PLI Bulletin

Engaging Emotion, Justice in Travel, Banning Yoga and More

Posted on June 30, 2021

Justice in Government-Funded Travel Act: A number of states are now overtly engaged in discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The Justice in Government-Funded Travel Act prohibits or limits government-financed travel to states that have enacted laws practicing such discrimination.

Don’t start with facts, engage emotions: The conservative movement has abandoned virtually all public policy direction and is, instead, spending its energy feeding grievance and outrage. The question is, how do we respond? Unfortunately, our usual refutation of facts won’t get us anywhere. To understand why, read the latest IdeaLog, our blog intended to raise eyebrows and engage minds.

The battle over teaching Critical Race Theory: Over 165 conservative groups are fighting against Critical Race Theory in an attempt to block discussion of systemic racism and create a political boogeyman, explains an NPR podcast. You can listen here.

More school vouchers and tuition tax credits than ever before: Advocates for so-called “school choice” enacted more of their legislation than in any prior year according to a Pew Stateline article, including bills in AR, FL, GA, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, MT, OK, SD and WV.

Most embarrassing bill of the year, perhaps: Back in 1993, Alabama’s State Board of Education banned yoga in schools because of a fear of Hinduism. Finally, 28 years later, the legislature passed HB 246 to overturn the ban. (The bill was rejected twice before!)

PLI Network Director Dave Woodward featured in Politico: Read “The Man Who Remade Oakland (County, MI),” part of a long article in Politico that features the work of County Commissioner Dave Woodward, who is our Network Director.