PLI Bulletin

Aging Population, Gun Violence, Voting Machines and More

Posted on March 17, 2016

Prepare for an Aging Population Act: As the Baby Boom Generation ages, both state and local governments will need to respond with new programs and services. Shouldn’t we prepare now? The Prepare for an Aging Population Act sets up a task force to study different aspects of the problem and recommend solutions.

The anti-government theme is getting nowhere in 2016: Contrary to all expectations, the presidential campaigns have not been fueled by anti-government sentiment. Both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are pushing different versions of government activism. Perhaps the conventional wisdom is wrong and Americans don’t really oppose government. Read about it on IdeaLog, our blog intended to raise eyebrows and engage minds.

How to talk about gun violence prevention: Wednesday, March 23 @3pm Eastern, 2pm Central, 1pm Mountain, Noon Pacific. Perhaps you already know: don’t say “gun control” or “stricter” gun laws, and don’t say you oppose the Second Amendment. But even so, how do we persuade Americans to support gun violence prevention and how do we rebut the fully-briefed pro-gun advocates? For practical answers, join this webinar.

Model legislation on criminal justice issues: The Innocence Project offers a series of model bills on DNA testing, preservation of evidence, eyewitness identification, false confessions, and more. You can find them here.

States and localities will have to pay for new voting machines: Remember how, more than a decade ago, the Help America Vote Act paid for new voting machines across the country? As this Pew Stateline story explains, those machines are nearing the end of their useful lives. States and localities will soon need to pay for replacing them.

Progress in the States and Localities Report: Our latest highlights more than 30 important progressive bills that have passed at least one legislative house so far in 2016. The progressive victories in our Progress in the States and Localities Report address a wide range of policies from civil rights and consumer protection to public safety and election reform.