WASHINGTON, D.C. — On August 29, 2017, the State Innovation Exchange (SiX) released its 2017 End-of-Session Report. You can read the full report here.
Every year SiX releases a report examining major legislation and trends that emerged in state capitols across the country during the most recent legislative session. The 2017 report is by no means exhaustive, but it details the most significant progressive victories and most worrisome conservative trends that we saw this year, as well as trends we expect to continue in 2018.
"While the American people woke up to a very different world the morning after the 2016 election, one reality did not change: conservatives maintained their grip on the nation’s state legislatures, where they’ve held overwhelming control for years. In 2017, states remained a vital battleground for competing visions of our country’s future, and despite the power deficit they often faced, progressive lawmakers in all 50 states both resisted President Trump’s agenda and fought tirelessly for policies that treat all Americans fairly and provide working families with security and opportunity," said SiX Executive Director Nick Rathod.
The report is broken down into three sections:
— States Resisting —
Progressive legislators resisted the efforts of a hostile White House and introduced legislation to protect immigrants and refugees, guarantee health care access, combat climate change, and ensure transparency in our government and our elections. This section features case studies of bills introduced by Arizona Rep. Isela Blanc and California Sen. Mike McGuire.
— Proactive Progressive Agenda —
Progressive lawmakers also continued to prove that states can be a powerful vehicle for positive change. In 2017 we saw important victories on issues including paid family and medical leave, automatic voter registration, paid sick days, equal pay, expanded access to contraceptives, and criminal justice reform. Featured case studies include bills from Maryland Rep. Luke Clippinger and Virginia Del. Eileen Filler-Corn.
— Conservative Agenda —
Conservative lawmakers pursued damaging new measures to cement their power in 2017 by attacking basic democratic processes and undermining fundamental freedoms like voting and the right to protest, a particularly disturbing trend in the wake of recent violence in Charlottesville. In a case study, Minnesota Rep. Rena Moran reports on her efforts to fight anti-protestor bills.
You can find the full 2017 report here.
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