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NewDEAL Forum Lays out “Playbook” to Strengthen Democracy, Protect Voting Rights, and Transform Election Administration Across the Nation

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NewDEAL Statement on State of the Union Address

For Immediate Release:                                                    

February 7, 2023                                                        

Contact: Jonathon Dworkin (NewDEAL), 202-660-1340 x5, jonathon@newdealleaders.org

NewDEAL Statement on State of the Union Address

Washington, DC – NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan released the following statement responding to President Biden’s State of the Union address delivered tonight:

“As the President rightly recognized tonight, his Administration, along with Democrats in Congress, delivered major wins for the American people over the past two years, including by lowering costs for working families and helping communities deal with the impacts of climate change. No administration has better understood the priorities of state and local leaders or done more to support them in solving the challenges facing their residents. But the work is far from done. In fact, it will be up to state and local officials to realize the full potential of the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and other laws the President has signed. Successful implementation will require a continued strong partnership among federal, state, and local leaders to identify opportunities, share best practices, and, in the President’s words, ‘finish the job.’

“On behalf of our network, I also applaud the President’s clear message that little else will matter without a strong democracy. State and local officials who have been on the frontlines of the attacks on our election system in 2020 and 2022 understand that ensuring the sanctity of that system is a year-round job and that the work to preserve it in 2024 cannot wait. Congress should give these leaders and our nation a huge boost by acting on what should be nonpartisan issues, like protecting election workers and proactively supporting the right of every eligible American to cast a ballot.”

About NewDEAL

NewDEAL supports a network of about 200 state and local officials — statewide officials, legislators, mayors, council members, and other local leaders across the country — who are pro-growth progressives. The organization brings together leaders focused on expanding opportunity, helping them develop and spread innovative ideas to spur economic growth that is broadly-earned and sustainable. NewDEAL facilitates the exchange of ideas among its members and connects them with other pro-growth progressive political, policy, and private sector leaders.

NewDEAL’s Honorary Co-Chairs are U.S. Senator Chris Coons (DE), Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), and Columbia, SC Mayor Steve Benjamin.

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The issue of affordable housing also came up during a press conference for the New Deal Democrats. Sen. Bob Duff, the majority leader of the state senate and a member of the New Deal coalition, said priorities include updating local zoning rules to allow for more housing.

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Debbie Cox Bultan: Democrats Deliver as Republicans Dither

Two Year Anniversary of the January 6, 2021 Attack on the U.S. Capital

As we mark two years since the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol, we recognize the progress that has been made to reaffirm our commitment to democracy while acknowledging that the forces that inspired the events of that day are still alive and threatening. In the 2022 midterms, Americans overwhelmingly rejected a slate of antidemocratic candidates and proved yet again that American democracy is resilient. Yet there is still work to be done: NewDEAL Leaders at the state and local levels continue to be on the frontlines of the everyday battles to protect our democratic norms, expand and safeguard our voting rights, and push back against the vitriolic political discourse that continues to foment political violence. They and their colleagues who stand for a functioning democracy and against the extremist leaders who wish to undermine it, deserve all of our support. In the coming weeks, the NewDEAL Forum’s Democracy Working Group, will release recommendations for state and local officials to foster a safe, secure, and open political environment so that American citizens can continue to make their voices heard. As January 6 Committee Chair Representative Bennie Thompson wrote in the Committee’sFinal Report, “We can never surrender to democracy’s enemies. We can never allow America to be defined by forces of division and hatred. We can never go backward in the progress we have made through the sacrifice and dedication of true patriots. We can never and will never relent in our pursuit of a more perfect union, with liberty and justice for all Americans.”

Statement on the Death of CT Rep. Quentin “Q” Williams

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2023
Contact: Jonathon Dworkin, 202-660-1340 x5

Statement on the Death of CT Rep. Quentin “Q” Williams

Washington, D.C. – NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan released the following statement on the death of NewDEAL Leader State Representative Quentin “Q” Williams (Middletown, CT), who was killed in a car crash overnight.

“On behalf of the NewDEAL community, our hearts are broken over the tragic passing of State Representative Quentin “Q” Williams. Q epitomized everything NewDEAL stands for and, more importantly, the qualities that our country needs in its leaders. As a passionate public servant who made progress his top priority and was determined to fight for good governance that improved everyone’s quality of life, Q contributed so much to his state and made an impact on so many people in our network. It’s clear from the tributes pouring in today that he accomplished all of this with kindness, class, and humility. We are devastated by his passing and recommit to fighting for the opportunities that he dedicated his life to creating for everyone in his state. Our thoughts are with his wife Carrissa, their family, our Connecticut NewDEALers, and all whose lives he touched.”

About NewDEAL
The NewDEAL brings together leaders focused on expanding opportunity, helping them develop and spread innovative ideas to spur economic growth that is equitable and sustainable. Most importantly, the organization facilitates the exchange of ideas among its members and connects them with other pro-growth progressive political, policy, and private sector leaders. Learn more about the NewDEAL and its members by visiting http://www.localhost:10003/leaders.

