arizona, specifically for the last few election cycles for tribal communities. Tribes communicate with the elections departments constantly, even during off-cycle years when there's no voting happening. They discuss accessible polling locations, poll worker training, and how to get tribal members to become poll workers on the reservation.

And it was completely homegrown. It was tribal members informing others and making sure the word got out: "Hey, this drop off location is happening at this time. Please be there if you can."

It was really something to see. And if you followed the news during the election, you saw historic voter turnout on all Arizona reservations because of this grassroots effort.

submit opinion nevada legislature — *Nevadans can submit their opinion on a bill on the Nevada Legislature website.*

How can Nevadans participate in the legislative process?

Marla McDade Williams: One way is to register to testify on a bill. And the other way is to submit an opinion on a bill. You do that by finding the bill on the legislature's website under the 2021 legislative session. Select the meetings link associated with the bill and then select, "Submit Opinion."

Is SiX the ALEC of the Left?

We get called the “ALEC of the left” a lot.

While it is easy shorthand for people to understand what we do, we resist that label because ALEC’s model is inherently flawed and harmful for our nation. SiX, like ALEC, focuses on state legislators because we know they are incredible agents of change. But that’s where the similarities end.

SiX exists to fill a gap in the progressive movement: helping legislators succeed after they are elected. We work side-by-side with state legislators to advance progressive policy and build people power. ALEC is a corporate-backed organization that creates model legislation to benefit conservative special interests.

ALEC takes advantage of under-resourced state legislatures with a top-down approach, pushing legislation from out-of-state corporations devoid of local need or context.
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Collaborating with state legislators and their communities means we don’t create model legislation. We know that legislators don’t need national organizations to parachute in and offer copycat legislation just to pick up and leave the next day. SiX offers ongoing and personalized support; creates innovative ways to connect legislators across chambers, state lines, and with grassroots movements; and provides rapid response resources to help legislators bravely face new issues.

There are over 7,300 state legislators in the United States, and many are part-time, paid very little (if at all), and given few resources. ALEC takes advantage of under-resourced state legislatures with a top-down approach, pushing legislation from out-of-state corporations devoid of local need or context; sometimes, bill sponsors aren’t even aware the legislation they’re voting on is an ALEC bill. For example, ALEC members drafted a model voter ID bill in 2009. By 2012, 62 different voter ID bills had been introduced—and more than half the bill sponsors were ALEC members or conference attendees.

Voter casting ballot in sitdown booth while other voters pass by in foreground — *Voters cast their ballots during the New Hampshire presidential primary in Bedford, N.H. (Andrew Cline / Shutterstock)*

We don’t aspire to mimic ALEC’s playbook. Instead, we use a ground-up approach to center legislators who are navigating complex situations and competing needs within their communities.

Here’s what that looks like in practice: just recently, when a state legislator approached us for help with a bill to reduce traffic stops, our team provided research on similar laws that generated cost savings and reduced disproportionate law enforcement contact for Black motorists, and connected the legislator to government officials and academic experts.

Early in 2021, we conducted a legislator training with a staffer who worked on Sen. Booker’s Justice for Black Farmers Act. The training has already sparked cross-state partnerships and the introduction of bills to create land restoration programs and impact studies.

colin lloyd hands raised colorado state capitol — *Demonstrator with hands raised at Black Lives Matter rally near Colorado State Capitol (Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash)*

Our staff of thirty—and growing—former and current elected officials, legislative specialists, communications professionals, and organizers are doing similar work with legislators all over the country. Real progress doesn’t come from a bill mill. It comes from showing up day after day, to resource decision-makers with what they need to solve their communities’ problems.

At SiX, we do our work because we know that to improve people’s lives, we have to break the cycle of disinformation, distrust, and disenfranchisement that has made so many Americans question the results of one of the most secure elections in our nation’s history. It’s why we work side-by-side with state legislators to advance a vision of America where all people—Black, white, and brown alike—can thrive. State legislatures not only make decisions that affect the well-being of everyday Americans; they are also innovation hubs where people can come together to create solutions that ripple out and determine the future of our nation.

Agriculture is Not Just A Rural Issue

This interview is based on responses from a tweet chat that took place on April 28, 2021. Answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

What experiences shaped your understanding of the importance of agriculture?

Sen. Kim Jackson (GA): As a sixth-generation Black farmer, I think about agriculture every day when I do farm chores! I raise goats, bees, ducks, and chickens and all kinds of vegetables. And, I eat food every day!

Rep. Brian Turner (NC): My grandma grew up in the mountain border of North Carolina & Tennessee. Raising livestock & planting row crops were a way of life for her. I’m grateful she passed those skills to me, and now I get to pass it on to my daughter growing our own veggies in the backyard.

Rep. Rebecca Mitchell (GA): At first: a square baler without a kicker. Loading 50- and 100-pound feed sacks at the mill. Outdoor water spigots in the winter in New York. Fiberglass fence posts (never. ever. again).

Later: working at the dairy farm next door. Fitting sheep at shows.

Professionally: ambulatory rotations in veterinary school and analyzing milk quality and pathogens from dairy farms.

Rep. Julie von Haefen (NC): Growing up in Iowa, I saw firsthand how agriculture can be an integral part of the economy, our community and our environment. My house was on the edge of a cornfield and detasseling corn was the premier summer job for teenagers!

Agriculture issues range from food insecurity to soil health—what are some of the agriculture issues in your district?

Sen. Natalie Murdock (NC): Food insecurity is an issue in my senate district. 16.5% of people in my county are food insecure, that’s over 45,000 people. Over 12,000 children are food insecure.

Rep. Julie von Haefen (NC): We don’t have a lot of farms, but urban agriculture is becoming more important! Urban farming is the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in or around urban areas—an important tool to ensure our communities have access to fresher and healthier foods!

Sen. Rosemary Bayer (MI): My district spans a wide array of urban, suburban and rural areas. While we don’t have much farming in the district anymore, soil as a vital living system is important to all of us. From large rural farms to urban gardens, we all need healthy soil! Constituents all over the state & my district suffer from food insecurity and Covid has only made this worse. In addition to sustainable farming across the state, local sustainable urban and suburban gardens can help with food insecurity.

Sen. Kim Jackson (GA): In District 41, like many places in Georgia, people struggle with food insecurity. And for folks growing food in the city—often to address this very issue!—there can be many roadblocks.

I'm encouraged by efforts to bring fresh food to more people and support new growers. We need collaboration across sectors—and at all levels of government!—to decrease barriers to healthy food and urban agriculture.

Agriculture and the environment go hand in hand.
North Carolina State Rep. Julie von Haefen
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Tell us about an agriculture, food, or rural issue you are working on in your state.

Sen. Kim Jackson (GA): I serve on the Senate Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee. I'm working to support Black farmers across the state of Georgia and bring fresh, healthy food to those who need it most.

Rep. Brian Turner (NC): As a member of the Ag appropriations committee I’m working to make sure the preservation programs are funded and also fighting for improved broadband penetration so farmers can modernize, be more efficient, and so kids know they can farm and be connected.

Sen. Kirk deViere (NC): I’ve been fortunate enough to connect with veterans who have turned to farming as a career and therapy for post-military life. We have a responsibility to help and encourage small family farms that have been the cornerstone of North Carolina’s agricultural economy for generations. I’d like to see veteran farmers as a substantial part of those small farms.

A Vendor is Selling Produce at Farmers Market in Clayton, North Carolina — A farmer's market in Clayton, North Carolina

How can agriculture be part of the solution to climate change?

Sen. Kirk deViere (NC): Incentivizing sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture is not only a smart long-term policy decision for farmers, but it’s much better for our environment as well. To be successful, agriculture must be a significant focus of climate justice.

Sen. Natalie Murdock (NC): As a previous soil and water supervisor, I know how soil health is key to combating climate change. Here in North Carolina we continue to work on robust soil health plans and need to fund regenerative agriculture programs.

Rep. Brian Turner (NC): Farmers love the land they work and want to keep it healthy so they can grow our food. Creating incentives to reduce fertilizers, stormwater runoff, and adopt more efficient irrigation tech helps. For more about local food growers visit the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Remember, what you put into the air and ground travels. It’s never just about our own gardens or backyards. We are a world community.
Sen. Rosemary Bayer
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What do you wish more people knew about agriculture?

Rep. Julie von Haefen (NC): Agriculture and the environment go hand in hand. We must pay attention to how our North Carolina hog and poultry farms are operating and affecting the communities around them, and how they may be harmful to water and air.

Creating policy that benefits and protects both agriculture and the environment is important.

Sen. Kirk deViere (NC): One common misconception about agriculture is that all farmers are white. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As of 2017, North Carolina had nearly 2,100 black producers. We rely on minority farmers, namely Black farmers.

Rep. Brian Turner (NC): Agriculture is the #1 driver of North Carolina’s economy. We are #1 in the U.S. in sweet potatoes and soybeans, #2 in hogs.

Agriculture is bipartisan with rural and urban support. Most North Carolina farms are small family operations hoping the next generation will take over. We have a duty to help. No farms, no food.

Farmworker picking yellow peppers on agriculture field

How can people engage with agriculture issues beyond Earth Month?

Rep. Julie von Haefen: Contact your state legislators and sign up for our legislative updates! Sharing your priorities with your elected officials goes a long way towards advancing sound environmental and agricultural policies.

Sen. Kirk deViere (NC): If you live in North Carolina, you likely interact with agriculture much more than you realize. After all, agriculture is our #1 industry! It’s up to us to make sure that we continue to support the agricultural industry while fighting climate change.

Sen. Rosemary Bayer (MI): We all need to be conscious of good environmental practices – in pest management, water management, air and soil health and more. Remember, what you put into the air and ground travels. It’s never just about our own gardens or backyards. We are a world community. We have one planet and we need to work together to protect not only our own land, state and country, but our entire planet.

When We Elevate Voter Access, Everybody Wins

Mississippi State Rep. Zakiya Summers is dedicated to expanding voter access, pushing for ambitious equity agendas, and upholding educational opportunities. Prior to joining the legislature, Rep. Summers served as the director of communications and advocacy at the ACLU of Mississippi and as the Hinds County District 3 election commissioner.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What experiences led you to commit to fighting for voting rights?

When I turned 18, my mom told me that if I don't vote, I can no longer live in the house. So voting was extremely critical for our household. My great grandmother was unable to vote until the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and even then she had to walk from her home in rural Mississippi, five miles to town just to be able to cast her vote.

Mississippi State Representative Zakiya Summers — Mississippi State Rep. Zakiya Summers

And then, in my work as an Election Commissioner, I would go out to high schools and hold voter registrations. Having students contact me and say “I got my voter registration card” and “I can't wait to be able to vote this year” really showed me how impactful our work was with young people.

How does Mississippi limit access to voting?

First, we don't even have online voter registration; we still have to use the old school paper way.

Mississippi also has more ways a person can become disenfranchised than almost any other state; 23 different felonies can disenfranchise a person. And there's no way to change that status for yourself, the legislature would have to pass a suffrage bill in your name or the governor would have to pardon you.

During my first year as a legislator, one of my colleagues was trying to get his brother's right to vote restored. But the committee chairman just refused to bring it up for debate; as a result, the process had to start all over again in January–after the elections.

Finally, I tried to introduce an amendment to allow for no-excuse absentee voting and it failed. Every time we try to bring legislation to expand access to the ballot, the ruling party doesn’t allow it to go anywhere.

My great grandmother was unable to vote until the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and even then she had to walk from her home in rural Mississippi, five miles to town just to be able to cast her vote.
MS State Rep. Zakiya Summers
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How is voter suppression tied to social and economic problems in Mississippi?

Who is responsible for policy change? Policymakers. How do policymakers get into position? The electorate. Something that the NAACP president always says, “voting is where our social and our economic power lies.” So if you're not at the policy table, then you're on the menu; if you're not on the menu, then you might be in the lobby. But that all starts with voting.

Do you feel hopeful about changing voting in the South?

I certainly feel hopeful. Legislators can't do it alone inside the Capitol, and we saw that last year when Mississippi voters finally changed our state flag. We never would have thought that in 2020, we'd be taking down the Mississippi state flag after decades of people fighting— some having died fighting.

But we got it done, so we just have to continue to fight. We need that same passion, that same advocacy, and that same activism when it comes to voting rights. When we elevate voter access, everybody wins.

State Roundup: Voting Rights Expansions and Mental Health Days for Students

Each month we highlight 10 positive developments that emerged from state legislatures. You can view and share a version of this roundup on Twitter.

Tennessee Recognizes Doulas

Tennessee passed Rep. London Lamar's bill recognizing doulas as "vital childbirth team members."

Rep. Lamar hopes the bill will help lead TN to designate doulas as health professionals and require private insurance and Medicaid to cover their services.

First bill of the year passed sub committee! Doula support in Tennessee is moving! 🙌🏾
— Senator London Lamar (@SenatorLamar) February 23, 2021

Massachusetts Goes All In On Environmental Protection

Massachusetts enacted a sweeping climate change law that will require the state to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, codify environmental justice protections, prioritize solar power for low-income housing, and more.

Maine's Landmark Racial Impact Law

Maine enacted a law requiring that all state legislation be assessed for its potential impact on people of color.

State Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, the first Black person to serve a leadership role in the Maine legislature, sponsored the law.

Colorado Moves To Expand Multilingual Ballots

A new Colorado bill sponsored by State Rep. Yadira Caraveo will require more counties to provide multilingual voter ballots and establish a hotline with translators by the 2022 election.

Just now: the House passed my bill to expand multilingual ballot access on a *bipartisan* vote. I've worked on this bill since my first campaign in 2018, when I heard about the challenges that my constituents faced as they tried to participate in our democracy. #coleg #copolitics pic.twitter.com/Pqq20on8QN
— Dr. Yadira Caraveo (@YadiraCaraveo) March 29, 2021

Voting Restoration in Washington

Washington state passed a bill that will automatically restore voting rights to people who have completed a prison sentence.

Governor Jay Inslee is expected to sign.

Maryland Supports Libraries

Maryland became the first state to guarantee that libraries can license e-books "on reasonable terms."

Mental Health Days for Arizona's Students

The Arizona legislature passed State Rep. Sean Bowie's bill, which clarifies that "mental health days" count as excused absences in K-12 schools.

Great news! Our bill to clarify that mental health days count as an excused absence in our K-12 schools passed the House today with strong bipartisan support! It's now headed to the governor's desk. Thank you to my colleagues for their support! #SB1097 https://t.co/1ubGLliGsY
— Sean Bowie (@seanbowie) March 11, 2021

LGBTQ Seniors in New Jersey Have New Protections

New Jersey enacted an LGBTQI+ Senior Bill of Rights, which will bar long-term care facilities from discriminating based on sexuality, gender, or HIV status.

A Voting Rights Act for Virginia

Virginia is poised to become the first state to enact its own version of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013.

The bill was drafted by two Black women lawmakers—Delegate Cia Price and Delegate Jennifer McClellan.

Historic Session in New Mexico

New Mexico's legislature closed out its session by passing progressive bills that will protect abortion rights, guarantee paid sick leave for employees at private companies, and end qualified immunity for police.

Bold Public Investment Is Popular and Key to Ending This Crisis

By: Azza Altiraifi, Senior Program Manager at the Groundwork Collaborative

In the year since the COVID-19 pandemic first gripped the United States, over 525,000 people have perished and millions more - disproportionately people of color, disabled people, women, and those at the intersection of these identities—are still struggling to get by. The historic scale of the economic and public health crises we’ve faced was not inevitable. It was the result of decades of austerity policies and systematic disinvestment in the public sector at local, state, and federal levels. We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Over a decade of research shows that the economics of austerity are flawed, broadly unpopular, and racist. And while accelerating vaccine distribution and imminent federal fiscal aid are promising, it will take robust, sustained, and equitable public investment at state and local levels to get out of these crises and build a resilient economy that works for everyone, instead of the wealthy few.

Austerity is Racist and Economically Destabilizing

Even before the coronavirus emerged in the US, state and local budgets and tax systems were in bad shape. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, the federal government cut aid short prematurely, leading many state and local governments to pursue austerity measures to address budget shortfalls and mitigate the economic shock. States and localities eliminated public jobs, deferred necessary maintenance on critical infrastructure like roads and bridges, and shrunk social programs and services.

Group of diverse students at daycare or classroom — *A racially diverse group of elementary school students in classroom*

Not only did limited federal stimulus prolong the recovery from the Great Recession, but it exacerbated race and gender inequities. Consider that while the Great Recession technically ended in June 2009, it took until 2018 for Black women’s employment to fully recover. Now, with the economy plunged into crisis again, the very austerity measures implemented in the past have left states more economically vulnerable and exacerbated the financial harms faced by low-income workers and people of color.

Since February 2020, states and localities have lost 1.3 million jobs. But safety-net programs such as the unemployment insurance system struggled to scale up and distribute life-sustaining benefits in the face of such precipitous job loss and economic upheaval. This is largely because federal austerity over the past decades has shifted more responsibilities to state and local governments. Further still, austerity politics at all levels of government fuel scarcity myths and racist ideas of “deservedness,” which are then used to justify shrinking benefits and imposing cumbersome administrative barriers throughout the benefits application process.

Austerity politics at all levels of government fuel scarcity myths and racist ideas of “deservedness” which are then used to justify shrinking benefits.
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Not only do cuts to benefits programs serving low-income people disproportionately impact Black and brown workers, they reduce state economic activity overall. Lower-income people tend to put every dollar they receive in benefits back into their state and local economy, so when programs that serve low-income households are slashed, state economies correspondingly contract.

