PLI Bulletin

Abortion Pills, Protecting Libraries, Progressive Agenda and More

Posted on January 21, 2025

Freedom to Read Act: Conservatives are trying to censor information about subjects that make them uncomfortable, usually about race, gender and sexuality. The Freedom to Read Act, modeled after laws recently enacted in six states, sets standards for libraries that block partisan, ideological or religious censorship and protect librarians who are doing their jobs.

Lessons of the 2024 election, part three: The fundamental reason why our side lost in November is that a small but decisive percentage of Americans never heard our arguments – specifically, people who normally would support Democrats but rely on social media for “news.” They became divorced from political reality and either supported Trump or decided not to vote. How do we reach them now? For more, read the latest IdeaLog, our blog intended to raise eyebrows and engage minds.

Political Scene Podcast: This is The New Yorker’s political podcast, and recent topics have included Big Money and Trump’s New Cabinet, and What the End of Meta’s Fact-Checking Program Means for the Future of Free Speech.

Washington pharmacists now prescribe abortion pills, a model other states can follow: Mifepristone and misoprostol are extremely safe and effective, so the state of Washington created a program for pharmacists to prescribe them, as explained in this Stateline article.

States embrace diverse strategies to expand housing: This article from Pew Trusts describes some of the many policies being attempted at the state and local levels to expand access to housing.

Progressive Agenda for States & Localities: The 2025 edition of our Progressive Agenda highlights 50 model bills and hyperlinks to more than 230 models.