New Report Elevates Oakland’s Innovative Education Efforts as National Models

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     

December 22, 2022

Contact: Jonathon Dworkin, 202-660-1340 x5

New Report Elevates Oakland’s Innovative Education Efforts as National Models

NewDEAL Forum releases policy recommendations and best practices gathered during a visit of state and local officials to study Mayor Schaaf’s initiatives to provide students with “Cradle to College” support and address the digital divide

Washington D.C. – Today, the NewDEAL Forum released a report highlighting Oakland, CA Mayor Libby Schaaf’s innovative education programs, which are preparing young people for college and career and connecting all students to high-speed internet. The report’s findings come out of a convening this year when the Forum brought a delegation of policymakers from across the country to Oakland to explore lessons of Schaaf’s work on these issues. Today’s release continues the effort to share the programs with a national network of state and local leaders, including through the Forum’s sister organization, the NewDEAL.

Read the full report here. (A full list of policymakers who joined the delegation in Oakland is below).

A delegation of elected officials, along with our partners at All4Ed, met with members of the Schaaf administration, the Oakland Unified School District, leaders of organizations implementing the work, and students to examine the success of Oakland Promise’s cradle-to-career education work, including college savings accounts, scholarships, and mentorship opportunities, as well as #OaklandUndivided, which is connecting children and families to high-speed internet connections and devices.

The Forum and NewDEAL have a track record of spreading policy solutions on issues including education, broadband, the future of work, and climate change. The document reviews the delegation’s findings about the programs and includes insights into how state and local policymakers can use them as models for other communities. Some notable highlights include:

  • Mayor Schaaf established an ambitious goal to triple the number of Oakland students who graduate, and created a mayoral Education Team to implement the effort.

  • The Mayor’s office utilized its convening power to bring together government agencies, community organizations, and private partners to generate significant public and private financial support to scale the programs and their impact.

  • The various programs had clear goals and objectives to not only provide resources to students, but explicitly strive to make systemic changes, such as shifting mindsets among students and their families and create a college-career focused culture.

  • As emphasized by student participants, effective college and career counseling had a high return on investment, and offering dual-enrollment programs to give students a jumpstart on college made a big impact.

  • Dramatically improving internet access required collecting actionable data, as the city did through a simple school district survey, and partnering with trusted messengers to get families signed up for assistance.

“Thank you to Mayor Schaaf for not only hosting our group but for her impressive service as Oakland’s mayor. Her many inspiring initiatives serve as examples of practical solutions that have real impacts in reducing barriers to opportunity and improving people’s lives, which is exactly the kind of policy the NewDEAL Forum seeks to foster and promote,” said NewDEAL Forum CEO Debbie Cox Bultan. “She leaves an impressive legacy in Oakland, particularly for her sustained efforts in the education space, highlighted by a $50 million Generation Fund to provide scholarships for over 30,000 students and babies from low-income backgrounds.”

Since Oakland Promise was formally launched in 2016, over 1,900 babies and students have received College Savings Accounts, 30,000 students have received early college scholarships, Oakland public and charter school students have increased access to college and career centers, and thousands have received targeted college access and persistence support in addition to growing scholarship funds. #OaklandUndivided has distributed over 35,000 computers and 15,000 hotspots and responded to over 18,000 tech support requests to date. The program successfully increased home access to a computer, the internet, and tech support for students from low-income backgrounds from 12% pre-pandemic to 98% at the end of the 2020–21 school year.  If you would like more info, go to www.oaklandpromise.org and www.oaklandundivided.org.

About NewDEAL Forum

The NewDEAL Forum is a non-profit organization which identifies and promotes innovative, future-oriented state and local pro-growth progressive policies that can improve the lives of all Americans. By facilitating the identification and spread of policy ideas, the NewDEAL Forum seeks to foster economic growth, reduce barriers to opportunity, and promote good government in communities and states. The Forum advances its mission by researching, identifying, and sharing state and local pro-growth progressive policy ideas and bringing together public, private, and non-profit sector policy experts to exchange ideas and discuss the country’s biggest challenges.

Visiting Delegation of State and Local Leaders included:

  • Alabama: Representative Anthony Daniels – House Minority Leader – Huntsville

  • Connecticut: Senator Bob Duff – Senate Majority Leader – Norwalk

  • Georgia: Senator Elena Parent – Senate Democratic Caucus Leader – Atlanta

  • Maryland: Councilmember Hans Riemer – Montgomery County

  • Missouri: Alderwoman Annie Rice – St. Louis

  • Nevada: Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno – Asst. Majority Floor Leader – Las Vegas

  • Oklahoma: Senator Michael Brooks-Jimenez – Oklahoma City

  • Oregon: Mayor Lacey Beaty – Beaverton

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