About the Progressive States Network
The Progressive States Network
was founded in 2005 to drive public policy debates and change the political
landscape in the United States, by focusing on attainable, progressive state
actions. The Progressive States Network advances this agenda by providing
coordinated research and strategic advocacy tools to forward-thinking state
policymakers, legislative staff, and non-profit organizations. We function as a
meeting space for progressive legislators, activists, and citizens, and serve
as a hotbed of information exchange. We track legislation in all 50 states,
helping to spark change across the country. We make it easier for people to
learn more about how to get good ideas passed into law—and take power
into their own hands.
Progressive States Task Forces
Representatives from the
following organizations serve on task forces relevant to specific issues and to
act as a resource to legislators and local organizations.
ACORN
AFL-CIO
AFSCME
AmericaÕs Agenda
Americans for Health Care
Apollo Alliance
Center for American Progress
Center for Policy Alternatives
Citizens for Tax Justice
Community Catalyst
COWS
Families USA
Federation of State PIRGs
Free Press
Herndon Alliance
JR Commons Center
Labor Project on Working
Families
Mobility Agenda - CEPR
Moms Rising
Multi-States Working Families
Consortium
National Caucus of
Environmental Legislators
National Employment Law
Project
National Partnership for Women
& Families
National WomenÕs Law Center
Northeast Action
People for the American Way
Public Campaign
SEIU
Sierra Club
Skyline Public Works
Smart Growth America
State Environmental Leadership
Program
UC-Berkeley Center for Labor
Research
Universal Health Care Action
Network (UHCAN)
Vote by Mail Project
Progressive States
Board of Directors
Joel
Barkin, Progressive States Network, Executive Director
Steve
Doherty, Founding Co-Chair
David
Sirota, Founding Co-Chair
Wes
Boyd, MoveOn.org
David
Brock, Media Matters for America
Asm.
Adriano Espaillat, New York State Assembly
Rep.
Garnet Coleman, Texas State Assembly
Leo
Gerard, United Steelworkers
Ellen
Golombek,, SEIU
Lisa
Seitz Gruwell, Skyline Public Works
Joe
Hoeffel, Former PA Congressman and state legislator
Steve
Kest, ACORN
George
Lakoff, Rockridge Institute
Robert
McChesney, Free Press
Rep.
Hannah Pingree, Maine House of Representatives
John
Podesta, Center for American Progress
Lee
Saunders, AFSCME
Naomi
Walker, AFL-CIO
Rep.
Neva Walker, Minnesota State House
Rep.
David Zuckerman, Vermont State House
For More Information
For more information on
policy options discussed in this program or for help in your states, visit www.progressivestates.org, where
we will be adding additional details in coming months. Also feel free to contact:
Nathan Newman, Policy
Director at Progressive States Network
(212) 680-3114 *
nnewman@progressivestates.org
This report and the
work of the Progressive States Network throughout
this past session was made possible by the generous support of individual
donors, organizations, and foundations, including the Open Society Institute,
the Wallace Global Fund, the Public Welfare Foundation, AFL-CIO, AFSCME, SEIU
and the United Steelworkers.
We extend a special thanks to Deborah and Andy Rappaport and Steve Silberstein.
Without their support, this report and our work would not have been possible.
Written by:
Nathan Newman, PSN Policy Director
J. Mijin Cha, PSN Policy Specialist
Adam Thompson, PSN Policy Specialist
Updated: August 2007
Taking the Lead:
Introduction to the Report 1
Some State Success Highlights: 2
Protecting Working Families. 3
Enforcement of Wage &
Employment Laws. 4
Family Leave and Valuing Families
Legislation. 4
Rewarding Work in the Tax Code. 4
Expanding the Freedom to Form
Unions. 4
2007 is the Year of the Kids. 4
Comprehensive Health Care Reform.. 4
Renewable Energy and Renewable
Portfolio Standards. 4
Challenging the Iraq Escalation. 4
Demanding Trade Deals that Respect
State Interests. 4
Telecommunications and Broadband. 4