The cumulative effects of these austerity measures and mindsets are seen in the millions of workers and families who waited months in a pandemic to access aid that was insufficient to meet their needs. And since Black and brown people are most likely to work in the hardest-hit sectors, they face the brunt of these cascading economic harms.

People-Centered Spending Will Help End This Crisis

As states face plummeting revenues and soaring investment needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the case for implementing progressive tax systems to raise revenue is incontrovertible. The majority of pandemic job losses are concentrated among low-income workers, but largely white upper-income households continue to see their assets grow during the pandemic. If states had more progressive tax systems, they could tax those income gains at the top to shore up revenue, reverse concentrations of wealth and power, and promote greater racial and gender equity.

A drive-up food pantry in Sherman, TX — *A drive-up food pantry in Sherman, Texas*

Instead, many state budgets are more vulnerable, income inequality is worsened, and consequently, Black and brown workers are bearing an even heavier economic burden. On average, state tax systems take a 50% greater share of income from the poorest quintile of taxpayers than they take from the top one percent. Replacing these upside-down tax structures with progressive taxes on the highest earners can shore up budgets and create space for legislators to make meaningful investments in infrastructure, public health, green jobs, and more. And years of research have proven that in a depressed economy, increased public investment more than pays for itself in economic growth — more than $1 in growth for each $1 spent.

Replacing upside-down tax structures with progressive taxes on the highest earners can shore up budgets and create space for legislators to make meaningful investments in infrastructure, public health, green jobs, and more.
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Recently, New Jersey passed a millionaires tax, which is a crucial step in addressing enduring racial and socioeconomic inequities within the state’s tax code. Heeding the call of advocates and economists, New Jersey’s state leadership rejected harmful and counterproductive budget cuts that would have exacerbated inequality and further eroded health and social infrastructure. Instead, they prioritized smart investments such as expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and restoring funding for an array of environmental programs.

States facing unprecedented spikes in spending due to COVID-19 and tumbling revenues can also pursue progressive taxes to balance their budgets and redistribute power and resources. And such investments are broadly popular. Polling confirms that the public opposes state budget and service cuts by wide and bipartisan margins.

Ultimately, an abundance approach to policy recognizes that people-centered spending—to restore and expand social services, revitalize key infrastructure, and build public power— is a matter of strategic investment to build a more just and equitable future. Robust public investment is broadly popular, economically sound, and necessary to advance racial justice. It’s time for state and local policies to reflect that.

Groundwork Collaborative is a research and policy advocacy organization working to advance a coherent and persuasive progressive economic worldview capable of delivering meaningful opportunity and prosperity for everyone.

Maryland Voters Concerned About Learning Loss During the Pandemic

Members of the Maryland General Assembly will use this legislative session to address the impact of COVID-19 on public schools and Maryland’s children. New polling commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and Strong Future Maryland finds voters across the state and from across the political spectrum are very concerned that Maryland students are losing educational opportunities during the pandemic and support ways to address the learning loss.

Roughly 8-in-10 voters think once Maryland students are back learning in the classroom they will need either some additional support or a significant amount of additional support such as tutoring or targeted instruction.

Maryland voters support resourcing K-12 education to meet the needs of students. The poll found 7-in-10 voters agree with spending more on K-12 education to close opportunity gaps, and roughly 8-in-10 voters agree with spending more on K-12 education to provide more opportunities to prepare for careers and with spending more to make teacher salaries more competitive.

Please click here to see the full polling memo.

Q&A: COVID-19 and Unemployment in Michigan

This Q&A is excerpted from a State Innovation Exchange telephone townhall featuring Michigan state legislators. Questions came from various Michigan residents and answers have been edited for length and clarity.

What legislative efforts are being made to provide essential worker bonuses and benefits like hazard pay?

State Senator Stephanie Chang: My colleagues and I have advocated for more hazard pay for essential workers and grants or bonuses for our teachers.

Last year, we started the Futures for Frontliners program, which allows essential workers to get free tuition for community college or high school completion programs. I cannot understate how important it is to honor our frontline workers not just with words but also with action.

State Senator Camilleri: We are also talking about increasing the minimum wage because, as we saw during this pandemic, so many people on the front lines are not even making a living wage of $15 an hour.

State Representative Aiyash: I'm introducing legislation with Rep. Camilleri to give people a tax credit on any PPE that they purchase. Essential workers would qualify to get a tax credit for all of the PPE they purchase to keep working. That's one way that we're looking at trying to be creative and making sure that those on the frontlines are getting appreciation. Every worker is valuable, and it's time that we start showing that, not just in our words.

Michigan State Senator Stephanie Chang with COVID-19 test kit in the Michigan State Capitol

Michigan State Rep. Darrin Camilleri at the Michigan State Capitol — Michigan State Senator Stephanie Chang with COVID-19 test kit in the Michigan State Capitol

What kind of legislative unemployment reforms is the legislature working on right now?

Senator Stephanie Chang: Senate Democrats have introduced a number of unemployment proposals over the past few years.

We know that we need to permanently extend how many weeks an individual can get unemployment benefits to 26 weeks, not 20 weeks. We need to permanently increase the dollar amount given per week and permanently ensure that all types of workers can file for unemployment— including gig workers, seasonal employees, or other workers who don't normally qualify for unemployment.

There is no reason under the sun not to extend unemployment back to 26 weeks. To quote #BigGretch: let’s get it done. #MISOTS2021
— Abraham Aiyash (@AbrahamAiyash) January 28, 2021

What is the timeline for the unemployment process, and what can I do if I have been waiting a long time for my application to go through?

Senator Stephanie Chang: Typically, for somebody who is filing for unemployment and doesn't have any issues with their claim, their applications are processed within 21 days. However, there are thousands of folks right now who have been waiting a long time for papers or initial payments.

If you are like them and have been waiting for a long time, there are a couple of things you can do.

First, be sure you have read all letters and correspondence in your MiWAM account.
Then, reach out to see if there are any next steps you may need to take, such as providing missing documents or identity verification photos.
I'd also recommend saving the unemployment office's phone number, 866-500-0017, so you do not miss any calls from the office.

We are working hard to get everybody paid right now; the historic volume has certainly slowed down and created some backlogs. But, we expect to get through most of our backlogs in the next couple of weeks.

Representative Aiyash: Please feel free to reach out to your representative's office if you have any questions or need any assistance.

We don't have any authority to necessarily move a case or pull the money and make sure that it gets sent over, but we can make sure that the cases you are submitting are being looked at by the UIA.

Maryland Voters Concerned About Climate Change, Support Bold Action

As the Maryland state legislature debates critical issues that will define a cleaner, greener future for Maryland, a newly released poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and Strong Future Maryland offers an important perspective.

Two-thirds of Maryland voters agree that the General Assembly and other policy makers should take climate change into account when deciding how to vote on energy and economic development policy. Maryland voters continue to place a high premium on state-level action when it comes to carbon emissions and climate change.Three in five Maryland voters (60 percent) support the General Assembly passing major legislation to achieve significant reductions in carbon emissions, with a plurality of voters (39 percent) strongly supporting such legislation.

Additionally, 64 percent of Maryland voters support the creation of a carbon tax paid by companies based on how much carbon they emit, while just 25 percent oppose such a tax.

Please click here to see the full polling memo.

Recap: Black History Month Tweet Chat

The #SIXBHM tweet chat took place on February 18, 2021. The following answers have been lightly edited for clarity. You can view all of the tweets here.

Which person, past or present, has helped shape how you approach your work?

Euh8SwSVoAI3yL ?format=jpg&name=medium — *Assemblyman Cameron "CH" Miller (NV) with his late cousin, Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson.*

Delegate Pam Queen (MD): Mary McLeod Bethune, as a former slave who became on outstanding leader, educator, civil servant who left us a legacy to achieve racial equity and justice. Her quote, “The true worth of a race must be measured by the character of its womanhood” continues to inspire me.

Rep. Attica Scott (KY): My daughter @Ashantilynn01 (+ my son who doesn’t like social media). Ashanti often reminds me that we don’t move in fear, whether as we are pursuing justice for Breonna Taylor or standing up for reproductive freedom.

Delegate Gabriel Acevero (MD): My mother, she was the first organizer and movement leader I knew.

Assemb. Cameron "CH" Miller (NV): My cousin, the late Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson, inspired me to run and shaped my approach to the work. To honor his legacy, I always consider how policy will help or hurt the most vulnerable in our communities first, our youth.

This moment calls for bold and audacious leadership. I answered the call to serve because representation is not a cliché, it's a must.
Florida Rep. Michele K. Rayner-Goolsby
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Why did you run for office? What does it mean to represent your community?

State Sen. James Coleman (CO): I ran for office to serve my communities, simple as that. And it is beyond humbling that my constituents continue to believe in me to represent their interests.

State Sen. Erika Geiss (MI): In the #mileg, we have term limits, so running wasn’t something on my long-term radar initially. When my Rep was termed out in 2014, I decided to run because of an education issue adjacent to our community but that impacted our community.

As an educator and then PTO mom, and as one of the few folks from the district likely to be able to have a shred of institutional knowledge about it, I decided to run.

As the 1st woman of color to represent my district in the #mileg, it means a lot. And it has never been far from my mind as I worked for the roughly 100,000 people of my former House district or as I work for the nearly 260,000 people of my current state Senate district.

Del. Shaneka Henson (MD): After moving from public housing I ran for office to be a voice for my city and tenants who struggle with mold.

Rep. Michele K. Rayner-Goolsby: This moment calls for bold and audacious leadership. I answered the call to serve because representation is not a cliché, it's a must.

My top priority this legislative session is Breonna’s Law for Kentucky to restrict the use of no-knock search warrants across our Commonwealth. No family should carry the weight of what her family has endured.
Kentucky Rep. Attica Scott
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Tell us about an issue you're advocating for this legislative session.

State Rep. Park Cannon (GA): To hold police accountable and protect reproductive rights. By sharing the term #reproductivejustice with my legislative colleagues, thanks to the words of @sistersong, I have been able to continue fighting against injustice in my community.

Assemb. Cameron "CH" Miller (NV): We must stop the school to prison pipeline and policies that criminalize youth before they ever get a chance to thrive. My highest priority is ending the direct filing of minors into the adult judicial system. 60% of direct filed youth in NV are Black!

Rep. Attica Scott (KY): My top priority this legislative session is Breonna’s Law for Kentucky to restrict the use of no-knock search warrants across our Commonwealth.

No family should carry the weight of what her family has endured.

Sen. Erika Geiss GIF with subtitle "Let's make economic justice a priority and reality every day." — Michigan State Sen. Erika Geiss

State Sen. Erika Geiss (MI): This session, I'm advocating for several things to address #BlackMaternalHealth. First, a package on #DoulaCare to improve recognition of community-based & traditional doulas & Medicaid & commercial insurance for both.

State Sen. James Coleman (CO): I am currently focused on three main legislative priorities: eliminating prison recidivism, eliminating youth violence, and eliminating the Black wealth gap. This session, I am excited to lead an attack against CO's 50% recidivism rate.

Delegate Pam Queen (MD): I champion legislation which seeks to increase homeownership for Black families. These bills are part of the Maryland Speaker of the House's “Black Agenda.”

Our communities need strong economic investments and infrastructures that overcome historical injustices. When our Black communities are given first consideration, rather than everything after, we will do more than just survive.
Colorado State Sen. James Coleman
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In what ways have you seen state legislatures perpetuate anti-Black racism in your lifetime? How can state legislatures disrupt anti-Black racism?

Rep. Stephanie Howse (OH): Let me the count ways the Ohio General Assembly perpetuates anti-Black racism:

The response to COVID-19
Educational system
Lack of investment in Black owned businesses
Lack of accountability for financing of Black home owners

The way we can begin to address anti-Black racism in the Ohio legislature is to first start to call a thing a thing. Racism is Racism.

Delegate Gabriel Acevero (MD): Where do I begin??

Voter suppression laws.
Police/SROs in schools.
Mandatory minimums.
Legalizing medical &/or recreational marijuana w/o equity or reparations.
“Stand your ground” laws.
Underfunding of our HBCUs.

State Sen. James Coleman (CO): My colleagues and I reconvened last Dec. for a special session and passed SB20B-1, which set aside $4 million for the CO Minority Business Office. Almost immediately a lawsuit was filed against this legislation for violating the 14th Amendment.

Rep. Attica Scott (KY): My goodness! Where to begin? In Kentucky, the legislature has refused to hear any bills by members of our Legislative Black Caucus in at least three years, but have spent this session playing performative politics on race, including stealing one of my bills!

State Sen. Erika Geiss (MI): From situations such as the Senate Majority Leader asking me “why not all mothers” when I asked him to co-sponsor my resolution to recognize #BlackMaternalHealthWeek, to a colleague wearing a Confederate flag mask to session last April with no recourse...

...to members including the Senate Majority Leader cozying up to white supremacists, to racist statements said aloud by GOP members. I’ve seen a lot when it comes to anti-Black racism at work in the Michigan legislature.

There’s also a lack of attention to cultivating Black staff at all levels so that there are voices here beyond those of us who are elected.

We must continue to speak up and advocate for our communities and not worry about being “polite” or notions of “civility” because the repeated trauma of racist comments and actions is anything but polite or civil.

We must continue to speak up and advocate for our communities and not worry about being “polite” or notions of “civility” because the repeated trauma of racist comments and actions is anything but polite or civil.
Michigan State Sen. Erika Geiss
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What does it look like for Black communities to not just survive—but thrive?

State Rep. Park Cannon (GA): The five pillars of #ReproJustice, self-determination; access to comprehensive reproductive health services; affordability of care; parenting with respect and dignity; and workplace and caregiving supports, are key to a thriving life for black families and families to be.

Delegate Gabriel Acevero (MD): It looks a lot like Black Wall Street. It also looks like clean air, water, and REPARATIONS.

original — *The St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, one of the first black-owned banks in the United States.* (Source: National Park Service)

Rep. Stephanie Howse (OH): To have thriving Black communities, governments in particular must acknowledge the harm and destruction they have caused to Black people and commit to policies and practices that restore and renew.

Rep. Attica Scott (KY): When we thrive we are freely our whole, authentic selves. We have access to quality affordable housing, education, healthcare and jobs. We’re paid a fair wage, our businesses are supported, and our neighborhoods are safe from environmental hazards and toxins.

State Sen. James Coleman (CO): Our communities need strong economic investments and infrastructures that overcome historical injustices. When our Black communities are given first consideration, rather than everything after, we will do more than just survive.

Last question: let's talk about Black futures. What's your message to Black youth this Black History Month?

Delegate Gabriel Acevero (MD): My message to Black youth this Black History Month and everyday is: You are enough. Life will not be easy but as philosopher and poet, Kendrick Lamar put it... “We gon’ be alright.”

State Sen. Erika Geiss (MI): My message to Black youth this Black History Month is to pay attention to what is going on in your local community, state, country, world & get involved no matter how small or large the issue is. Your voices are important, necessary, and powerful. And when you’re able to, register to vote and vote in every election...local, state, federal. There no such thing as an off-year election.

Rep. Attica Scott (KY): You're are loved. You are needed. You are valued. Continue to raise your voice in protest of corrupt, unjust systems. Show up for racial justice. Speak out. Stand up. Continue to support good public policy. Continue to run for office and change the face of government.

Legislator Spotlight: Pennsylvania Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta

Top photo by Swiger Photography. This interview was conducted via Zoom and has been edited for length and clarity.

How would you define what it means to be a successful state legislator?

I think first and foremost, you have to do the homework. When I come into a committee hearing, it is very rare that I've not read every line of a bill or the analysis of the legislation. Even if it's seemingly benign legislation, there may be things in it that are bad for my constituents.

Even more, there might be opportunities to make the legislation better. For example, a colleague who is not my favorite person on the Republican side—introduced a bill to have outside health experts oversee the Department of Health. So I introduced multiple amendments to include a deep dive into the racial disparities of COVID.

How did you figure out that you should try to introduce amendments?

Being in the minority, I seek opportunities to introduce priorities into broader pieces of legislation. If I can make amendments, then we can make life a little bit better for the community members who are not often centered in our policy conversations. Politics is a math problem. If the minority doesn't have 102 votes in the [Pennsylvania] House, 26 votes in the Senate, and a governor who's willing to sign the legislation, then it is not going to become law. It's very rare that I get 102 votes on something, but there are ways for me to use the amendment process.

What surprised you about being a state legislator?

It should not have surprised me that it takes a really long time to get anything done. It is incredibly disappointing because there are chronic issues that are impacting people I love and care about. Those lived experiences are what drove me to run in the first place.

As a member of the minority, we don't control the calendar or when a bill comes up, so a lot of time is spent sitting around waiting for things to happen. The reason being, people see the meal based on where they're sitting at the table, so if you're sitting in front of the turkey that's the most important thing.

In Pennsylvania, we are a large, diverse state, so, for some, doing something about Volunteer Fire companies is the most important. For others, it's charter schools, bus contracts, etc. So the question is, how do we find synergy around the time in which we approach those priorities?

*Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta conducting a telephone town hall with thousands of constituents. (Photo: Facebook)*

What's your proudest moment or accomplishment?

