Government Reform

Connecticut Pension Reform

2023 Ideas Challenge Entry

The Connecticut State Comptroller, Sean Scanlon, oversees the municipal pension plan covering workers in 107 of Connecticut’s 169 towns. To address major financial challenges that resulted in costs going up for towns and cities in the plan by 75% in the previous 5 years, the office convened a working group of Democrats, Republicans, labor, and management to tackle the issues. Over six weeks of in-person collaboration, the working group developed and reached an agreement on a series of win-win reforms that both labor and management could support and that would save millions this year and $740 million over the next 30 years.

Impact:

Scanlon believes that the data and numbers will demonstrate the effort’s impact. Towns began realizing some savings on July 1, 2023 but the bulk of savings will begin in 2025 and happen over the next 30 years.

Anti-Doxxing Legislation to Protect Privacy and Free Speech

2023 Ideas Challenge Entry

New legislation, sponsored by Oregon Representative Janelle Bynum will provide a cause of action to recover damages for disclosure of private information such as personal contact data or social security numbers. Known as Doxxing, or publicly sharing information with the intent to intimidate or silence an individual or organization, this nefarious tool can stem public discourse and threatens individual privacy. With the support of a broad coalition of stakeholders ranging from journalists, constituents, to law enforcement personnel, Btnym narrowly tailored the bill to provide effective deterrence against doxing without chilling free exercise or other first amendment rights.

Impact:

The cause of the action is novel, and lawyers are just learning how to use this as a tool to protect privacy rights. Bynum hopes the doxxing cases that are just now being filed will strike a balance to ameliorate the impact of aggressive doxxing activity while also protecting free speech.

Tennessee Senator Raumesh Akbari: New Efforts to Increase Public Safety with Better Policing

As the Memphis community continues to grapple with the aftermath of the death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police officers, NewDEAL Leader Tennessee Senator Raumesh Akbari, who represents the city, introduced a legislative package to strengthen police reforms in the state. Among the proposals, Akbari addresses the urging of RowVaughn Wells, Tyre Nichols’ mother, to establish a duty to intervene for any police officers when they observe a fellow officer using excessive force. Other legislation would address criminal consequences around the improper use of force and the failure to render medical aid to individuals injured during an interaction with officers. In a statement, Akbari said she understands the heavy burden on police officers, but that the new laws will lead to better policing, “After George Floyd, Tennessee was one of the few states that adopted many of the ‘8 Can’t Wait’ legislation, around chokeholds, around duty to intervene, around use of force, but for me we need to strengthen those laws right now. We need to actually have real criminal consequences.” Read more about Senator Akbari’s efforts to build on and strengthen the landmark police reform bill enacted in the wake of the death of George Floyd in 2020.

Best Practice P3s

Problem

As traditional funding from the federal government has become increasingly uncertain, state and local governments are struggling to invest in the roads, power grids, and other kinds of infrastructure that we need to ‘build for the future’ in the changing economy. Without a standard set of rules around private funding for public infrastructure, it becomes much more difficult for both the government and private companies to fill this critical void.

Solution

Public Private Partnerships (P3s) are structures to essentially share resources to reduce the cost of construction, and therefore enable more projects, create the associated jobs, and literally build the kind of modern America we want to live in. Senator Keller is working to develop a standard set of best practices for public-private partnerships in order to untap private funding that can lower the cost and speed up infrastructure improvements while still ensuring accountability to the public.

One Stop for Veterans

Problem

Current programs established to provide benefits and services to veterans often struggle to find and engage the veterans they are meant to serve. Veterans falling through the cracks to the point of homelessness, unemployment, marriage breakups, higher suicide rates only get help when they hit the bottom.

Solution

Mayor Warren proposed a municipally-sponsored Veterans Center, which combined socializing/networking, activities, and speakers along with the opportunity to speak to service providers. This has been a successful model for Newton to better serve the veterans in their community while providing a comfortable environment for them to engage with other veterans.

Digital Operating Agreement (OA)

Problem

Entrepreneurs often face several challenges in getting their businesses off the ground because of high legal fees associated with making sure they meet legal formation requirements. Because of this financial burden, they may go without the legal and governance structure required to ensure the long-term success of their businesses.

