Kentucky: Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer proposed a plan for distributing the city’s first round of funding from the American Rescue Plan, with 10 percent allocated  to the city’s most urgent needs, including the COVID-19 response, vulnerable resident stabilization, and economic recovery. Remaining funds would support the city’s Build Back Better initiative as well as his initiative on Advancing Racial Equity; A Path Forward.

Colorado: The legislature has approved legislation sponsored by Senator Chris Hansen to require gas utility companies to create clean heat plans to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with providing fuel to homes and businesses. His bill now heads to the governor’s desk.

Maine: House Speaker Ryan Fecteau successfully passed his voting access bill through the state house. The Act to Establish Ongoing Absentee Voting would allow the automatic mailing of absentee ballots to people over the age of 60 and people with disabilities after they request one for the first time, rather than requiring voters to request an absentee ballot for every election. 

Utah: Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced a change to the city’s healthcare coverage to include gender-affirming surgery. As states throughout the U.S. move to restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare, the city’s new policy will include this crucial coverage for all employees and eligible independents.

Missouri: Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’s zero-fare bus program anticipates soon receiving federal funding. A total of $10.5 million in federal funding from the Resilient Repairs Act has been requested to purchase the zero-fare buses and is part of a larger plan to future-proof Kansas City’s infrastructure investments.