I'm deeply proud of protecting the right to vote in our democracy, especially while the [former] president tried to dispute the election. Until the very last hours of the session, GOP legislators were introducing legislation to try to overturn the electors. With Pennsylvania being the tipping-point state, it was an important feat just to come to work and speak up. I was also a party to a number of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party lawsuits against the president, and I'm deeply proud of that.

How do you stay true to your values in a political system that's designed to uphold the status quo?

We shouldn't be trying to build compromise, we should try to build consensus. Building consensus is about ensuring that your values are in the room and talking openly and honestly about what makes people's lives better.

Even more, it is about figuring out how we build coalitions to make lasting, substantive change. We have to get buy-in from a bunch of different people, which takes real skill and real commitment. It is not about taking any deal just to get a deal. It's about getting a deal that doesn't just bandaid the problems we face and instead is a real surgical approach to the things that are deeply broken.

What advice would you give newly elected state legislators as they enter their first session?

Remember why you ran. When you get into the hustle and bustle of it all, sometimes we forget some of the conversations that inspired us or forget the people who encouraged us. They saw something in us, and they still want to see that in action.

I say to my constituents all the time, yes, I want you to vote for me and I appreciate your vote, but I also need you to write letters about the legislation I introduced. Secondly, when it's safe to, I need you to come up to Harrisburg and share your stories about why I introduced this legislation and what it can mean to your family. And finally, I need you to talk to the press and write op-eds.

Also, remember you are not in this alone, because there is literally nothing you can do by yourself. Everybody must recognize the stewardship required for our democracy to work, and elected leaders do not have the only role.

To my fellow legislators: don't take on the pressure that you have to change the world alone. That is a reductionist mentality because you cannot do it all by yourself. Above all else, don't give up your personal life because it is very easy to do that. You can always be doing legislative work, but your family and the people who love you deserve to have you too.

Legislator Spotlight: Nebraska Sen. Megan Hunt

Top photo by Ariel Panowicz.

This interview was conducted via e-mail and has been edited for length and clarity.

How would you define what it means to be a successful state legislator?

Success looks different for everyone because we all have limits on what we are able to do. In the short time I have as a State Senator, I will feel successful if I can use the circumstances that are handed to me to bend as much power as I can in service of our most vulnerable Nebraskans.

If you could go back in time, what’s one thing you’d do differently in your first term?

Looking back, I see that I made some beginners errors that probably could not have been avoided—types of things I just had to learn the hard way. For example, introducing a few bills without first gauging the support of key colleagues, or being unprepared for a few obvious questions in committee hearings. But on the whole, I am proud of myself. Overall, I can say with confidence and pride that I didn't leave anything on the table, that I picked my battles well, and that I did as much as I could. I balanced the firmness of my own convictions and principles with doing what's best for my district and for Nebraska. And I did this as part of a team of 49 senators plus all of our indispensable staff.

Nebraska State Senator Megan Hunt in Nebraska State Capitol wearing mask — *Sen. Megan Hunt in the Nebraska State Capitol; (Photo: Sen. Megan Hunt's Facebook*)

What surprised you about being a state legislator?

In Nebraska, we have the nation’s only nonpartisan unicameral legislature, which means that we have no official party identification, we have no caucuses, no majority/minority leaders, etc. I am on the far left side of the spectrum represented in the Nebraska Legislature, and I broke barriers as the first out LGBTQ+ state senator ever, as a single working parent, and as an atheist. I was really afraid that my colleagues would stereotype me or be hostile toward me because of who I am, but I was wrong. I have found every one of my colleagues amenable, willing to work with me, and I have made several close friends with colleagues who are ideologically very different from me. I think that Nebraska legislators are able to benefit from these positive relationships because of our officially nonpartisan structure. We fight, we disagree, we argue, but we do cooperate, and that’s a good thing for Nebraskans.

I think that Nebraska legislators are able to benefit from positive relationships because of our officially nonpartisan structure. We fight, we disagree, we argue, but we do cooperate, and that’s a good thing for Nebraskans.
State Senator Megan Hunt
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What was one challenge you faced as a legislator that you didn’t anticipate?

The pandemic, absolutely. When the pandemic began to reach Nebraska in March, the Legislature suspended its session, and my office started working remotely. We made the decision to pivot from our legislative work to a focus on the immediate, urgent safety needs of Nebraskans facing hunger, unemployment, and eviction. Our agenda for 2020 changed completely, from the slate of policy goals we brought into the new year, to the simple but critical objective of ensuring that Nebraskans would survive.

It was very important that our office was able to pivot from our original policy goals to the day-to-day crisis work that COVID has demanded of our elected leaders. But I certainly never expected to be in this position.

Every day when I come home, my daughter looks up (either from a book or a YouTube video, usually about rhinos), and says “Did you pass a bill today?”

And today I got to say YES! ☺️ Out to dinner to celebrate. pic.twitter.com/iZOwQtHv95
— Senator Megan Hunt (@NebraskaMegan) May 3, 2019

What’s your proudest moment or accomplishment?

I’m very proud of how my staff has handled the COVID-19 pandemic. We are still helping Nebraskans receive unemployment and SNAP benefits they are entitled to from the early part of the pandemic. Many of these Nebraskans have never been system-involved, and many are slipping through the cracks when trying to work with agencies to get their benefits.

Of course, I’m also taking care of my daughter, managing her virtual learning, and running a business of my own. My hat is off to all parents and educators who are dealing with balancing work, education, schooling, and all the challenges of this pandemic. It feels hard every day, but we have to be proud of everything we’ve been able to do amidst all this adversity.

How do you stay true to your values in a political system that’s designed to uphold the status quo?

For me, it’s the easiest thing in the world. Our entire political institution—the rules, the norms, everything—was created by people who are invested in the status quo to ensure that people marginalized by the status quo will still work to maintain it. I have endeavored to not be a part of that by questioning my assumptions about what’s going on, and by having the courage or playfulness to question others’ assumptions. Why should I worry what others think of my values? I am the one who has to live with myself and sleep at night! And this is why representation in government is so important. I want different elected leaders, I want diverse elected leaders, and I want us to work together to render the status quo obsolete.

You can’t want this job because you think you have the answers. You have to want this job because you know we have the answers, and you want to help implement those solutions.
State Senator Megan Hunt
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What advice would you give newly-elected state legislators as they enter their first session?

I have the approach that there is nothing sacramental about a seat in the legislature, and there is nothing intrinsically special about me that entitles me to hold one. We are just people who are holding a job. The power we have is awesome, but we make mistakes, we have motives that are good and bad, we build our little legacies if we’re lucky, and then we are term-limited or we retire or we lose reelection. I know that I am just passing through, and I have to use my time here and the power I have to make life better for other people. You can’t want this job because you think you have the answers. You have to want this job because you know we have the answers, and you want to help implement those solutions. You can’t tie all of your identity up in elective office. It’s just a channel for you to do good work. And there are many ways to do that besides holding office.

A Warning on the Gig Workers Legislation Coming to Your State

By: Terri Gerstein, Director, State and Local Enforcement Project, Harvard Labor and Worklife Program & Senior Fellow, Economic Policy Institute and Rebecca Smith; Director, Work Structures Portfolio at National Employment Law Project (NELP)

Proposition 22 was a California ballot initiative that passed in November. Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and other gig companies spent over $200 million to deprive their workers of important employment rights in exchange for a paltry package of benefits. The companies are now pushing this model in other states and legislators should be prepared to counter an aggressive and well-funded campaign.

What’s at stake?

Gig companies want to exempt themselves from laws that every other employer has to follow—minimum wage, overtime, discrimination, unemployment insurance, paid sick time, paid family leave, workers’ compensation, and workplace safety and health—and they want to give very little in return. We are expecting legislation or ballot initiatives in at least CO, IL, MA, NJ, NY, and WA in 2021.

What are the actual facts about these drivers?

These companies have disclosed little data about who their drivers are, how many are full-time, how many hours they work, and how much money they make. One rare exception, a 2018 study from New York City, revealed:

Driving was the primary job for two-thirds of workers;
They earned low wages (the median amounted to less than state minimum wage); and
Many qualified for public benefits including Medicaid and federal supplemental nutrition assistance.

We also know that Black and Latino workers comprise almost 42 percent of app-based workers. Relegating them to a second tier of labor protections recreates historical racist exclusions of Black and Latino workers from basic protections.

Gig companies want to exempt themselves from laws that every other employer has to follow—and they want to give very little in return.
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What have courts said?

Courts have repeatedly held that these workers are entitled to their rights as employees (five courts in three states in 2020).

What does Proposition 22 do?

As this New York Times op-ed explains, Prop 22 is a bad deal. It denies California’s gig workers paid sick leave, unemployment benefits, and overtime pay, allows many weekly work hours to be unpaid, offers exceedingly limited benefits, and requires a whopping 7/8 vote for any amendment.

What can you do?

You can fight efforts to pass similar measures in your state:

Learn about Proposition 22, including its terms, and short/longer-term consequences;
Meet with unions, worker groups, and other stakeholders in your state;
Be wary of “astroturf” groups & others funded by gig companies to show support;
Require companies to disclose extensive data about worker conditions in your state;
Urge others tempted by the companies’ pitch to wait and see what happens in California before taking action; and
Find ways to expand gig workers’ and other workers’ rights within your jurisdiction.

Want more information? We will be offering a webinar in 2021, but if you’d like more information sooner, let SiX know!

What Just Happened in the States

Partisan Control of State Legislatures Remains Largely Unchanged

In November 2020, nearly 6,000 of the nation’s 7,383 state legislative seats were up for election. Come January 2021, the partisan control of state legislatures will look almost identical to how they looked two years prior: of the 98 chambers that have partisan control, 59 are held by Republicans, 37 by Democrats (as of this writing, the Arizona Senate and House remain in flux; Nebraska is a unicameral, nonpartisan chamber).

Though communities of color in Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan beat back Donald Trump’s fascism and division federally, gerrymandering and other structural barriers kept their state legislatures relatively unchanged. For example, in Wisconsin, Joe Biden won 49.4% of the vote (as of November 5th), but Republicans retained 61% of all state legislative seats.

Progressive Policy Victories Were Achieved via Ballot Measure

Voters of all political persuasions overwhelmingly support progressive public policy options, mostly through direct democracy in the ballot measure process.

Alabama voters removed racist language from their state constitution.
In California, voters restored voting rights to individuals serving parole for felony convictions.
In Colorado, voters rejected a ban on later abortion—in even higher numbers than they voted for Joe Biden—again affirming broad bipartisan support for abortion access.
In Colorado, voters also approved a new national standard for paid family and medical leave, which will begin in 2024.
In Florida, almost 61% of voters approved raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2026.
In Utah and Nebraska, voters stripped the “slavery as a punishment” clause from their state constitutions.
Marijuana was decriminalized, legalized, and/or taxed in five states: Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota.

Statehouses Across the Country Will Be More Diverse

The 2020 election produced a diverse new class of progressive electeds in red and blue states alike.

Oklahoma elected the country’s first openly nonbinary state legislator, Mauree Turner– and they are a Muslim millennial!
In New Mexico, there is now a 37–33 majority of women in the House.
Five newly elected state legislators will become the first Muslim legislators in their states: Mauree Turner in Oklahoma, Madinah Wilson-Anton in Delaware, Iman Jodeh in Colorado, Samba Baldeh in Wisconsin, and Christopher Benjamin in Florida.

Several LGBTQIA “firsts” were celebrated throughout the country: In Delaware, Sarah McBride became the first transgender person elected to a state Senate. Two other Democrats became the first openly transgender people to win seats in their states’ Houses: Taylor Small in Vermont and Stephanie Byers in Kansas. Tenessee elected its first openly gay and openly bisexual legislators, Eddie Mannis and Torrey Harris, respectively.
In Washington state, the number of Black women legislators tripled from the previous year.

The pipeline of public leadership is starting to look more like America— but we still have far to go. We can never achieve justice if our decision-makers are older, whiter, and more affluent than the people they represent; only 29% of state legislators who hold office are women and 78% are white.

In many states, legislators are part-time, paid very little (if at all,) and required to drop everything to be fully available for their legislative sessions. This has led to state legislatures being disproportionately composed of retirees, independently wealthy people, and those whose educational and career privileges allow them to hit pause on their careers for up to several months per year without repercussions.

What Comes Next

The most immediate challenge facing all state legislatures next year will be swelling budget deficits due to the pandemic and the recession. At the same time, state legislators face an extreme risk across the progressive movement—that all hopes are laid at the feet of the new President without an acknowledgment that state legislatures have significant power to shape the political terrain for generations to come.

We know that bold champions can make a difference in every legislative context — majorities, minorities, and split governance states — and our champions need resources and support to create transformative change. SiX is designed precisely for this work.

The road ahead isn’t easy, but the work to transform this country is a long arc. We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors and are so grateful to be in this generational struggle.

Medication Abortion: A 20-year Anniversary and an Opportunity

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Medication abortion care is a safe and effective method of abortion care that has been studied extensively since it was approved by the FDA 20 years ago this month.

Still, many Americans are unfamiliar with medication abortion care -- what it is, how it can increase access to care during a pandemic and beyond, and the state and federal level policy barriers that stand in the way.

To assist state legislators' work in this area SiX Reproductive Rights teamed up with Dr. Ushma Upadhyay, an expert in medication abortion care from the University of California San Francisco, and Innovating Education in Reproductive Health to make this short instructive video.

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Click here to read video transcript.

Some topline takeaways to keep in mind:

Medication abortion care is an FDA-approved option for ending an early pregnancy.
Medication abortion care has been shown to be safe and effective over the last 20 years with a more than 99% safety rate.
Despite its 20-year safety record, FDA restrictions (called REMS) still limit the number of providers that can stock and dispense the medication used in medication abortion care, reducing the options for patients to access it.
Unnecessary state level restrictions on the use of telemedicine for medication abortion care — which have been passed in 18 states — add to the burden by requiring people to travel for an in-person visit, even though it is just as safe and effective to consult with a provider over video or phone.
- In July a Federal Court blocked the enforcement of the FDA restriction that requires people to pick up the medication in-person from their provider for the duration of the COVID public health emergency.
- The Trump administration has appealed to the Supreme Court to re-instate that requirement.
Restrictions on medication abortion care, and abortion care in general, fall hardest on those who have low incomes, live in rural areas, are women of color, undocumented, or are young.
It doesn’t have to be this hard to get medication abortion care. Pregnant people should be able to have medication abortion prescribed by their health care provider and receive their medications in the way that makes the most sense for them, whether that is having it delivered to their home or picking up at a local pharmacy or at a health center.

Medication abortion care has been researched extensively.

This list contains a selection of issue briefs and fact sheets summarizing the research and the state-level policy implications:

Abortion is Safe in All Forms (fact sheet highlighting the findings of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine report on quality of abortion care in the United States)
The Safety of Medication Abortion Care (The EMAA Project)
Expanding Telemedicine Can Ensure Abortion Access During COVID-19 Pandemic (Center for Reproductive Rights and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health)
Medication Abortion: State Laws and Policies (Guttmacher Institute)

For additional resources, messaging guidance, or to be connected with a research expert on reproductive health topics, please reach out to fran@stateinnovation.org.

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Legislators can protect workers’ rights by partnering with AGs

The fight for worker’s rights rages on through the pandemic. Everyone deserves a safe workplace, yet the average American worker currently finds themselves in a troubling situation: risk their health or go to work. Millions of Americans are relying on elected officials to enact policies that will protect their rights and ensure their safety. Fortunately, workers are not the only ones calling for strong reforms such as paid sick leave, recovering stolen wages, and fighting misclassification of workers, amongst many others.

A new EPI report documents the dramatic increase in the involvement of state attorneys general (AGs) in protecting workers’ rights in the past two years. The report recommends that state legislatures grant attorney general offices jurisdiction to enforce workplace rights laws. It also urges state AGs to expand their involvement in this area using a range of their existing powers and authority.

“Many workers held precarious jobs and experienced high rates of wage theft and retaliation... In response to the dire challenges facing workers today, a number of state AGs have emerged as leaders in enforcing and protecting workers’ rights,” said Terri Gerstein, director of the State and Local Enforcement Project at the Harvard Labor and Worklife Program, and a senior fellow at EPI.

Unfortunately, several states have already taken steps to grant business liability protections from workers’ lawsuits during the COVID-19 crisis. These liability laws have dire consequences such as unsafe conditions for both workers and daily consumers.

The State Innovation Exchange commissioned a recent poll surveying Americans in ten states and it revealed that voters strongly support policies that would provide immediate pocketbook relief for families and workers. Even more, results show that a majority of voters side with workplace safety requirements over liability protections for corporations (55% to 26%).

There are a number of common sense measures state and local officials should be considering to put worker and public health front and center. To see what else you can do to help keep workers safe, visit SiX’s Coronavirus Response Resources page.

For more on the Economic Policy Institute, see their report and press release.

Defending Against Harmful Policies

State legislatures are on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, trying to do their best to protect and provide vital social services to their constituents. While some states are passing inclusive policies to stabilize our local economies, others are using the pandemic as an opportunity to pass harmful policies that will have devastating impacts on our communities. Additionally, some policies are intended to support struggling families but are having unintended consequences.