Solution

Secretary Miller created the Digital OA, free software that allows limited-liability companies to exist entirely in digital form with basic legal protections and governance. Entrepreneurs who have never met but want to collaborate on something as simple as an iPhone app can meet via chat room, agree to terms on how to set up their business, form that entity online, and run the company without having met – all through the Digital OA. The program was designed to promote entrepreneurial growth, and allow entrepreneurs to focus their time and other resources on their core business. Digital OA is not simply a start-up resource providing formation structure, as it also serves as a common operational hub through which the company’s ongoing legally mandated meetings, decision making, and recording of events can be conducted.

Resilient Leadership Training

Problem

Every year, counties are faced with disasters, whether man-made or natural. How a county responds to those disasters can have long-term effects on their economic recovery and future success. Strong leadership during times of crisis can help build resilience within a county and help that area recover faster.

Solution

County Supervisor Linda Langston has proposed a training program in Cedar Rapids to prepare local elected officials and key community members to manage and lead in crisis, particularly in disaster response. Better prepared leaders leads to better response, planning, and recovery after disaster and can help a county sustain its economic competitiveness even after facing such challenges.

Reporting of Elder Abuse

Problem

Currently, the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) has an “ad-hoc” system of investigating reports of elder abuse. With no standard, central intake software or investigatory protocol, and each regional and local office collects reports and performs investigations in a purely subjective manner. This leads to long investigation times, unpredictability for facilities and employees being investigated, and inconsistency in treatment and protection of one of our most vulnerable populations.

Solution

House Majority Leader Hoyle has championed legislation to standardize protocol and software for reporting and investigating allegations of elder abuse. By having a uniform and predictable report and investigation protocol, the state can ensure DHS’ resources are being used in the most efficient and effective way possible, while still providing flexibility to acknowledge the nuance and sometimes subjective and emergency nature of elder abuse.

Enhancing Committee-based Governance

Problem

When state governments are unable to pass critical legislation because of a lack of cooperation between parties and/or lack of public/private collaboration, everyone loses. This lack of legislative progress reduces trust in governing and hinders necessary reform.

Solution

Senator Duff argued that the state could create an inclusive, transparent model for legislative committees that benefits government, the private sector and citizens by promoting collaboration, fairness and bipartisanship. He implemented several policies to foster greater efficiency including requiring the minority party leadership to be involved in all meetings and decision making to garner strong bipartisan support. And by creating strong partnerships with community groups, nonprofits, and private stakeholders, the legislative committee has been able to create a collaborative environment to help bring solutions to the table that benefit everyone.

Crowdsourcing Iowa 911

Problem

In our ever-developing digital world, traditional 911 procedures no longer empower citizens to immediately report emergencies. Crowdsourcing 911 by actively engaging citizens to use social media tools & text message alerts in a dynamic two-way conversation ensures timely information is available. Currently, some local public safety agencies were purchasing this technology on their own, layering in unnecessary costs all across Iowa, money that could be saved by having a statewide system available to all.

Solution

Senator Danielson has passed a bill to create Crowdsourcing Iowa 911, which integrates traditional dispatch for police, fire & EMS services with social media tools, empowering Iowans to be the ears & eyes of their communities, allowing for real-time two-way communication in a new & modern way. Iowa’s approach is innovative in that it cuts costs, speeds up the adoption of dynamic two-way 911 communication technologies and improves the interoperability of state & local public safety agencies.

Connecticut Pension Reform

2023 Ideas Challenge Entry

Impact:

Anti-Doxxing Legislation to Protect Privacy and Free Speech

2023 Ideas Challenge Entry

Impact:

Tennessee Senator Raumesh Akbari: New Efforts to Increase Public Safety with Better Policing

Best Practice P3s

Problem

Solution

One Stop for Veterans

Problem

Solution

Digital Operating Agreement (OA)

Problem

Solution

Resilient Leadership Training

Problem

Solution

Reporting of Elder Abuse

Problem

Solution

Enhancing Committee-based Governance

Problem

Solution

Crowdsourcing Iowa 911

Problem

Solution

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