PLI Bulletin

New Website, How to Debate, Student Debt and More

Posted on September 28, 2016

122 model bills on our NEW WEBSITE: Come visit PLI’s new website! Part of it offers a library of model legislation addressing all areas of state and local policy. If you’re looking for a bill to sponsor or promote, look here. And if you need more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us through the website here or via email at leadership@publicleadershipinstitute.org.

How to debate effectively: We can’t all match Hillary’s performance. But we can be aware that a debate is somewhat different than a one-sided talk. Whether you’re an advocate debating an issue or a candidate running for state/local office, it is not enough to say the right words. You have to say them well, looking and sounding both confident and competent. Read more about it on IdeaLog, our blog intended to raise eyebrows and engage minds.

Innovative state laws to ease student debt: Wednesday, October 5 @3pm Eastern, 2pm Central, 1pm Mountain, Noon Pacific. Last year, Connecticut enacted ground-breaking new laws to address student debt. “Refi-CT” uses the state’s borrowing power to refinance existing student loans down to as low as 4.25% — a huge savings for parents and grads. The “Student Loan Bill of Rights” cracks down on abuses by student loan servicing companies. Our speakers will be the bill author, Banking Commissioner, and Commission Director who led the fight. Register here for the webinar.

SAT scores drop again, showing test-and-punish policies have failed: SAT scores have declined by 34 points since 2006, when No Child Left Behind mandates kicked in. The NCLB era “did nothing to improve college readiness or narrow racial gaps” according to FairTest.

America is safer today than it has been in decades: In this election season, some candidates suggest that crime is at crisis levels. But nothing could be further from the truth. “New data from the Brennan Center for Justice show that crime remains near all-time lows… America is still safer today than it has been in decade. Today’s violent crime rate is around half of what it was in 1990.”

VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE: The PLI website has been completely redesigned. You can now hyperlink directly from policy to messaging and from posts to pages. Come look at the redesigned Progressive Agenda, Voicing Our Values, Playbook for Abortion Rights, IdeaLog, and much more!