Resources:

Stay at home orders are putting sexual assault survivors at risk.
- A Double Pandemic: Domestic Violence in the Age of COVID-19: Around the globe, governments have implored residents to stay home to protect themselves and others from the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19. But for domestic violence victims—the vast majority of whom are women, children, and LGBTQ+ individuals—home is a dangerous place.
- COVID-19 Resources for Communities: A brief summary of what the American Bar Association has learned from victims’ attorneys across the country during the ongoing,
- Domestic Violence Is on the Rise With Coronavirus Lockdown. The Responses Are Missing the Point.
- The international response to violence against women and girls during COVID-10: Five ways governments are responding to violence against women and children during COVID-19
- Futures Without Violence: Information and resources for survivors

A growing group of anti-maskers are trying to avoid it by misusing disability laws.
- With the spread of the coronavirus, many states and localities require wearing masks to protect communities from the virus, as a result, some are attempting to misuse the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).
- Flyers urging anti-maskers to specifically rely on the right to not disclose a disability as the response for denial of access to public spaces have gained traction across the U.S.
- The ADA has a clause that says disabilities must be accommodated except when there is "a significant risk to the health or safety of others." The refusal to wear a mask endangers the very communities protected by the ADA.
- Actions that aim to contort the purpose of the ADA actively harm people living with disabilities. Messaging and proactive measures from state legislators about the importance of social distancing and the importance of wearing a mask is critical to stopping the abuse of the ADA.

Americans Want Community Investment, Not Cuts

A recent poll surveying Americans in Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and conducted by TargetSmart, shows voters’ strong support for: state investment in ensuring residents are safe, healthy, and economically secure; progressive solutions to revenue shortfalls; and policies that benefit workers like paid sick days, enhanced unemployment benefits, and child care. A majority also believe the state government should address economic barriers that impact Black people. The survey was conducted online and by phone in late June/early July and included results from more than 5,000 respondents.

Voters are against budget cuts

By a three-to-one margin, voters want their state government to invest in residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (60%) rather than lowering taxes and cutting funds to services like education, infrastructure, and unemployment insurance (19%). Voters see a major or some role for state government in:

Safely and fairly administering elections (91%)
Ensuring equal access to high-quality K-12 public education (86%)
Stopping the spread of coronavirus (85%)
Ensuring struggling families and children have access to food (83%)
Ensuring access to affordable health care (77%)

Ensure workers have access to paid sick days and paid family leave (71%)
Ensure access to affordable housing (70%)
Acknowledge and address systemic racism (68%)
Ensure access to affordable child care (67%)
Reducing income inequality by raising the minimum wage and increasing taxes on the wealthy (63%)

Voters support progressive solutions to revenue shortfalls

Voters support a wide range of proposals to raise revenue to prevent large budget cuts to things like education, health care, infrastructure, and human services, including:

Close corporate tax loopholes (87%);
Increase taxes and financial penalties on companies that pollute our air and water (85%)’
Increase taxes on the wealthiest individuals (73%);
Increase taxes on those making over $250,000 a year (71%);
Create a carbon tax paid by companies based on how much carbon they emit (69%);
Increase taxes on profitable corporations (64%).

Voters are with workers

Voters strongly support policies that would provide immediate pocketbook relief for families and workers, including:

Provide low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (93%);
Ban the practice of surprise medical billing (89%);
Extend the grace period for people to pay health insurance bills before their coverage can be canceled (88%);
Limit what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (87%);
Offer people the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (87%);
Create an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees (80%); and
Require workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees (79%)
Eliminate tax breaks for corporations and large businesses that don’t offer paid sick and family leave and health care to their employees (74%)
Extending the length of time workers can receive unemployment benefits (58%)

A majority of voters side with workplace safety requirements (55%) over liability protections for corporations (26%).

Voters want state government to remove racial barriers in the economy

Nearly 7-in-10 voters across the target states believe state government should play an active role in acknowledging and addressing systemic racism (68%). Voters also believe the state government should address economic barriers faced by Black Americans (57%).

Click here for more results.

New Poll Shows Minnesotans Want Action to Address Systemic Racism & COVID-19

Overwhelming support for bold policy solutions to address systemic racism surfaces as a top priority. Coronavirus is a close second.

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protest movement, a recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and conducted by TargetSmart shows Minnesota voters hold deep concerns over systemic racism, COVID impacts on elections, and economic barriers.

Voters See Expanded Role for Government in Addressing Crisis

In an open ended question Minnesotans cited racism, injustice and police brutality as a top concern (26%), followed closely by the COVID pandemic (19%). Voters see the state government playing a major role during this crisis in the following areas:

Safely and fairly administering elections (89%);
Ensuring equal access to high-quality K-12 education (86%);
Ensuring struggling families and children have access to food (82%);
Stopping the spread of the coronavirus (79%);
Ensuring access to affordable health care (77%);
Equal pay for equal work (76%);
State government should have a role in addressing systemic racism (67%); and
Reducing barriers that stop Black people from voting (65%).

Voters Support Steps to Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections

Although voting in-person on Election Day remains the most popular option (56%), a sizable portion of Minnesota voters report that they will vote by mail (32%), and just a few indicate they plan on voting early in-person (11%).

Whether or not they are choosing to vote in person or by mail, voters supported policies to ensure the election is safe and accessible for all eligible voters:

Open additional polling locations to reduce crowds and lines (85%);
Allow voters to cast their ballot at any polling location in their county (60%);
Count mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day, but received after (63%); and
Immediately notify voters if there is a problem with their mail-in ballot (86%).

Voters Concerned about COVID Impact on Unemployment and Strongly Support Bold Economic Policies

By a nearly three-to-one margin, Minnesota voters want state governments to invest in its residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (56%) rather than the state keeping taxes low and cutting funds to key services like education, infrastructure, and unemployment insurance (20%).

Nearly 4-in-10 Minnesota respondents reported they have been laid-off or had their hour cut (39%). Voters express grave concerns about small business closures (85%) and losing work and income (84%). Minnesotans also believe businesses should be required to provide safe working conditions or be penalized for negligence if workers get sick (50%).

Given the current crisis, Minnesotans support policies that will address the economic hardships being faced by many:

Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (95%);
Banning the practice of surprise medical billing (92%);
Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (90%);
Offering people in Minnesota the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (88%);
Extending the grace period for people to pay health insurance bills before their coverage can be canceled (88%);
Creating an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees (79%); and
Requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees (78%).

Click here for more results.

After Voting Debacle, New Poll Shows Wisconsinites Want Election Security

Overwhelming support for state investment to ensure health and economic security while also bolstering a fair election

In the wake of Wisconsin’s much-criticized spring elections, a recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and conducted by TargetSmart shows Wisconsin voters broadly support reforms to safely administer elections, increase the role of the state government, and address health & safety.

Voters Support Steps to Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections

Wisconsin voters strongly believe that the state government has a role to play in safely and fairly administering elections (86%). Voters are split between planning to vote by mail (45%) and vote in-person on Election Day (39%).

Whether or not they are choosing to vote in person or by mail, voters supported policies to ensure the election is safe and accessible for all eligible voters:

Lengthen the window for early voting and allow voters to cast ballots in person up through the day before Election Day (87%);
Open additional polling locations to reduce crowds and lines (86%);
Mail all registered voters applications to vote-by-mail (62%);
Count mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day, but received after (76%); and
Immediately notify voters if there is a problem with their mail-in ballot (85%).

The Role of Government in Issues Facing Wisconsin

When asked if the state government should play a role in investing in the health, economic, and overall security of the people, voters overwhelmingly supported government engagement in:

Safely and fairly administering elections (86%);
Ensuring equal access to high-quality K-12 education (83%);
Ensuring struggling families and children have access to food (79%);
Stopping the spread of the coronavirus (79%);
Equal pay for equal work (78%); and
Ensuring access to affordable health care (77%).

Voters Concerned about Pandemic’s Impact on Health & Safety and Support Bold Economic Policies

Almost 6-in-10 Wisconsin voters want the state government to invest in its residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (57%) rather than the state keeping taxes low and cutting funds to key services like education, infrastructure, and unemployment insurance (21%).

Over 1-in-3 Wisconsin respondents reported they have been laid-off or had their hour cut (33%). Voters express grave concerns about small business closures (83%), losing work and income (81%), and being unable to afford rent or mortgage (69%). Wisconsinites also believe businesses should be required to provide safe working conditions or be penalized for negligence if workers get sick (52%).

Given the current crisis, Wisconsinites support policies that will address the economic hardships being faced by many:

Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (93%);
Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (89%);
Offering people in Wisconsin the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (86%);
Extending the grace period for people to pay health insurance bills before their coverage can be canceled (83%);
Creating an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees (74%); and
Requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees (74%).

Click here for more results.

New Poll Shows Mississippians Want Bold Policy Action

In a recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and conducted by TargetSmart, Missippians expressed a strong desire for bold policy action by the state government to address the impact of COVID on the economy and election safety and accessibility.

Voters Concerned about COVID Impact on Health and Strongly Support Bold Economic Policies

Mississippi voters want state governments to invest in its residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (55%) rather than the state keeping taxes low and cutting funds to key services like education, infrastructure, and unemployment insurance (19%).

Nearly 2-in-5 Mississippi respondents reported they have been laid-off or had their hour cut (39%). Voters express grave concerns about small business closures (87%) and losing work and income (90%). Mississippians also believe businesses should be required to provide safe working conditions or be penalized for negligence if workers get sick (52%).

Given the current crisis, Mississippians support policies that will address the economic hardships being faced by many:

Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (97%);
Extending the grace period for people to pay health insurance bills before their coverage can be canceled (93%);
Offering people in Mississippi the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (91%);
Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (90%);
Creating an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees (88%); and
Requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees (83%).

Voters Support Steps to Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections

Mississippi voters overwhelmingly believe that the state government has a role to play in safely and fairly administering elections (92%). An overwhelming majority of Mississippians plan to vote in-person on Election Day (80%) because alternatives are limited, even during the pandemic..

Missippians support policies to ensure the election is accessible for all eligible voters and want voters have a range of safe options when registering and casting their ballots:

Allow eligible voters to register to online (63%);
Allow eligible voters to register to vote on Election Day (61%);
Open additional polling locations to reduce crowds and lines (86%);
Lengthen the window for early voting and allow voters to cast ballots in person up through the day before Election Day (78%);
Allow any registered Mississippi voter to vote by mail (63%); and
Mail all registered voters applications to vote-by-mail (54%).

The Role of Government in Issues Facing Mississippi

When asked if the state government should play a role in investing in the health, economic, and overall security of the people, voters overwhelmingly supported government engagement in:

Safely and fairly administering elections (92%);
Ensuring equal access to high-quality K-12 education (88%);
Ensuring struggling families and children have access to food (88%);
Stopping the spread of the coronavirus (85%);
Equal pay for equal work (84%); and
Ensuring access to affordable health care (79%).

Click here for more results.

New Poll Shows Georgia Voters’ Deep Concern About Pandemic

Strong support for bold policy solutions to help working families, businesses, and ensure the safety and accessibility of elections

The coronavirus surfaces as the top issue priority for Georgia voters and this concern cuts across partisan lines. A recent poll conducted by TargetSmart and commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) shows Georgians have deep concerns about the pandemic’s impact on the 2020 elections and the economy.

Georgians Support Steps to Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections and Reduce Barriers for Black Voters

Georgia voters overwhelmingly believe that the state government has a role to play in safely and fairly administering elections (92%). Georgians are split on how they plan to vote in November, with fairly even shares of voters reporting intentions to vote early in person (30%), by mail (30%), and in-person on Election Day (37%).

Whether or not they are choosing to vote in person or by mail, voters supported policies to ensure the election is safe and accessible for all eligible voters:

Open additional polling locations to reduce crowds and lines (90%);
Lengthen the window for early voting and allow voters to cast ballots in person up through the day before Election Day (85%);
Mail all registered voters applications to vote-by-mail (67%);
Offer mail-in ballot tracking (87%);
Count mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day, but received after (67%); and
Immediately notify voters if there is a problem with their mail-in ballot (90%).

Notably, Georgians agree that the state should reduce barriers that stop Black people from voting (68%) and a majority of voters (56%) agree that systemic racism has prevented Black people and other people of color from being able to participate fully in our democracy.

The Role of Government in Issues Facing Georgia

When asked if the state government should play a role in investing in the health, economic, and overall security of the people, voters overwhelmingly supported government engagement in:

Safely and fairly administering elections (92%);
Ensuring equal access to high-quality K-12 education (87%);
Stopping the spread of the coronavirus (86%);
Ensuring struggling families and children have access to food (83%);
Equal pay for equal work (80%); and
Ensuring access to affordable health care (77%).

Voters Concerned about COVID Impact on Health and Strongly Support Bold Economic Policies

By a nearly three-to-one margin, Georgia voters want state governments to invest in its residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (61%) rather than the state keeping taxes low and cutting funds to key services like education, infrastructure, and unemployment insurance (20%).

Over 2-in-5 Georgia respondents reported they have been laid-off or had their hour cut (41%). Voters express grave concerns about small business closures (85%) and losing work and income (87%). Georgians also believe businesses should be required to provide safe working conditions or be penalized for negligence if workers get sick (62%).

Given the current crisis, Georgians support policies that will address the economic hardships being faced by many:

Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (92%);
Extending the grace period for people to pay health insurance bills before their coverage can be canceled (88%);
Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (85%);
Requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees (85%);
Offering people in Georgia the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (84%); and
Creating an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees (81%).

Click here for more results.

New Poll Shows Coronavirus Pandemic is the Main Issue on Texans’ Minds

Strong support for bold policy solutions to help working families and ensure safe and accessible elections

A recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and conducted by TargetSmart shows that Texans hold deep concerns about the risk COVID-19 poses to their health, the impact on the economy and the election and they support bold policy action.

Voters Support Steps to Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections

Texas voters overwhelmingly believe that the state government has a role to play in safely and fairly administering elections (89%). Given the limited options for voters even during a pandemic, voters report they will still plan to vote early in-person (53%) or on Election Day (29%). Even though the state has taken steps to make vote by mail more difficult, 15% of Texans still prefer that option.

Texans strongly support policies to ensure the election is safe and accessible for all eligible voters:

Lengthen the window for early voting and allow voters to cast ballots in person up through the day before Election Day (89%);
Open additional polling locations to reduce crowds and lines (88%);
Allow any registered Texas voter to vote by mail (63%); and
Mail all registered voters applications to vote-by-mail (57%).

The Role of Government in Issues Facing Texas

When asked if the state government should play a role in some of the issues facing working families, voters overwhelmingly supported government engagement in:

Stopping the spread of the coronavirus (87%);
Ensuring equal access to high-quality K-12 education (83%);
Ensuring struggling families and children have access to food (83%);
Equal pay for equal work (77%); and
Ensuring access to affordable health care (73%).

Voters Concerned about COVID Impact on Health and Strongly Support Bold Economic Policies

By a nearly three-to-one margin, Texas voters want the state government to invest in its residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (62%) rather than the state keeping taxes low and cutting funds to key services like education, infrastructure, and unemployment insurance (18%).

Over 1-in-3 Texas respondents reported they have been laid-off or had their hour cut (35%). Voters express grave concerns about small business closures (79%) and losing work and income (83%). Texans also believe businesses should be required to provide safe working conditions or be penalized for negligence if workers get sick (57%).

Given the current crisis, Texans support policies that will address the economic hardships being faced by many:

Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (94%);
Extending the grace period for people to pay health insurance bills before their coverage can be canceled (88%);
Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (87%);
Offering people in Texas the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (86%);
Creating an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees (79%); and
Requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees (78%);

Click here for more results.

10 State Poll: Americans Support Bold Policy Solutions

Intense support for commonsense election reforms and solutions to create economic security

A recent poll surveying voters in Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and conducted by TargetSmart, shows voters support policies to ensure accessible elections and a desire for more state investment to ensure people are economically secure.

DEMOCRACY

Voters Support Steps to Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections

Voters in the ten states overwhelmingly believe that the state government has a role to play in safely and fairly administering elections (91%). States strongly support policies to ensure the election is safe and accessible for all eligible voters:

Open additional polling locations to reduce crowds and lines (86%);
Lengthen the window for early voting and allow voters to cast ballots in person up through the day before Election Day (82%);
Allow any registered voter to vote by mail (76%); and
Mail all registered voters applications to vote-by-mail (62%).

Voters Are Concerned About USPS and Having Their Vote Counted

The politicization of Vote by Mail and the partisan attacks on the United States Postal Service have eroded faith in the ability to have mail-in ballots count. The poll shows that half of all voters are concerned that the mail system in their state cannot be relied upon to get vote-by-mail ballots to election officials in time to be counted in the election. This concern is higher among Black voters (60%) and Latinx voters (53%).

Voters Want State Government to Remove Racial Barriers to Voting

Nearly 7-in-10 voters across the target states also indicate that they believe state government should play an active role in acknowledging and addressing systemic racism (68%). Accordingly, two-thirds of voters across these target states believe their state government should reduce barriers that prevent Black people from voting (65%).

HEALTH AND THE ECONOMY

Voters Concerned about Health and Safety, Want Protections and Investment

A majority of voters side with workplace safety requirements (55%) over liability protections for corporations (26%).

Respondents support expanding unemployment insurance and other economic policies

Nearly three in five voters support extending the length of time that workers can receive expanded unemployment benefits. Support for this policy is particularly high among Black voters (84%) and voters under 50 (67%). Voters also strongly supported policies that would provide immediate pocketbook relief for many, including:

Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (93%);
Banning surprise medical bills (89%);
Extending the grace period for people to pay health insurance bills before their coverage can be canceled (88%);
Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (87%);
Offering people the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (87%);
Creating an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees (80%); and
Requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees (79%).

