PLI Bulletin
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 same manner and with the same fervor used to protect citizens from other manifestations of terrorism. Your assembly, council or commission should adopt a version of the White Supremacists Are Terrorists Resolution.
Truth-telling the Confederacy: As white supremacists and neo-Nazis crawl out of the woodwork and try to infest our communities with hate, it is important to contest their revisionist history. Didn’t your grade-school history book say that the Civil War was about “states’ rights” rather than slavery? Might it have referred to the “War Between the States,” a name that implies the two sides were equally to blame? Wasn’t Robert E. Lee described as a kind man who didn’t really believe in slavery? It is time to recognize Confederate myths and take a series of actions to counter them. Read more in the latest IdeaLog, our blog intended to raise eyebrows and engage minds.
Paid Sick Days for All Americans (rescheduled): Wednesday, August 23 @ 3pm Eastern, 2pm Central, 1pm Mountain, Noon Pacific. Legislation for paid sick days, which can be done in both states and localities, is one of the most popular and impactful things progressives can do. Our presenter, Ellen Bravo who leads Family Values @ Work is a tremendous expert and practical resource. To sign up for this webinar, click here.
Hate Map from the Southern Poverty Law Center: Just look at this map of hate groups and you will be astonished. It shows the locations of 917 such groups across the United States. Check out your own state and locality.
Sound Tax Policy Made a Comeback in 2017: This year “marked a sea change in state tax policy” according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Supply-side economics was rejected in places like Kansas and Oklahoma while a number of states enacted or expanded Earned Income Tax Credits as well as other progressive measures.
Read PLI’s new books: The 3rd Edition of Voicing Our Values explains why and how to frame messages and how to talk about a wide variety of issues. Preparing to Win is a handbook explaining every step in the process of issue advocacy. Download them from our website or buy copies through Amazon.
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,...
Fracking Prohibition, Internet Privacy, Regulating Drones and More
Posted on April 26, 2017
Fracking Prohibition Act: Hydraulic fracturing, known as “fracking,” is an extremely dirty method of drilling for oil and gas. Numerous studies have found that fracking is linked to a wide variety of negative health...
Internet Privacy Protection, Build a Policy Coalition, Effective Advocacy and More
Posted on April 13, 2017
Internet Privacy Protection Act: Conservatives in Washington recently overturned a Federal Communications Commission rule that was designed to stop Internet service providers (ISPs) from selling their customers’ browsing histories and other private information. Legislators...