PLI Bulletin
Emergency Price Gouging, Helping DACA Dreamers, Drug Price Law and More
Posted on September 13, 2017
Protection from Price Gouging During Emergencies Act: It is all-too-common that sellers try to make windfall profits during emergencies, like hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. Most states do not have an effective law to protect consumers. The Protection from Price Gouging During Emergencies Act is based on a recent California statute.
Never say “tax reform”: We are about to embark on a nationwide debate over taxes. Newspapers want to call this a debate over “tax reform.” It is not. Progressives should never say “tax reform” and never accept this phrase as the basis for debate. Whether it’s a matter before federal, state or local governments, progressives champion tax “fairness,” not “reform.” The one word sets us up for victory and the other for defeat. Read more in the latest IdeaLog, our blog intended to raise eyebrows and engage minds.
How states and localities can help DACA “dreamers” and their families: Wednesday, September 20 @ 3pm Eastern, 2pm Central, 1pm Mountain, Noon Pacific. Donald Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and threw the issue to Congress. This presentation will explain the status of DACA, “dreamers,” and what federal legislation might come, and then it will suggest ways that states and localities can help dreamers and their families. To sign up for this webinar, click here.
Why you should copy Maryland’s new drug price gouging law in your state: This op-ed by a Johns Hopkins University professor describes Maryland’s new law that empowers the state Attorney General to sue when the prices of generic and off-patent brand-name drugs skyrocket for no reason other than greed. A model of the Maryland bill is here.
How Reducing Probation Populations Can Improve Outcomes: This paper from the Harvard Kennedy School does a great job of explaining (in about 12 pages of text) the nationwide problems facing probation programs and what states and localities can do to address them.
Progress in the States and Localities Report: Once again, we offer an updated PLI report on Progress in the States & Localities, which describes proactive progressive legislation that has passed at least one House in 2017. There are some great policies moving in the states and localities!
How to Move Issues, Demilitarization of Police, Hurricane Harvey and More
Posted on August 30, 2017
Demilitarization of Police Act: A few days ago, Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions announced that they have reversed an Obama rule that limited the types of surplus military equipment available to local police forces....
Truth-telling the Confederacy, Paid Sick Days, Sound Tax Policy and More
Posted on August 16, 2017
White Supremacists Are Terrorists Resolution: The Illinois Senate adopted a resolution that condemns violence and intimidation by white supremacist organizations and calls on law enforcement agencies to protect Americans from such groups in the...
Too Young to Test, Better Deal Messaging, Brand-New Books and More
Posted on August 2, 2017
Too Young to Test Act: There is far too much reliance on standardized testing in public schools, hurting schoolchildren, teachers and administrators. Federal law requires testing in grades 3-8 and once in high school,...
Data Privacy Protection, Paid Sick Days, Carbon Farming and More
Posted on July 20, 2017
Data Privacy Protection Act: The private records of millions of people have been compromised by individuals and corporations that have failed to protect electronic records in a manner consistent with industry standards. The Data...
Ban the Box, Tough Policy Questions, Argue Against Trumpcare, and More
Posted on July 6, 2017
Ban the Box Act: Over the past several years, more than 150 states, cities and counties have enacted legislation to remove from employment applications the check box that asks if the job candidate has...
Ombudsman Act, Advocacy Campaign, Fair Pay and More
Posted on June 21, 2017
Community Service Ombudsman Act: At the city, county and state levels, nonprofit organizations provide a great deal of the social services that residents need. The Community Service Ombudsman Act creates an office of ombudsman...
Job Piracy, Ban the Box, Climate Alliance and More
Posted on June 7, 2017
Job Piracy Cease Fire: Nobody likes job piracy (tax breaks and subsidies to attract individual companies) but people think there’s nothing you can do about it. They’re wrong. The Job Piracy Cease Fire Act...
Progressive Economics, Non-Compete Clauses, How to Fight Back and More
Posted on May 24, 2017
Protection Against Unfair Non-Compete Clauses Act: There is widespread abuse of non-compete clauses in employment contracts—even fast food workers, personal care aides and janitors are being forced to sign them. States are starting to...
Amendment Strategy, Six Steps, Federal Threats and More
Posted on May 10, 2017
Continuity of Family Planning Services Act: Maryland recently became the first state to guarantee if the federal government cuts off Title X family planning funding to clinics that provide or refer for abortion services,...