Click here for more results.

Tennessee Supreme Court Ruling Adds Urgency To Special Legislative Session

New poll shows Tennesseans want action to ensure safe, accessible elections and to help workers

Yesterday, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that the coronavirus pandemic which has infected nearly 5 million Americans and killed more than 150,00 is not an acceptable reason to vote absentee in the November election in Tennessee. However, new polling commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and conducted by TargetSmart shows Tennessee wants action from state legislators during the special session to ensure that Tennesseans do not have to choose between their health and their vote in November.

Voters Support Steps to Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections

Tennessee voters overwhelmingly believe that the state government has an important role to play in safely and fairly administering elections (96%).

Tenneseans support policies to ensure the election is safe and accessible for all eligible voters:

Lengthen the window for early voting and allow voters to cast ballots in person up through the day before Election Day (88%);
Open additional polling locations to reduce crowds and lines (84%);
Allow any registered Tennessee voters to vote by mail (66%); and
Mail all registered voters applications to vote-by-mail (52%).

Voters Concerned about COVID Impact on Unemployment and Strongly Support Bold Economic Policies

By a three-to-one margin, Tennessee voters want state governments to invest in its residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (58%) rather than the state keeping taxes low and cutting funds to key services like education, infrastructure, and unemployment insurance (18%).

Roughly 1-in-3 Tennessee respondents reported they have been laid-off or had their hour cut (34%). Voters express grave concerns about small business closures (85%) and losing work and income (88%). Tennesseans also believe businesses should be required to provide safe working conditions or be penalized for negligence if workers get sick (52%).

Given the current crisis, Tennesseans support policies that will address the economic hardships being faced by many:

Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (95%);
Extending the grace period for people to pay health insurance bills before their coverage can be canceled (92%);
Offering people in Tennessee the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (91%);
Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (89%);
Creating an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees (84%); and
Requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees (81%).

Click here for more results.

Black and Poor Communities Need More Than the ADA

On July 26th we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. As a result, employers cannot discriminate against disabled employees and must provide reasonable accommodations such as wheelchair ramps, accessible bathroom stalls, and sign language interpretation at events. While these changes are monumental, the work is not over.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 4 Americans are living with a disability, which refers to any condition of the body or mind that makes it more difficult for a person to engage in certain activities. This means that every issue we work on - jobs, housing, climate change, democracy, and reproductive health - is a disability justice issue.

While those living with a disability have a wide range of experiences, we know that race, class, and gender play a critical role in whether or not disabled people have full access to jobs, schools, healthcare, and the education system:

A disabled person is less likely to have a job, as fewer than 1 in 5 disabled Americans are employed, which pushes their families and communities into poverty.

Black students with disabilities are over-policed, limiting their access to an equal education. According to the U.S Department of Education, 19 percent of students with disabilities are Black, but they represent over a third of those suspended.

We also know that disabled communities have reproductive needs of their own. People with disabilities need the access to the full spectrum of reproductive services - including abortion access. We know that 90 percent of people with developmental disabilities will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. Everyone - disabled people included - deserve the right to have a child, not to have a child, and if they choose to have a child are able to do so free of violence and oppression.

State Policies to Support Disabled Communities During Elections and a Health Pandemic

In the midst of a health pandemic and the looming presidential elections, many people living with a disability are in nursing homes where the coronavirus is running rampant and are trying to access safe and fair elections. To support disabled people, states can advance policies that expand vote-by-mail and expand access to public assistance programs.

In Expanding Vote-by-Mail, States Must Maintain In-Person Voting Options During the Coronavirus Pandemic: To protect the integrity of the electoral process during the COVID-19 pandemic, state officials are considering steps to help ensure Americans can exercise the fundamental right to vote and cast ballots that count in upcoming elections.

A Deadly Poverty Trap: Asset Limits in the Time of the Coronavirus: As the COVID-19 pandemic triggers unprecedented economic turmoil, lawmakers, economists, and advocates are renewing calls to eliminate asset tests in public assistance programs.

State legislators: If you’re interested in talking one-on-one or hosting a virtual legislator briefing for your state, fill out this short form and we will follow up with you.

Arizonans Overwhelmingly Support Proactive Policies in COVID Crisis

Strong support for progressive solutions to help working families and ensure the accessibility of elections

A recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) shows Arizona voters hold deep concerns over the risk that COVID-19 poses to their health and the impact on the economy. The poll showed that Arizonans believe that the government should play a constructive role in people’s lives.

The Role of Government in Issues Facing Arizona

When asked if the state government should play a role in some of the issues facing working families, voters overwhelmingly supported government engagement in:

Safely and fairly administering elections (93%);
Stopping the spread of the coronavirus (89%);
Ensuring equal access to high-quality K-12 education (86%);
Ensuring struggling families and children have access to food (85%);
Ensuring access to affordable health care (77%); and
Equal pay for equal work (77%).

Voters Overwhelmingly Support Steps to Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections

Arizona voters overwhelmingly believe that the state government has a role to play in safely and fairly administering elections (93%). The majority of Arizonans report that they will vote by mail in the November election (77%). However some Arizonans still report that they will go to the polls on Election Day (14%), or that they will vote early in person (7%).

Voters overwhelmingly supported policies to ensure the election is safe and accessible:

Allow any registered Arizona voter to vote by mail (87%);
Open additional polling locations to reduce crowds and lines (85%);
Lengthen the window for early voting and allow voters to cast ballots in person up through the day before Election Day (80%);
Allow Arizona voters to cast their ballots at any polling location in their county (74%); and
Mail all registered voters applications to vote-by-mail (72%).

Voters Concerned about COVID Impact and Strongly Support Progressive Economic Policies

Two out of three voters believe Arizona state government should invest more in its residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (65%) rather than state government keeping taxes low and cutting funds to key services like education, unemployment, and health insurance (16%).

Arizona has been hard hit by the pandemic with one in three reporting that they have been laid off or had their hours cut (34%). Arizonans report they are concerned about the people losing work and income due to the virus (87%), small businesses and restaurants closing down permanently (85%), unable to afford their rent or mortgage (76%) and people being forced to choose between their health and their job (72%).

Given the current crisis, Arizonans support policies that will address the economic hardships being faced by many and make life easier:

Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (91%);
Banning the practice of surprise medical billing (89%);
Extending the grace period for people to pay insurance bills before their coverage can be canceled (88%);
Offering people in Arizona the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (87%); and
Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (85%).

Click here for more results.

Floridians Want State Lawmakers to Act on Threats Created by COVID Crisis

Strong support for progressive solutions to help working families and ensure the elections are accessible and safe

A recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) shows Florida voters hold deep concerns over the risk that COVID-19 poses to their health and the impact on the economy and the election. Two in three Floridians believe the worst of the pandemic is yet to come (65%).

The Role of Government in Issues Facing Florida

When asked if the state government should play a role in some of the issues facing working families, voters overwhelmingly supported government engagement in:

Safely and fairly administering elections (92%);
Stopping the spread of the coronavirus (90%);
Ensuring equal access to high-quality K-12 education (89%);
Ensuring struggling families and children have access to food (84%); and
Equal pay for equal work (81%).

Voters Support Steps to Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections

Florida voters overwhelmingly believe that the state government has a role to play in safely and fairly administering elections (92%). The majority of Floridians report that they will vote by mail (52%). However, 47% still plan to vote in person, with 27% planning to vote on Election Day and 20% planning to early vote.

Whether or not they are choosing to vote in person or by-mail, voters supported policies to ensure the election is safe and accessible for all eligible voters:

Open additional polling locations to reduce crowds and lines (84%);
Lengthen the window for early voting and allow voters to cast ballots in person up through the day before Election Day (82%);
Allow any registered Florida voter to cast a ballot at any polling location in their county (71%); and
Mail all registered voters applications to vote-by-mail (61%).

Voters Concerned about COVID Impact and Strongly Support Progressive Economic Policies

By a four to one margin voters believe Florida state government should invest more in its residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (64%) rather than state government keeping taxes low and cutting funds to key services like education, infrastructure and unemployment insurance (16%).

Florida has been hard hit by the pandemic with one in three of Floridians responding that they have been laid off or had their hours cut (34%). Two out of three Floridians support extending and expanding unemployment for those workers who have been laid off (65%). Support for this policy cuts across partisan lines with Democrats (78%), Republicans (52%) Independents (65%) in favor.

The pandemic is a top of mind concern for Floridians who report they are concerned about the people losing work and income due to the virus (84%), small businesses and restaurants closing down permanently (84%), Floridians contracting the virus and dying (79%), people of Florida unable to afford their rent or mortgage (79%) and people in Florida being forced to choose between their health and their job (71%).

Given the current crisis, Floridians support policies that will address the hardships being faced by many and make life easier for working families:

Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (94%);
Extending the grace period for people to pay health insurance bills before their coverage can be canceled (88%);
Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (87%);
Offering people in Florida the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (86%); and
Banning the practice of surprise medical billing (85%).

Click here for more results.

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As State Legislature Goes Into Special Session, New Poll Shows Nevadans Support Action on Threats Created by COVID Crisis

Strong support for bold policy solutions to help working families and ensure the safety and accessibility of elections

As the Nevada state legislature is set to begin a special session to address COVID-19 related issues, a recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) shows Nevada voters hold deep concerns over the risk that COVID-19 poses to their health, the impact on the economy and the election and they support bold policy action.

Voters Support Steps to Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections

Nevada voters overwhelmingly believe that the state government has a role to play in safely and fairly administering elections (89%). The majority of Nevadans report that they will vote either early in person (39%) or vote by mail (34%). However one-in-five believe that they will go to the polls (22% on Election Day).

Whether or not they are choosing to vote in person or by-mail, voters supported policies to ensure the election is safe and accessible for all eligible voters:

Open additional polling locations to reduce crowds and lines (92%);
Lengthen the window for early voting and allow voters to cast ballots in person up through the day before Election Day (87%);
Allow any registered Nevada voter to vote by mail (74%); and
Mail all registered voters applications to vote-by-mail (61%).

"Nevadans want this legislature to take action to ensure all eligible voters have the opportunity to vote and aren’t forced to choose between their health and their vote," said Stacey Shinn, Nevada State Director for SiX.

The Role of Government in Issues Facing Nevada

When asked if the state government should play a role in some of the issues facing working families, voters overwhelmingly supported government engagement in:

Safely and fairly administering elections (89%);
Ensuring equal access to high-quality K-12 education (85%);
Ensuring struggling families and children have access to food (84%);
Stopping the spread of the coronavirus (82%);
Equal pay for equal work (78%); and
Ensuring access to affordable health care (77%).

Voters Concerned about COVID Impact and Strongly Support Bold Economic Policies

By a three-to-one margin, voters believe Nevada state government should invest more in its residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (58%) rather than state government keeping taxes low and cutting funds to key services like education, infrastructure and unemployment insurance (23%).

Nevada has been hard hit by the pandemic with over half of respondents reporting that they have been laid off or had their hours cut (52%). Nevadans report they are concerned about the people losing work and income due to the virus (89%), small businesses and restaurants closing down permanently (89%) and people of Nevada unable to afford their rent or mortgage (81%).

Given the current crisis, Nevadans support policies that will address the economic hardships being faced by many and make life easier for working families:

Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (94%);
Offering people in Nevada the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (90%);
Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (86%);
Extending the grace period for people to pay health insurance bills before their coverage can be canceled (86%);
Creating an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees (79%); and
Requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees (77%).

“These results show how hard hit Nevada has been by this pandemic. People all across this state are hurting and they strongly support bold policy action by this legislature,” said Shinn.

Click here for more results.

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Michiganders Want State Lawmakers to Act on Threats of COVID Crisis

Strong support for progressive solutions to help working families and ensure the safety and security of elections

A recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) shows Michigan voters hold deep concerns over the risk that COVID-19 poses to their health and the impact on the economy. The poll showed that Michiganders believe that the government should play a constructive role in people’s economic lives.

The Role of Government in Issues Facing Michigan

When asked if the state government should play a role in some of the issues facing working families, voters overwhelmingly supported government engagement in:

Safely and fairly administering elections (87%);
Ensuring equal access to high-quality K-12 education (84%);
Stopping the spread of the coronavirus (85%);
Ensuring struggling families and children have access to food (83%);
Equal pay for equal work (77%); and
Acknowledging and addressing systemic racism (69%).

Voters Overwhelmingly Support Steps to Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections

Michigan voters overwhelmingly believe that the state government has a role to play in safely and fairly administering elections (87%). The majority of Michiganders report that they will vote by mail in the November election (60%). However one-in-three believe that they will go to the polls (34%).

Voters overwhelmingly supported policies to ensure the election is safe and accessible:

Allow any registered Michigan voter to vote by mail (80%);
Lengthen the window for early voting and allow voters to cast ballots in person up through the day before Election Day (75%);
Mail all registered voters applications to vote-by-mail (72%); and
Allow elections officials to begin processing mail-in ballots before Election Day (69%).

Voters Concerned about COVID Impact and Strongly Support Progressive Economic Policies

By a three-to-one margin, voters believe Michigan state government should invest more in its residents to ensure they are safe, healthy, and economically secure (58%) rather than state government keeping taxes low and cutting funds to key services like education, unemployment, and health insurance (18%).

As for how legislators should address the potential budget shortfalls due to COVID, respondents overwhelmingly favored closing corporate tax loopholes (90%) and increasing taxes and financial penalties on companies that pollute Michigan’s air and water (88%). There is also strong support–77%–for increasing taxes on the wealthiest individuals in Michigan.

Eight-in-ten voters are concerned about people in Michigan losing work and income due to the coronavirus outbreak. Michiganders are equally concerned about small businesses and restaurants closing down permanently in Michigan (81%).

A majority of voters also support measures that would benefit those returning to work and those who remain unemployed, including requiring businesses to provide safe working conditions and penalties if workers get sick (56%) and extending the length of time that laid-off workers can receive unemployment compensation and increasing the amount they receive (55%).

Given the current crisis, Michiganders support policies that will address the economic hardships being faced by many and make life easier for working families:

Providing low-interest loans to small businesses to help them make it through the crisis (91%);
Limiting what drug companies can charge for prescription drugs (88%);
Offering people in Michigan the option to buy into the same public health insurance plans that are available to state employees if they want to (87%);
Creating an insurance plan to provide paid family and medical leave for employees (81%); and
Requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees (80%).

Click here for more results.

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LGBTQ State Legislators Talk About Pride

This Q&A is from a State Innovation Exchange tweet chat featuring state legislators from across the country. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Who is the first out LGBTQ politician you remember?

FL Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith: Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan is the first out LGBTQ politician I remember! She was the first out LGBTQ elected official in central Florida 20 years ago, helped us through @pulseorlando, and has been a role model for queer people everywhere. Thank you, Patty!

NC Rep. Allison Dahle: The first that I remember was Rep. Barney Frank.

CO Rep. Leslie Herod: Colorado State Senator Jennifer Veiga. It took a lot for me to gather the courage to run, but watching her serve (I was an aide at the Capitol when she came out publicly) was a true inspiration.

IN Sen. J.D. Ford: I know choosing Milk is kinda the easy answer but I’ve always admired him.

MI Rep. Laurie Pohutsky: I obviously wasn’t alive to actually “remember” him, but the first LGBTQ+ politician I ever learned about was Harvey Milk, and that wasn’t until I was part of the GSA in college, unfortunately.

MA Rep. Jack Lewis: @carlsciortino was the first out elected that I consciously remember meeting. He graciously visited one of @outmetrowest’s youth programs, inspiring both the teens and myself. Now I am grateful to know out electeds from around the world because of the @VictoryInst.

NE Sen. Megan Hunt: I didn’t know of or meet any out LGBTQ+ people in politics until I was in my late 20s. Now I have the dubious honor of being the first out person in the Nebraska Legislature, which shows what a long way we have to go for equality in representation.

ME Sen. Justin Chenette: I learned about Harvey Milk back in high school from the 2008 film Milk written by @DLanceBlack and it was inspiring to see someone not only living their truth but speaking truth to power in fighting for #equalrights.

Harvey Milk sitting in front of Castro Camera on Castro Street, San Francisco 1977 sign reads, "Don't Let It Happen Here" - Register to Vote" — Harvey Milk sitting in front of Castro Camera on Castro Street, San Francisco, 1977.

Why does LGBTQ representation matter?

Rep. Leslie Herod: Every day legislative bodies make decisions that impact the lives of LGBTQ people. We must have several seats at the table.

Sen. J.D. Ford: In 2019, when Indiana was debating the hate crimes bill, I was the only Senator who could stand in the well of the Senate to speak to my lived experience as a gay man. And, even though I was representing the Community, I didn’t have the experience as a black or brown transgender Hoosier.

Sen. Megan Hunt: We have the capacity to offer a high quality of life and opportunity for all, but not until we expand diversity of representation across all intersections at the state and local level. The government doesn’t work for all the people until it reflects all the people.

Senator Justin Chenette: LGBTQ representation = our voices at the table & the next generation has positive examples of what’s possible. It normalizes our personal lives & moves us closer to equality. My husband & I made this film about growing up gay & finding love.

We have the capacity to offer a high quality of life and opportunity for all, but not until we expand diversity of representation across all intersections at the state and local level. The government doesn’t work for all the people until it reflects all the people.
Nebraska Sen. Megan Hunt
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What’s something you’re proud of from your time in office?

