Immigration Policy Advocate

Position
The Progressive States Network (www.progressivestates.org) seeks a highly motivated individual to work in a team approach as a policy advocate working on immigration policy in the states. The Progressive States Network is a state-based organization, the mission of which is to pass progressive legislation in all 50 of America's state legislatures, while challenging rightwing forces in each of those states.

Job Description

Attacks on immigrants is emerging as the rightwing "wedge" issue of 2008 and dealing with the issue is likely to remain a key challenge, but also an opportunity for state legislators in coming years. Progressive States is looking for an individual to both support individual immigration policy campaigns in states and help build a national legislative network that can institutionalize a humane and strategic immigration policy as a key part of multi-issue legislative coalitions across the country.

PSN's immigration policy advocate will work to reframe the debate on immigration in the state around five key reforms:

• Wage Enforcement as Immigration Policy: Much of the anger at immigrants derives from fears that sweatshops and sub-minimum wage labor will undermine wage standards, so PSN will focus on policies that punish employers who violate wage laws in order to politically unite all workers, immigrant and native alike, and actually strengthen the progressive political base.

• Encouraging Immigrant Integration and Naturalization: In order to emphasize the broad desire of new immigrants to participate fully in our society, PSN will promote policies, including naturalization and English-language help, that help all immigrants better integrate into American society.

• Immigrants and Public Benefits: PSN will highlight studies that show that undocumented immigrants actually pay substantial taxes and use limited public benefits, while also promoting resolutions to demand that the federal government share revenues with states to expand services for communities with heavy immigrant populations.

• Voting Reform versus "Voter ID" Attacks: While helping to defeat voter ID laws, PSN will work on policies like same day registration and voting by mail, to make voting easier for people who do overcome these new barriers to proving their legal right to vote.

• Immigrant Outreach as Public Safety and Anti-Terror Policy: In order to emphasize that it is hard to protect victims of crime when millions of people living in our communities are fearful of talking to the police, PSN will promote policies that protect undocumented immigrant victims and witnesses of crime when they contact the police, while encouraging community policing efforts involving undocumented immigrant communities.

Since Progressive States is dedicated to breaking down single issue politics in favor of a shared multi-issue agenda, any candidate for these positions should be prepared to promote these issues in the context of helping to promote other issues of concerns to our allies in the labor, civil rights, environmental and other grassroots communities.

PSN State Campaign Support: A core part of the PSN staffer's responsibility would be to support campaigns on these issues in each state, working with local organizational and legislative allies we have developed from other campaigns to find sponsors and help move the bills in more states. This help will range from drafting legislation and amendments during the sessions, writing op-eds, developing fact sheets and other resource sheets, promoting grassroots public education in support of these voting reform initiatives, and helping legislators educate their fellow lawmakers on the need for the bills.

Strategic Coordination with Other Issue Campaigns: Where PSN brings special expertise is using our involvement in a range of other national and local issue campaigns to add strategic advice on moving these voting reforms, including highlighting how to integrate immigration issues into the health care debate and working with election reform advocates who are focusing on turnout among newly naturalized immigrants.

Build National Immigration Policy Legislative Network: A key role for the PSN immigration policy advocates will be to build a national network of state legislators that can work consistently to promote more humane policies involving new immigrants. By encouraging more legislator-to-legislator communication across state lines, we help legislators to see a policy proposal not as some radical new innovation but as a tested policy which has strengthened the political position of their peer legislators in other states. Strengthening legislator-to-legislator coordination also encourages legislators to think more seriously about the national impact of their actions and their role as leaders in the progressive movement, instead of just narrowly concentrating on their role as legislators in their own state.

Qualifications
Any candidate must be self-motivated and an innovative thinker and organizer with a dedication to public interest issues. Excellent verbal and writing skills are an essential requirement. Background in election reform advocacy is strongly desired. Relevant experience includes (but is not limited to) working in political, policy, legal, journalistic, or government settings. Advanced degrees, including a JD or masters in related fields, may count toward a candidate's professional experience. But most of all, we are looking for smart, creative thinkers and doers who can help build and strengthen the progressive movement in this country.

Progressive States is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage and value a diverse workforce, and we seek diversity among applicants for this position. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Salary & Benefits
Salary and benefits for this position is commensurate with the amount of relevant professional experience that a candidate has. Opportunities for advancement, travel, and additional training are available.

Background
The Progressive States Network works with legislators and community organizations across the country to advance legislation at the state level that protects individual freedoms, promotes sustainable economic growth, and strengthens America's working families. Backed by labor unions, community leaders, environmental groups, grassroots organizations such as MoveOn.org, and other individual supporters, Progressive States blends analysis and action and is working to establish a cohesive network and support system for progressive legislators in all 50 states, while building a concerted movement dedicated to grassroots social and political change across the nation. See www.progressivestates.org for more information.

How to Apply
Email a compelling cover letter, resume and writing sample identifying which policy position you are applying for and which shows your ability to write about policy issues in a manner accessible to the public to:

Nathan Newman, Policy Director
Progressive States Network
jobs@progressivestates.org

New York City Area Drupal Expert

Progressive States Network, a nonprofit working to promote progressive legislation at statehouses nationwide, seeks a New York City area Drupal expert. PSN has a partially completed website and needs advanced Drupal review and expertise in migrating data from the current (Textpattern) website.

The site uses CCK/Views, Panels, an extensive taxonomy, and custom modules. We seek a review of the Drupal configuration and additional development to meet our needs. The site will be hosted on a LAMP platform. The project will consist of separate tasks over the next four months (February-May).

Required: Drupal module development and site configuration, PHP, MySQL, HTML/XHTML, CSS, SVN/CVS.

Desired: Knowledge of Drupal theming, experience with conversion from Textpattern or Wordpress sites, and hosting selection. New York City area location.

If interested, please send a cover letter, resume, examples of Drupal modules and sites, and consulting rate to webjob@progressivestates.org.

Policy Internship

Progressive States Network (PSN) is seeking candidates for part- and full-time internships for the upcoming legislative season at our New York City office. The intern will work closely with our staff of attorneys and policy specialists in creating policies and implementing strategies to support progressive legislation in statehouses across the country.

A new organization formed to combat right-wing power in the states, PSN works with legislators and community organizations across the country to advance legislation at the state level that protects individual freedoms, promotes sustainable economic growth, and strengthens America's working families.

Candidates must have a commitment to public service. Experience in policy advocacy or community organizing is a plus.

Please forward cover letter, résumé, writing sample, and references to staff@progressivestates.org with “Policy Intern Application” in the subject line.