Sen. Megan Hunt: I am most proud of my work to modernize Nebraska’s building and energy codes for environmental sustainability, my efforts to demystify our system government for the public, and the deep friendships I have developed with colleagues of all political backgrounds. Truly a dream job.

Sen. Justin Chenette: This past session, I was proud to co-sponsor @RyanFecteau‘s bill that once and for all banned conversion therapy in Maine! We are protecting our LGBTQ youth from torture.

Rep. Laurie Pohutsky: I introduced a bill to close a loophole that allows for marital rape in cases where a spouse is drugged. It was co-sponsored by 61 of my colleagues and highlighted a serious oversight in MI law. Unfortunately, it’s still waiting on a hearing because… y’know… the GOP.

Sen. J.D. Ford: I am proud to be in the Indiana legislature. I’m living out my dream job and I get to help folx. Huge thanks to the voters of SD29 for sending me to the Indiana General Assembly to be their voice. I am proud to continue using my voice and platform to fight for commonsense measures.

Rep. Allison Dahle: I was proud of our success with HB 1169, the Bipartisan Voting Act of 2020, which will assist voters in safe voting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rep. Jack Lewis: During my first House Budget debate, I worked with my colleagues to successfully restore an HIV/AIDS line item that our governor had cut. While there have been many reasons to celebrate, that first success will always have a special place in my heart.

Why are state legislatures important?

Sen. Megan Hunt:

My two obsessions?

✅ State and local government

✅ Progressive policy in red states

Any hope for the future rests at the state & local level. That’s why I put my energy into down-ballot candidates and local issues. Can’t even dream of fixing Congress until we build a bench!

Rep. Laurie Pohutsky: State legislatures produce laws that impact the day-to-day much more acutely than many federal policies. Additionally, state law can provide safety nets in some cases when federal law changes and strips away certain protections and rights.

Sen. J.D. Ford: I would argue that state and local politics is where folx should pay the most attention. It’s fun to follow the presidential election, but we make decisions that have a direct impact on you and your family.

Like what we are doing? Let’s us know! Don’t like what we are doing? Let us know! From LGBTQ policies to education policies, to how well we maintain our roads/bridges, these are areas we tackle. Don’t know who is your legislator? That’s ok! Just plug in your address.

Send them a note! I think the best way to engage your legislators is a face-to-face meeting, followed by town halls, phone calls, emails, and postcards.

Rep. Jack Lewis: As someone who has lived in red, purple & blue states, I can affirm that it is legislative policies that help shape a state’s culture. I urge everyone to get to know their state rep and senator, and if they don’t share your values, RUN for elected office!

Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith: State legislatures have more power over the daily lives of their residents than Congress in many ways. They fund (or defund) our public schools, implement Medicaid programs and protect (or fail to protect) LGBTQ people from discrimination through state civil rights laws.

Sen. Justin Chenette: State legislatures are where your voice can be amplified to have the biggest impact. If a state lawmaker receives a dozen calls, it’s an emergency. So get involved! Your voice could mean the difference between the passage or defeat of important legislation.

State legislatures have more power over the daily lives of their residents than Congress in many ways. They fund (or defund) our public schools, implement Medicaid programs and protect (or fail to protect) LGBTQ people from discrimination through state civil rights laws.
Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith
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What does your state need to prioritize in order to advance LGBTQ equality for all?

Sen. J.D. Ford: For me, it’s very simple:

✅ Protect transgender Hoosiers (particularly BIPOC who are experiencing violence, sexual violence and/or death)

✅ Protect our LGBTQ+ youth

Rep. Jack Lewis: Our movement started when LGBTQ people of color, experiencing unimaginable police brutality, asserted their right to exist. Many in our community though have actively silenced their voices. We must re-center voices of color and those most harmed by societal oppression.

Sen. Justin Chenette: I still can’t give blood. While @US_FDA lifted the lifetime ban on gay/bi men from donating, the current deferral is still blatant discrimination. We want to help save lives, especially with the blood shortage. Let us. Use science & data, not outdated stigma.

Rep. Allison Dahle: Here in North Carolina, we need to listen to and uplift Black voices and then act upon their advice in order to work toward equality for all.

Sen. Megan Hunt: I would be happy to pass literally one law to support the LGBTQ+ community in Nebraska. I’ve introduced many. On the whole, I think the single BEST thing our state could do is expand Medicaid and include protections for LGBTQ+ patients. Start with basic health.

Peoosn holding printed orange paper that reads "Defend + Protect Queer Kids"

What’s your message to LGBTQ youth?

Rep. Allison Dahle: Please grow up and be involved in your state government. You can become a politician, an activist, or an advocate. Use your voice to make your state better. No matter how big or how small your voice is important!

Sen. Megan Hunt: There is no political party, race, or religion that gets to have the monopoly on happiness, morality, or freedom. You deserve to be happy because you are a human. If you have the strength and confidence to be who you are, that is the most powerful thing you can do.

Sen. Justin Chenette: Let your light shine bright. Be the best you, you can be. You are valued, worth it, and exactly who you’re supposed to be. As the only openly gay Senator in Maine, my road hasn’t been easy, but what has never let me down is being my most authentic self.

Sen. J.D. Ford: My message: No matter how hard it feels right now, you will find people who ❤️ you and value you not in spite of who you are but because of who you are. Everyone has hard days but try and stay 💪. We need your laughter, brilliance and love in this 🌍.

Rep. Jack Lewis: I wish I could tell my younger self that in the long run, everything will be okay. Years of my childhood were overshadowed by fear, confusion, and self-loathing. It is my wish that every young LGBTQ person knows that they deserve to be loved, affirmed, and supported.

Rep. Laurie Pohutsky: You are enough. In whatever way you’re worried you don’t measure up or count, you absolutely do. You are enough.

Pennsylvanians Support Progressive Agenda in Harrisburg

A recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) shows Pennsylvanians are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and support widespread testing, prioritize working people in the economic response, and support reforms to make our democracy stronger.

Pennsylvanians Broadly Support Widespread Free Coronavirus Testing, Vaccination, and Treatment

Residents strongly agree with:

Widespread testing (66 percent strongly agree, 89 percent total agree)
Widespread testing and vaccination of Pennsylvanians (65 percent agree, 89 percent total agree).
Coronavirus testing and treatment should involve no out-of-pocket costs (56 percent strongly agree, 82 percent total agree)

Pennsylvania Voters Support Various Economic Responses that Prioritize Working People

A majority of residents agree that:

Corporations and big businesses should spend their bailout and tax cut money on their employees, rather than on stock buybacks and bonuses (83 percent total agree)
State government should expand unemployment benefits throughout the state so more people can qualify for benefits (81 total support)
State government should create relief packages for small businesses that continue paying their staff and pledge to avoid layoffs (81 percent total agree)

Additionally, when presented with two possible solutions for addressing Pennsylvania’s budget shortfall due to the coronavirus pandemic, a solid majority of people gravitate toward the progressive argument for increasing taxes on the wealthy and out-of-state corporations. Nearly two in three Pennsylvanians express a preference for increased taxes while fewer than one in three voters prefer spending cuts on core services.

Pennsylvanians are also broadly open to a range of working people’s policies, including a $15 minimum wage, paid family leave, and paid sick leave.

Democracy Reform Agenda Broadly Popular, Particularly Among Black Voters

Pennsylvanians are very supportive of democracy reforms, including:

Investments in election technology and conducting mandatory audits (76 percent total support, 87 percent of Black residents support)
The creation of an automatic voter registration program in Pennsylvania (60 percent total support)
Sending mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters (59 percent total support, 86 percent of Black residents support)
The creation of community vote centers and designated curbside ballot drop-offs (53 percent total support, 80 percent of Black residents support)

For the full poll memo, see here.

Anti-Black Racism Must End in This Country: A Call for Justice, Solidarity, and Action to Legislators in Our Network

By Jessie Ulibarri and Neha Patel, SiX Co-Executive Directors

State Legislators,

We write to you with profound grief, rage, and frustration, but also with deep hope that this network of state legislators can rise to meet this moment and leverage the power of our collective work to fight for a nation that honors, respects, and protects Black lives. We call for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop, Ahmaud Arbery, Dreasjon Reed, Tony McDade, David McAtee, Rayshard Brooks, and so many others.

As an organization that works to transform systems through liberatory public policy, we know anti-Black racism is a systemic problem that requires systemic solutions and a lifetime commitment from each of us. And we must acknowledge that historically, SiX has fallen short in our own external and internal work to live fully into this commitment - when we haven’t centered Black voices in public policy or partnership, when we haven’t committed our staff and financial resources to fully uprooting anti-Black racism in public policy, and when we haven’t worked aggressively enough to support, affirm and promote Black voices internally on our staff. This moment calls us all to reckon with the harms of the past and recommit ourselves to a different path forward. SiX is prepared to shift our approach, and this is a first step in a life-long commitment we’re making for this organization. We hope each of you will join us in this work.

We unequivocally condemn over 400 years of anti-Black racism in this country in all its forms, including police violence, white vigilante violence, and the continued lynching of Black people. We envision an equitable, resilient, healthy, and prosperous future for every person, and ending anti-Black racism and white supremacy is central to the world we are working to build. To that end, you will find three separate messages below - one to Black legislators, one to legislators of color who are not Black, and one to white legislators.

We have written messages to folks from different racial identities in our network because we recognize the unique pain, rage, and burden that our Black colleagues are carrying; the opportunity we have to call in legislators of color who are not Black to show up in solidarity and action; and the significant responsibility that lies with our white colleagues to radically and rapidly shift their orientation toward racial justice from here on out.

As leaders of color who are not Black, we know that our liberation, our freedom, and our ability to live free from fear is rooted in ending anti-Blackness and white supremacy. We are holding with humility that organizations like ours are not and should not be at the center of decision making for Black-led grassroots movements that have spent centuries advancing justice before this moment in time. We are committed to following the leadership of Black-led organizations and leaders in the Movement for Black Lives. We remain committed to our mission to empower, embolden, and equip state legislators to build and wield progressive governing power by/with/for the people they represent. And this means centering the voices, experiences, and demands of Black folks in this country in public policy.

We write these letters with the heaviness of knowing that you all combined have tremendous power to create real change, but that tensions, ignorance, internal disputes, fear, and division have stood in the way of change in the past and threaten to stand in the way again today. We write with the guarded optimism of knowing that today, state leaders are the greatest chance for change but that it will take all of us, working together, to achieve that. Our nation is yearning for visionary and bold leadership–let us work together to provide it.

We want to remind you that we are here to provide state legislators with the tools needed to shape impactful public policy and build partnerships–across chambers, across regions, across state lines, and with grassroots movements. Please, reach out with policy, strategy, or communications questions. We are also here to lift up your leadership–so let us know what you are working on so that we can amplify and share.

See the messages here:
Message to Black Legislators
Message to Legislators of Color Who Are Not Black
Message to White Legislators

--Jessie Ulibarri and Neha Patel, SiX Co-Executive Directors

We Won’t Go Back: An Open Letter from State and Local Legislators Urging the U.S. Supreme Court to Defend Abortion Access

We all deserve the right to make decisions about our families and our bodies, free from coercion or violence. As elected officials in states and localities, we are committed to protecting and advancing these rights.

In the past decade, hundreds of restrictions on abortion care have been passed at the state level, and more local governments are restricting abortion in their own towns and counties. The resulting patchwork of laws means that a person’s ability to access your their right to abortion depends on your zip code and the contents of your bank account, with low-income people, people of color, young people, immigrant communities, and rural communities paying the steepest price. As public servants, it’s our job to not only support policies that allow our constituents to survive but policies that allow them thrive.

The United States Supreme Court’s forthcoming decision in June Medical Services v. Russo, which concerns medically unnecessary regulations on abortion providers, is an opportunity for the Court to uphold precedent and ensure Louisiana does not devastate peoples’ ability to get safe, legal abortion care in their communities. Anything less—allowing the Fifth Circuit and Louisiana to disregard the Court’s precedent —would open the door for states to regulate abortion out of existence for millions of families. Abortion isn’t a right if you can’t access it.

The avalanche of recent state abortion restrictions, passed despite the highest levels of public support for abortion rights in decades, distorts our democracy. Our states and localities are resisting these attacks on our rights in favor of reflecting the will of the people: to have the freedom to live safe and healthy lives and to define their own paths.

As legislators representing millions of people in the places they live, work, go to school, raise families, and seek healthcare, we urge the Supreme Court to stand by decades of precedent, from Roe v. Wade to Casey v. Planned Parenthood to Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, and reject this deceptive Louisiana law, and send a clear message that we won’t go back.

Click here to see the full list of legislators.

Lead the conversation on abortion access in your state by sharing messages and graphics created for legislators here.

For the People by the People: An interview with Rep. Padma Kuppa

This Q&A with Michigan State Rep. Padma Kuppa was conducted by the State Innovation Exchange, and has been edited for length and clarity.

What made you decide to enter state politics?

I decided to run for office because I was extremely concerned about the state of public education after the confirmation of Education Secretary Devos. I had been advocating for public school funding and been an active volunteer in schools since 2000 when my kids started at Troy public schools. I believe public school education is the backbone of what makes for a strong economy and a strong America.

You’re the first Indian immigrant and Hindu member of the Michigan Legislature. What do those “firsts” mean to you?

Being the first Indian immigrant and Hindu in the Michigan Legislature enhances my ability to represent my district fully, as I am conscious of my difference but also how I am 100% part of the community and American. That someone like me, born in another country, can embrace the ideals of our democracy, be a part of the community that I helped over the last two decades by volunteering and serving, and now serve as a state representative, just shows the power of government for the people by the people.

Padma Kuppa smiles and talks to colleagues on the Michigan House floor — *State Rep. Padma Kuppa talks with colleagues on the Michigan House floor. (Photo: Michigan House)*

That someone like me, born in another country, can embrace the ideals of our democracy…and now serve as a state representative, just shows the power of government for the people by the people. —Rep. Padma Kuppa

The COVID-19 epidemic has brought many social inequities to light, including the disparity in who has access to paid sick leave. Can you talk about the bill you introduced?

When I was a contract worker, I took time off when my kids were sick — not when I was sick, because I didn’t get paid sick time. For one in three Michigan workers, staying at home is not an option, and that is really a problem when we want to stop the spread of this pandemic. People shouldn’t have to choose between paying bills, buying food, making the rent and going to work when they are sick.Working mothers, in particular, are affected, especially when they are poorly paid for work in restaurants or retail operations, or care facilities.

Exterior of the Michigan State capitol building's dome — *Top dome of Michigan State Capitol*

How have you coped with the surge in anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 epidemic?

I have been raising the issue with other elected leaders, including the governor and my legislative colleagues. I am also holding town halls to raise awareness and discuss the issue. I am working with Senator Chang, the Assistant Attorney General Doddamani, and the Department of Civil Rights to conduct a hate crime prevention training for Asian American community leaders via a virtual town hall.

What would you say to Michiganders who are looking to get more involved in state politics?

I always tell people to find an issue or two that you are passionate about and advocate with whichever group or elected leader you can. Make an effort to share that passion and nurture your ability to give voice to that issue so that you can make a difference. It’s important to start locally, build relationships, and organize so that people understand what you’re advocating for — and then hopefully join you to make meaningful change.

What book or film would you recommend to allies this Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM)?

One of my favorite movies is by a constituent, Sarab Neelam, Ocean of Pearls. I also enjoyed one of the books that we read for the Great Michigan Read, Stealing Buddha’s Dinner. Both make you think about what it means to be American.

2019-2020 Polling on Earned Income Tax Credits and Revenue Policy

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a tax cut for working families. The federal EITC was established during the Reagan administration as a way to reduce poverty and to reward people who work in low-wage industries. In addition, the District of Columbia and 29 states have a state EITC which provides a vital source of income for tens of millions of low-wage workers

State polling conducted over the course of 2019 and 2020 to broadly educate legislators, partners, and the public showed that among likely voters, there is strong support for policies that provide working families with economic security. Polling found high levels of support for the Earned Income Tax Credit as well as responsible revenue policies that ensure everyone pays their fair share, for example:

Florida and North Carolina voters responded overwhelmingly in support of establishing a state EITC;
North Carolinians appreciate EITC language focusing on helping working families;
In Maryland, voters responded positively to taxing wealthier individuals and corporations; and
Michigan voters support the move from a flat to a graduated income tax structure.

For the full memo see here.

For more on EITC, watch this webinar hosted by SiX, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, Economic Security Project, and Economic Security for IL.

Black Maternal Health Week 2020

SiX is proud to parter with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance on Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW), a week of education and advocacy around the experiences of Black Mamas. From April 11th through April 17th, through a series of digital and community events, BMHW will uplift Black-women led entities to focus on the root causes of poor maternal health outcomes while also leaning on Black voices to drive conversation around tangible community-driven policy, programs, and solutions.

Join us on the webinars and by sharing social media content below!

You're invited to these Black Maternal Health Week Webinars

Black Maternal Health and the U.S. COVID-19 Response
Monday, April 13 3:30-5 pm ET
Register here

This webinar will feature birth and reproductive justice health professionals' experiences and guidance with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic and response. Topics will include Black breastfeeding; navigating Doula services; access to abortion care; and hospital protocols in Perinatal health - all from a health equity lens to highlight and address racial injustices and human rights violations of birthing persons and care providers within the U.S. COVID-19 context.

Shifting and Advancing Black Maternal Health Policy
Tuesday, April 14, 2-3 p.m. ET
Register here

This webinar will highlight Black Mamas Matter Alliance’s position with respect to Maternal Mortality Review Committees and their engagement with community based organizations and advocates, along with policy considerations relating to Doula Reimbursement. The webinar will also feature policymakers who will provide insight into federal policy initiatives seeking to address maternal health disparities.

Share Messages & Images

RFLC Black women legislators are leading the way in improving Black maternal health outcomes in their states. Share one of the following messages and images on social media to show your support! Click here to download and share images.

Message 1: It's #BlackMaternalHealthWeek, an opportunity to focus on solutions to the Black maternal health crisis without fear, blame, or shame. #BlackMamasMatter #BMHW20 @SiXRepro

Message 2: At this time, very little is known about #COVID19's impact on pregnant people and childbirth. But what we do know is that our healthcare system has never fully supported Black women. This #BlackMaternalHealthWeek, let's find solutions to change that. #BMHW20 @SiXRepro

Message 3: Black women are 2 to 3 times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. This #BlackMaternalHealthWeek, let's raise awareness of this crisis in our communities and center Black mamas to find solutions! #BMHW20 @SiXRepro

Black Maternal Health Resources

You can check out the full list of Black Maternal Health Week activities here.

North Carolinians Supported Economic Reform Even Before the COVID-19 Crisis

A recent poll commissioned by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) shows North Carolina voters held deep concerns over pocketbook economic issues and support for progressive policy solutions even before the full impact of COVID-19 was felt. The poll showed that North Carolinians believe that the government should play a constructive role in people’s economic lives.

The Role of Government in the Top Issues Facing North Carolina

When asked if the state government should play a role in some of the top issues facing working families, voters overwhelmingly supported government engagement. Voters’ top priorities include:

Access to K-12 public education (86%);
Equal pay for equal work regardless of race (84%);
Access to healthcare for those struggling to make ends meet (80%);
Access to food for those struggling to make ends meet (79%); and
Affordable healthcare (77%).

Voters Support Action on Economic Policies

North Carolinians believe that a job should allow workers to earn a wage to support a family (82%), provide a steady consistent income (81%) and allow access to affordable health insurance (78%). North Carolinians overwhelmingly support these policies that help working families:

Create a paid family and medical leave insurance program, funded through shared contributions between employers and employees (85%); and
Require all North Carolina employers to provide a minimum amount of earned, paid sick days for workers (88%).

These results showed that even before the economic dislocation from the current crisis, North Carolinians wanted economic policies to make life easier for families. Now more than ever, those policies are vitally important.

Click here to see the poll memo and here for the presentation.

April Update

In late April, SiX tested the same issues again to see whether the COVID-19 crisis has changed support for those policies. These recent results show that NC voters continue to strongly support progressive policies. The vast majority of voters believe that the government should have a role in enacting progressive policy changes that would provide economic fairness, more access to affordable health care, and investments in public education. More information here.

Coronavirus Response: Resources for State Legislators

As the coronavirus situation continues to unfold, we’re compiling resources here to help you navigate the many challenges this presents to your community. We will use this space to share policy, communication, and organizing resources that you can use to respond to the health, economic, and social impacts this is having on your communities.

We know that crises like these have disproportionate impacts on vulnerable and low-income communities and want to make sure we stand up for those most at risk. As legislators, you are uniquely positioned to find solutions that mitigate the harm for at-risk medical populations (people with chronic health conditions, people with disabilities, the elderly), hourly workers, the millions of Americans without access to health care or paid sick days, and everyone who is one health emergency away from financial ruin.

The resources below can help you use your platform to provide clear, scientifically-based information to the public and advocate for better policies.

If you have actions or new policies that are happening in your states, please share them so we can provide them to other legislators across the country. Please email helpdesk@stateinnovation.org.

The Basics
Legislative Sessions
Race and the Virus: Bias, Data, Testing, and Impact
Health Care
Unemployment
Paid Leave and Sick Days
Preventing Evictions, Utility Shut Offs, and Payment Deferment
Democracy and Voting
Reproductive Health Care
Education
Rural Communities and Agriculture
Immigration
Other Policies
Messaging and Connecting with Constituents During Social Distancing
National Resources on the Economic Impact
Overview of the Federal Response Package

The Basics

CDC’s Coronavirus landing page (and in Spanish)
Here is a list of coronavirus resources in multiple languages.
NCSL’s Coronavirus Resources; including a state-by-state summary of state legislation related to COVID-19
To see state declarations of emergency and information on state-specific resources and actions, see the National Governors Association webpage.
From EPI, a summary of critical steps that state and local officials should consider
The Kaiser Family Foundation has a website with updated information on the number of cases and deaths, as well as state-by-state policy action and data
From CAP: international lessons learned from coronavirus reopenings
U.S. Digital Response: As COVID-19 overwhelms the data, digital, and operational capacities of government, U.S. Digital Response connects states with highly qualified technical support (request assistance here).
Lyft is offering assistance specifically for governments, nonprofits, and health care entities.

Legislative Sessions and Operating Remotely

At extraordinary moments like today, state legislatures must adopt methods of flexible, remote governance while prioritizing transparency and public access. Read SiX’s blog post, Legislating in a Pandemic: Transparent & Remote Governance, for examples of rule/statutory changes and executive orders that have enabled states to adapt and govern amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This resource will be updated periodically as states try new methods and lessons are learned.
See SiX’s webinar on Legislating in a Pandemic feat. U.S. Representative Katie Porter (CA-45), Demand Progress, and POPVOX.
POPVOX and Demand Progress hosted a mock remote hearing and markup test with members of Congress. Check out their blog reviewing the exercise and watch the full mock hearing here.
NCSL is tracking the suspension or postponement of legislative sessions here.

Race and the Virus: Bias, Data, Testing, and Impact

Structural racism puts people of color at greater risk to both the health and economic impacts of COVID-19.

Racial data
Coronavirus data released from the CDC does not yet include breakdowns by race. We cannot continue to fight this pandemic blindly.

From the COVID Tracking Project: Tracking Race and Ethnicity in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren have called for comprehensive demographic data on people who are tested or treated for COVID-19. See the letter here.
Ibram X. Kendi, The Atlantic: What the Racial Data Show: The pandemic seems to be hitting people of color the hardest
NPR: The Coronavirus Doesn't Discriminate, But U.S. Health Care Showing Familiar Biases
Survey data from LeanIn.org reveals how the financial impact of COVID-19 disproportionately impacts women, particularly women of color.
Center for American Progress’s column on health disparities by race and ethnicity

Impacts
The Coronavirus Pandemic and the Racial Wealth Gap
Coronavirus Compounds Inequality and Endangers Communities of Color
On the Frontlines at Work and at Home: The Disproportionate Economic Effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Women of Color

Health Care

General Health Care Policy Options
- This comprehensive COVID-19 resource page from Community Catalyst includes policy options and messaging tools, including social media graphics
- See 8 concrete recommendations from the Century Foundation to ensure people have accessible and affordable health coverage during the pandemic.
- Another 8 recommendations from the State Health and Value Strategies.
- Example of a comprehensive health care bill from Minnesota.
- NILC: Update on Health Care Access for Immigrants and Their Families
Medicaid
- Medicaid expansion options from the Kaiser Family Foundation
- An in-depth overview on how states can use Medicaid from the National Health Law Program
Support for Health Care Professionals
- Address health care professional shortages by changing licensing rules.
- Provide Emergency Child Care to Healthcare Personnel
- Remove Barriers for Immigrant Medical Professionals
Insurance Regulations and Changes
- The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has developed a summary of regulatory updates from states in response to COVID-19.
Special enrollment periods
- See examples from Washington, Massachusetts and Maryland
Telehealth Coverage
- Massachusetts Expands Telehealth Coverage for COVID-19
- Illinois will expand telemedicine coverage for residents with Medicaid as well as those who are privately insured.
Drive-through testing centers:

Unemployment and Protecting Stimulus Paychecks

NELP Policy Brief provides six concrete policy options: Coronavirus and Unemployment Insurance: Options for Policymakers to Mitigate Job Loss:
- Increase funding to meet higher UI demand
- Adopt Work-Sharing to Provide Alternative to Layoffs
- Waive Work-Search and Waiting Week Requirements
- Clarify Good Cause to Quit
- Reform Disaster Unemployment Insurance
- Make sure those eligible receive UI benefits
- Note that increased eligibility will require additional administrative capacities.
Example: MI Gov. Gretchen Whitmer temporarily expanded eligibility for unemployment benefits:
- Workers who have an unanticipated family care responsibility, including childcare responsibilities due to school closures, or those who are forced to care for loved ones who become ill.
- Workers who are sick, quarantined, or immunocompromised and who do not have access to paid family and medical leave or are laid off.
- First responders in the public health community who become ill or are quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19.
Webinar Recording: Unemployment Insurance Reforms Needed to Address the Current Crisis and Permanently Fill the Gaps (March 24, EARN)
Webinar Recording: State Responses to COVID-19 and Economic Downturn (March 19, EARN)
Protection of stimulus checks from debt collectors and wage garnishment:
- The CARES Act “does not prevent private debt collectors from seizing the money for unpaid debts,” so in many states, action is necessary to protect residents’ recovery checks.
- Here's a list of states that have taken action and their policies from the National Consumer Law Center.

Paid Leave and Sick Days

See SiX’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Policy playbook here.

Policy Recommendations:

Family Values @ Work:
- Coronavirus Federal Legislation that Aids Workers: Two major laws passed in March 2020 to support workers affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency. The first mandated paid sick days and paid family leave in some COVID-19 related situations; the second mandates significant unemployment benefits for workers.
From the National Women’s Law Center:
- Eliminate the exemption for large employers and ensuring that nonprofits can be reimbursed for emergency benefits—and enact forward-looking provisions to ensure that these critical benefits are available to everyone outside of the circumstances of a public health emergency
From A Better Balance:
- Paid Sick Time During a Public Health Emergency: Key Policy Elements to Include in an Emergency Paid Sick Time Bill: A 2-page comprehensive policy guide.
- An obvious policy fix is to allow workers to use earned sick leave when a workplace or a child's school is closed due to a public health emergency.
- Know Your Rights: The Families First Coronavirus Response Act Paid Leave & Paid Sick Time FAQ: resource for constituents to understand the FFCRA and how it applies to them.

Examples of States’ Paid Leave Legislation in response to COVID-19

Offer at least 24 hours of paid sick leave per year (Kentucky)
Require employers to provide up to 40-56 hours of paid sick leave per year (New York)
Provide law enforcement officers sick leave for absences due to COVID-19 (New York)
Create a grant program to provide paid leave to quarantined contract workers (Ohio House and Senate)
Provides isolated or quarantined state employees with shared leave (Washington)
Expand the definition of a qualifying “serious health condition” to include workers and their families’ self-quarantining after exposure to a communicable disease (New Jersey)
Make COVID-19 related leave eligible for unpaid family and medical leave and allow an employer to use accrued vacation time or other time off to get paid (California)

Additional Resources

Twelve states already require paid sick leave; see here for more information.
Know Your Rights: State and Local Paid Sick Time Laws
Comparison chart of all of the paid sick time laws on the books
A map of all of the local and state laws in effect;
And a list of the 18 paid sick time laws that explicitly cover time off due to closure of a place of business or school due to a public health emergency.
Fact sheets here.

Preventing Evictions

National Housing Law Project’s Summary and Analysis of Federal CARES Act Eviction Moratorium
National Low Income Housing Coalition’s COVID-19 resources
A running list of state actions can be found here.
Eviction Lab’s COVID-19 Housing Policy Scorecard outlines a number of protective measures states have taken to prevent eviction and homelessness and protect renters during the pandemic including eviction initiations, court processes, enforcement of eviction orders, short-term supports, and tenancy preservation measures.
States are using the following tools to address evictions:
- Executive orders or Emergency orders
- Court orders
- Legislation
Policy options:
- Cancel rent: Beyond Recovery is calling for immediate state and federal cancellation of rent, mortgage, and utility payments. Individual states have also put forward letters to the governor to suspend rent payments.
  - New York State legislation to suspend rent payments
  - Illinois legislation to cancel rent
- Pause eviction/foreclosure hearings in court
- Eviction moratorium for renters
  - Residential
  - Small businesses
  - Nonprofits
- Mortgage foreclosure moratorium
- Creating a housing assistance program (MN example) or housing vouchers
- Guarantee housing and income
- Offering bridge loans to small businesses and nonprofits

Preventing Utility Shut Offs and Payment Deferment

Compilation of government bodies & regulators and specific utilities that have ordered disconnections suspended
Federal Response
- National Women’s Law Center is pushing a nationwide halt to utility shutoffs and evictions to ensure people do not experience homelessness because of the economic havoc and advocating for the bipartisan “Eviction Crisis Act” to help ensure families can access emergency help.
Examples of State Responses
- Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) directed water, electric, and natural gas utilities to not only suspend utility shut offs, but additionally make reasonable attempts to reconnect service to an occupied dwelling that has been disconnected.
- CA Executive Order authorizes local governments to halt evictions related to the pandemic, slow foreclosures and protect against utility shutoffs.
- Emergency order from NH prohibiting utility shutoffs.

Democracy and Voting

2020 Census

The 2020 Census is still on and it is more important than ever to get out the count and encourage communities to self-respond. SiX’s Census Get Out the Count Toolkit for State Legislators has everything you need to promote the census digitally with your constituents during the pandemic and is being updated regularly. Here’s the most important message the all legislators should be lifting up:
- “Responding to the census has never been easier. You can fill out the form from the comfort of your home—online, over the phone, or by mail—all without having to meet a census taker in person.”
To make sure you’re staying informed and sharing the latest information with your constituents, check out the Census Bureau’s news room and overview of 2020 Census Operational Adjustments Due to COVID-19.
- On April 13, the Bureau announced major operational changes for the 2020 count. All field data collection activities have been suspended until June 1, and the enumeration period has been extended until October 31, 2020. That means households will now have until the end of October to self-respond to the census, though legislators should still encourage communities to participate as soon as possible.

Voting & Elections

COVID-19 poses an incredible threat to voter access and participation in our elections and requires a multi-pronged, well-funded solution. To meet this challenge, states must rapidly ensure that voting systems are safe, resilient, and flexible. Democracy advocates across the country are uniting behind the below areas of reform to protect our democracy during the pandemic:
- Expanded voter registration, including online registration, same-day registration, and automatic registration;
- Expanded mail voting, including pre-paid postage and fair and consistent ballot verification and cure processes;
- Expanded early voting and in-person voting opportunities;
- Reforms to polling station locations, setups, and sanitation protocols (following CDC guidelines); and
- Robust public education.
For a detailed overview of these policy recommendations see the following resources from SiX’s national partners:
- Brennan Center for Justice: How to Protect the 2020 Vote from the Coronavirus, Voters Need Safe and Sanitary In-Person Voting Options, Why a Vote-by-Mail Option Is Necessary, and Estimated Costs of Covid-19 Election Resiliency Measures
- National Taskforce on Election Crises: COVID-19 Election Guide
- The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights: Voting Rights Coalition Letter: Protect Voting Rights and Public Safety in Response to COVID-19
- Brennan Center for Justice: How to Protect the 2020 Vote from the Coronavirus and Estimated Costs of Covid-19 Election Resiliency Measures
- Center for American Progress: Election Contingency Planning During the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Campaign Legal Center: Three Measures to Ensure Ballot Access During the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Fair Fight Action Fund: Protecting Our Democracy Amid COVID-19
- Marc Elias: Four Pillars to Safeguard Voting Rights with Vote by Mail
For technical recommendations on expanded vote by mail, check out the National Vote at Home Institute’s extensive reference library and Scale-Up Roadmap to Secure the 2020 Election. This article from Washington Monthly outlines Utah’s path to scaling vote by mail. SiX’s 2018 Modern and Secure Elections Playbook also includes policy guidance and legislative language on vote by mail systems.
For additional resources, see the Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources page, National Association of Secretaries of State’s (NASS) Issue Briefing: Election Emergencies & COVID-19, and NCSL’s COVID-19 and Elections page.

Reproductive Rights

In this urgent global health pandemic, anti-abortion lawmakers are once again playing politics with people's lives and health, and there are very real reproductive health impacts and needs this moment presents. Here are actions state lawmakers should consider in coordination with their state coalitions and reproductive health care providers.
NIRH works with state and local advocates across the country to advance reproductive freedom and protect abortion access and have curated strategies here for advocates to consider to ensure that abortion care remains secure and accessible during these very challenging times.
The Massachusetts Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality issued a memo clarifying that abortion care is not considered “nonessential,” ensuring it is exempt from the ban on procedures that should be canceled or postponed.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order makes clear that pregnancy-related care and procedures should continue as needed.
Rewire News provides updates on governors and other state officials' decisions on whether abortion care is an “essential” health-care service here.

Medical and Research Resources

The American Medical Association (AMA) published a statement against government interference in the provision of essential reproductive health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, along with seven other reproductive health organizations, issued a statement deeming abortion as an essential service. Read more.
Abortion Care Network, National Abortion Federation, Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Physicians for Reproductive Health, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America released a statement on the essential nature of reproductive healthcare.
Guttmacher Institute released their policy analysis, "The COVID-19 Outbreak: Potential Fallout for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights."
The Texas Policy Evaluation Project published a research brief on the projected impact of the state’s executive order (declaring abortion care ‘non-essential’) on patient access to care in the state.

Education

Resources for teachers:
- The Education Commission of the States’ resource page on state policy responses offers information on remote learning, assessments, instructional time, special education, nutrition and homelessness, teachers, early learning and post secondary education.
- National Education Association Today: Schools and Coronavirus:What You Should Know
- American Federation of Teachers Resources on the COVID-19 coronavirus
- Coronavirus Lesson Plans and Resources
Addressing food insecurity for students:
- Schools host drive-thru meal pick-up
- Schools as food distribution centers
- Curb-side or parking lot food pick-up
- Legislation to require schools to offer meals or meal vouchers
Policies to make remote learning possible:
- Allow for less than the required days of school and to not penalize schools by reducing state aid.
- Extend statewide assessment test deadlines. See Which States Have Canceled Spring Tests Because of Coronavirus.
- Require internet service providers to provide broadband and data services free-of-charge to students.
Funding:
- Appropriate funds for extra cleaning: See California and New Jersey.
- Financial support for school employees, administrators and teachers throughout the full school year despite school closures. See Minnesota House and Senate, Washington, Mississippi and Pennsylvania.
- Ensure the schools that close in response to COVID-19 will not be financially penalized in the apportionment of state aid. See California and New York.
- Support non-traditional public schools, such as those that serve students with disabilities, the deaf, or the blind as in New York

Rural Communities and Agriculture

See SiX's talking points and policy solutions for rural communities and local agriculture and our memo outlining how stimulus money is expected to come into states to aid agriculture and rural communities. There are still a number of unknowns and we are continuing to monitor the situation closely.

The $2 trillion stimulus package included $9.5 billion dollars for agricultural producers impacted by coronavirus, including producers of specialty crops, producers that supply local food systems, including farmers markets, restaurants, and schools, and livestock producers, including dairy producers. You can read a summary compiled by the National Farmers Union here. Here is an analysis from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

The United States Senate Committee on Finance has a breakdown on their website of the rural healthcare resources in the recent Stimulus package. You can read it here.

National Rural Health Association Covid-19 Communications Toolkit Sign up to access social media templates, news releases, radio scripts and CDC facts to get critical information out to rural constituents.
Here is a list of resources for rural communities on the Oregon Office of Rural Health. These resources are certainly applicable to other states.
Here is a map of ICU beds across the country. Note that many rural communities are without.
Template in English & Spanish for connecting with neighbors and building contact lists
Survey system that local nonprofit is using to coordinate community members’ needs and match them with volunteers
Rural Broadband: This small internet company in rural Oregon is working to set up hotspots around the state. Contact them and they may be able to help problem-solve broadband in your rural district.
Categorize Farmers Markets as Essential Services - Multiple officials have addressed this at a state level and categorized farmers’ markets with grocery stores, finding that they are essential services and can continue functioning: California , Connecticut Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Resources for Farmers in Your District

Here is some guidance from Oregon State University’s Small Farm Program for producers who sell farm direct during this outbreak. Purdue released guidance as well and here are some additional resources from USDA.
As farm-direct farmers are forced to find new marketing opportunities, here are some resources to support them:
- Barn2Door https://www.barn2door.com/
- Cropolis https://cropolis.co/
- Farmigo https://www.farmigo.com/
- Food4aAll https://www.food4all.com/sell-food-online-csa-software/
- Harvie https://www.harvie.farm/
- Local Food Marketplace https://home.localfoodmarketplace.com/
- Local Line https://site.localline.ca/
- Shopify https://www.shopify.com/
Farmers are struggling all across the US for a variety of reasons. The added stress of COVID-19 might be more than folks can handle. Farm Aid provides a Farmers Resource Network and there is a hotline ( 1-800-FARM-AID /1-800-327-6243) for farmers in crisis. Further, National Farmers Union has a Farm Stress Training to help support farmers in crisis.
Ensure that farmers and ranchers are included in any aid to businesses for revenue lost due to the crisis; invest in community-based emergency efforts to buy food from local farmers and get it to those in need, expand access to credit and offer debt flexibility at the state level to ensure that farmers are able to plant, grow and harvest the food we need this year.

Resources for Farm Workers

Here is a guidance from NC Health & Human Services for migrant farm workers and their employers (only in English)

Here is a template that can be used as a temporary permit for agricultural essential employee.
Farm Worker Justice released a statement on helping to ensure farmworkers are protected from COVID-19. Read it here.

Immigration

National Resources
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) COVID-19 Resource Center is tracking all the latest government agency updates and guidance.
- National Immigration Law Center (NILC) has an update on access to health care for immigrants and their families.
- The American Immigration Council (AIC) blog covers topics including the CARES Act, the vital role of health care workers from the immigrant community, the impact of the virus on asylum policy, and more.
- United Farm Workers (UFW) and others’ statement on a range of concerns for farmworkers amid COVID-19, including immigration and migration.
- Tahirih Justice Center’s issue brief explains the impact of COVID-19 on immigrant survivors of gender based violence and how loss of employment, isolation and violence in the home and continued ICE operations and detentions, among other factors, amplify their risk.
- This comprehensive national resource guide for undocumented communities has been making the rounds among advocates nationwide.
- NELP has an updated fact sheet on immigrant workers’ eligibility for unemployment insurance.
- The New School is hosting a webinar exploring Why Immigrant Workers Are Especially Vulnerable To COVID-19
State Resources
- Alabama immigrant rights groups identify the state's role in ensuring the statewide information hotline is accessible in different languages to provide critical information about COVID-19 and health resources.
- New York Immigration Coalition has a list of measures that the federal government, New York state, and New York City can take to ensure that immigrant communities stay safe and healthy.
- Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition has compiled immigration policy and enforcement updates for the state.
- MD/VA/DC: CAIR Coalition calling for “ICE and EOIR immediately allow legal service providers to remotely access and represent individuals in all detention centers where persons are held in ICE custody and in all courts that remain open during this national emergency.”
- Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition has a list of education and policy actions for state elected officials.
- Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) has a list of requests for the federal government, California state legislature, and Los Angeles County.
- Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) has launched the People’s Bailout, a platform of proposals to deal with COVID-19 and the projected economic aftermath.
- Immigrant communities in Washington can use resource list for immigrant communities from OneAmerica for resources related to Covid and the ensuing crisis.
- In Wisconsin, Voces de la Fronteraa has compiled list of resources for immigrant communities both in Wisconsin and nationally.
- PLAN Nevada has compiled list of resources for vulnerable communities in Nevada.
Immigration court closures:
- https://www.justice.gov/eoir/eoir-operational-status-during-coronavirus-pandemic
State legislation:
- Vermont adopted a resolution that urges the Fed Gov’t to refrain from arresting or detaining any individual based on immigration status in health care settings and suspension of the implementation of public charge

Other Policies to Consider

Child Care

From the Center for American Progress: Provide Emergency Child Care to Healthcare Personnel contains state-specific data and policy options.
- Colorado to offer emergency child care to eligible workers and pay “enhanced rate” to child care providers
- Ohio to open “temporary pandemic child care centers,” in response to requests from several hospitals.
- Allow essential workers to enroll in the state’s Child Care Assistance Program like Illinois or expand eligibility to all essential workers like in Minnesota and Vermont.
Policy Memo from Center for American Progress has state examples and data.
Will Child Care Be There When States Reopen? From PEW Stateline reviews various state efforts to keep child care centers open
Center For American Progress memo on how Governors are responding to child care needs

Consumer Protection

Minnesota has legislation to curb price gouging laws during a state of emergency.
West Virginia passed a law to prohibit price increases of more than 10% on a wide range of consumer products.
Some states have price gouging legislation limited to a single type of product or service, such as the price of prescription drugs in bills from New Hampshire, New York, Minnesota and Rhode Island; the price of medical supplies in New York; the price of gasoline in Maryland; and the price of hotels and lodging in Michigan.

Criminal Justice

The Prison Policy Initiative has recommendations here.
Advocacy for releasing juveniles from detention here.
The Brennan Center has compiled “policy and advocacy responses detailing how different levels of the criminal justice system are responding to this public health crisis. This includes ways in which law enforcement, prosecutors, criminal courts, corrections agencies, and immigration agencies can better safeguard their communities and the broader public during this pandemic.”
Furlough nonviolent prisoners

Economic Development

Small Business Majority has put forward a policy agenda to immediately support small businesses and jobs
Small business loans through the state (Florida, Massachusetts, New York) and the SBA
Bills in New Jersey and Ohio would require that every business interruption insurance policy include the coronavirus pandemic in its list of covered perils.
New Jersey legislation would provide grants during the emergency to small and medium-sized business and not-for-profit organizations.
MA Rep. proposes waiving liquor licenses and making sure coronavirus isn’t categorized as an “act of G-d” for insurance purposes.
Illinois offers tax deferments (2 months) and waives late fees/penalties

Judicial

A bill introduced in Louisiana would suspend certain provisions of the law which establish deadlines in legal proceedings.

Social Services

Expand income supports (SNAP, WIC, TANF) and remove work requirements.
Emergency funding for social services (food banks, homeless shelters, senior center, childcare, prisons, halfway houses, etc.)
Legislation in Ohio would delay eligibility redeterminations for food assistance, child care assistance, and TANF programs.

Hate Crime Prevention

Advocates have created guidelines to help address discrimination and racism around local health department communications, talking points around the coronavirus and public charge, and recommendations around storytelling.
Public Education and targeted support for LGTBQ and AAPI & indigenous communities
A resolution in Utah was passed that expresses solidarity and support for the Chinese people’s efforts to contain the virus and reiterates that the CDC advised to “ not to panic about the coronavirus and has warned against stereotyping people of Asian descent.”

Broadband Access

A New Jersey bill would urge the FCC to take temporary measures to make broadband accessible to those affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Quarantined Individuals

A bill in the Minnesota House and Senate would provide a range of protections for a quarantined individual, including reasonable at home work accommodations, a stay of civil court actions, a waiver of negative credit reporting, and a waiver of federally guaranteed student loan obligations during a period of isolation or quarantine.

Miscellaneous

State budget line item to cover raises for healthcare professionals
Tolls require the easy/drive-thru pass and people will have to pay later online (no more coins or cash)
Special grocery shopping hours for older adults
Classify Grocery Clerks as Emergency Workers
Transportation standards and additional resources to help with emergency supplies and deliveries
Create an Arts Fund to help artists and arts organizations

State Budgets

SiX and the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities Webinar
State revenue shortfalls
- The Congressional Budget Office’s updated projections on state budget shortfalls as of April 29
- NCSL is documenting revised state revenue projections due to COVID-19
- CBPP has produced memos on state fiscal situations including expected hits to state budgets and individual s tate recession preparedness
- The Tax Foundation is looking at the impact of COVID-19 on state rainy day funds
- Pew has released a podcast on how states are addressing budget shortfalls
- Both EPI and CBPP have produced estimates on the funding state and local governments will need to fight the recession
Taxes
- PEW has a piece on how COVID-19 is impacting sales taxes and thus affecting state budgets
- The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy released a report on State Options to Shore up Revenues and Improve Tax Codes amid Pandemic, giving states a number of tax policy options to increase wealth equity during the crisis

Messaging and Connecting with Constituents during Social Distancing

Messaging

Race Class Narrative National COVID-19 Messaging Document: In moments of crisis, new narratives, new policies and new social behaviors are established. In addition to acting with urgency around immediate needs, we must address the rhetoric that will undermine our long-term shared goals. Our message should be rooted in the values of interdependence, mutual solidarity, shared purpose and collective action. Use this messaging guide to inform all your communications. See Race Class Narrative Action for more.
Data for Progress: Memo: The Care Economy - Policies and Polling on Mitigating the Effects of the Coronavirus
The AFL-CIO is coordinating with government health organizations and professional experts to share timely and factual information here. Also, see this flyer about the virus and priorities for action to support workers.
The SEIU healthcare division has developed a series of key messages for local leaders to use when responding to media inquiries or when developing content regarding COVID-19, including points on:
- Preventing the spread of the virus;
- Keeping working people healthy; and
- Why it's past time for health care and paid sick time for all.

Connecting with Constituents

Here are some ideas and examples to help you connect with your constituents remotely:

Host a Facebook Live Town Hall about COVID-19
- Tell your constituents what policies or executive orders are in place to help them
- Give specific information about how to access any assistance programs
- Talk about ways you and your family are coping with the new normal
Host a Town Hall on a web video platform such as Zoom or Skype
Host a Telephone Town Hall
Send frequent E-newsletters with updates and resources
Host Virtual Coffee Hours (WA example)
Post informative graphics (MN example)
Keep an updated and easily accessible document with relevant information (MI example)
Connect with your constituents in a way that is personal to you (IL example) and keep your previously planned events, just change the location (IL example).
Check out the Public Rights Project’s Digital Outreach Playbook for guidance on the best practices to reach vulnerable populations.

Reach out if we can help you plan or execute any of these ideas.

National Resources on Economic Impact

Federal and state data on labor and unemployment
- The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) has produced a number of materials estimating long-term job losses, laid off and furloughed workers, current individual UI claims, state unemployment claims, regional differences in state unemployment, and what the unemployment rate is actually telling us.
Worker impacts and protections
- National Employment Law Project (NELP) and EPI have published pieces on the differential impacts felt by gig workers and misclassified workers, domestic workers, older workers, female workers,and farm workers as well as how workers who need paid sick days the most have the least
- EPI has written a memo on how states can implement worker protections and how Attorney Generals are protecting workers, and NELP has published a resource on how both state and federal legislators can enact worker protections during COVID-19
State social safety nets and interventions
- CBPP has also detailed the breakdown of funding from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) in two pieces: Individual state funding from CRF and State and locality division of CRF
- EPI estimates on the millions of workers losing employer-provided health insurance and necessary responses from state policymakers
- The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’s (CBPP) reports on how some states are easing SNAP rules and providing other benefits while others block Medicaid expansion and add restrictions
- The Center for American Progress (CAP) highlights the danger of asset tests for public assistance in this moment
- NELP has memos on state developments in unemployment insurance protections, unemployment insurance options, and disaster unemployment assistance
Reopening the economy and the long-term impacts of COVID-19
- ITEP shows how we cannot return to the status quo after the crisis ends
- CAP’s plan to end the crisis and restart the economy as well as building automatic and long-term economic relief
- Vox has reported on a number of plans to re-open the economy
- Transportation for America’s report on an infrastructure stimulus and lessons from the 2009 recession
- An EPI blog post on how COVID-19 will affect education achievement gaps
- Black economists matter and we need to be listening to them right now

Overview of the Federal Response Package

CBPP: How Will States and Localities Divide the Fiscal Relief in the Coronavirus Relief Fund?
NCSL’s summary COVID-19 Stimulus Bill: What It Means for States details highlights of the package and an overview of the $150 billion to states, territories, local and tribal governments.
EPI applauds crucial provisions in the CARES Act, but its glaring flaws mean that more is needed
CBPP: CARES Act Includes Essential Measures to Respond to Public Health, Economic Crises, But More Will Be Needed
Read this summary from Americans for Tax Fairness with a helpful chart to break down the data here.
FERN’s AG Reader: Senate and Trump administration negotiators agreed on a $15.5 billion increase in SNAP funding
NY Times FAQ on the bill
SiX: The Impact of COVID-19 on Rural Communities & Local Agriculture Talking Points
On the $12 billion in funding for HUD programs: NLIHC
To maintain secure elections, advocates had requested $4 billion in funding to expand vote by mail, absentee voting, and crucial elections protections to ensure states can carry out fair elections this year. The bill allocates just $400 million.
Family Values @ Work: Coronavirus Federal Legislation that Aids Workers: Two major laws passed in March 2020 to support workers affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency. The first mandated paid sick days and paid family leave in some COVID-19 related situations; the second mandates significant unemployment benefits for workers.
For more information on changes to Unemployment in the new federal stimulus package, NELP has a comprehensive breakdown here: Unemployment insurance provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities joined SiX for a webinar to discuss how states can leverage federal funding from the stimulus bill.

Defend Against Harmful Policies

Opportunistic Abortion Bans

Elected officials in numerous states --including West Virginia, Alaska, Texas, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Iowa and Indiana-- have taken steps to restrict abortions under the pretense of preserving medical supplies and hospital beds, claiming abortions are not “nonessential” procedures that can delayed till the end of the epidemic and most abortions do not take place in hospitals. See the Reproductive Health Care section on this page for more.

Reopening Too Soon?

Elected officials in Pennsylvania, Minn sota, Michigan, Idaho, and Florida have pushed back against stay-at-home orders, non-essential work bans, and school closures. The premature calls for returning to ‘business as usual’ threaten the safety and lives of communities.

Check out the LSSC Virtual Training on What Local Governments Can and Should Do to Respond to the Public Health Crisis for further guidance on the importance of local and state governments using their authority to protect communities from the virus.

Also check out the CAP tracker on how states and localities are enforcing stay-at-home orders

Limits to Voting Expansions

As states grapple with how to prepare their electoral systems to handle the pandemic’s unique challenges, legislators across the country have pushed for reforms (mail-in-ballots, absentee voting, deadline extensions, etc.) as a safe, secure, and accessible way for voters to participate without risking their health. However, opposition to such expansions, in states like Minnesota, Arizona, and Wisconsin, jeopardize citizens’ abilities to safely vote. See the Democracy and Voting section on this page for more.