Reasons for Optimism on Earth Day

New Class of Nation’s Top State and Local Leaders are Recognized

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                             

April 19, 2022                          

Contact: Jonathon Dworkin, 202-660-1340 x5

New Class of Nation’s Top State and Local Leaders are Recognized

Diverse set of pro-growth progressive officials join organization of innovative, rising Democrats on frontlines dealing with America’s biggest challenges

Washington, D.C. – With the importance of state and local leadership made clearer than ever during the pandemic recovery, NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders) has selected a new class of nine forward-thinking elected officials to join its selective national network of elected officials. These state and local leaders, hailing from eight states, join the group at a time when they and their colleagues are on the frontlines of implementing the recovery from the myriad impacts of the pandemic, including by maximizing the impact of an infusion of federal resources. They will participate in efforts of NewDEALers to support each other in addressing challenges created and exacerbated by COVID-19 by innovating, convening virtually, and sharing good ideas. (See a full list of new class members below.)

Leaders in the 195-person network cover 49 states and are working to enact pro-growth progressive solutions in a diverse array of communities. They have been chosen from among more than 1,750 nominations over NewDEAL’s eleven years, and have included Pete Buttigieg, Stacey Abrams, and Jason Kander. The organization’s honorary co-chairs are U.S. Senator Chris Coons (DE), U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), and former Mayor Steve Benjamin (Columbia, SC).

“I am excited to welcome the members of our new class who exemplify innovative, forward-thinking leadership,” said NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan. “These public servants are setting the standard for understanding government’s role in solving problems, advancing equity, and expanding economic opportunity. We look forward to highlighting their thoughtful approach to governing and to working with them to build on the work of NewDEALers across the country who are developing and spreading good ideas.”

Members of the diverse new class of leaders were chosen for their unwavering commitment to the equitable expansion of opportunity. Their work aims to move their communities forward in the new economy and rejects the idea that policymakers can or should want to turn the clock back to a prior era. They are fighting for solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing our nation, from implementing early intervention health care efforts in Waterloo, Iowa to addressing access to safe and attainable housing in Michigan and making higher education more accessible for Oklahomans.

These leaders’ work will help build on policy recommendations that NewDEAL Leaders have helped develop, including aiding in the implementation of recommendations made by its sister organization, the NewDEAL Forum, through the Renewing America Task Force, Education Policy Group, Broadband Policy Group, and Climate Solutions Working Group.

 

The new class of NewDEAL Leaders includes:

 

California: Supervisor James Gore (Sonoma County) 

Iowa: Mayor Quentin Hart (Waterloo)

Maryland: Senator Antonio Hayes (Baltimore City)

Michigan: Mayor Rosalynn Bliss (Grand Rapids)

Michigan: Senator Winnie Brinks (Grand Rapids)

New Jersey: Commissioner Shanti Narra (Middlesex County)

North Dakota: Representative Josh Boschee (Fargo)

Oklahoma: Senator Michael Brooks-Jimenez (Oklahoma City)

South Carolina: Councilmember Jesica Mackey (Richland)

 

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.newdealleaders.org/leader.   

 

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NewDEAL Launches Advisory Council with Sen. Landrieu, Mayor Diaz, Emily Cain, and more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                             

March 31, 2022                          

Contact: Jonathon Dworkin, 202-660-1340 x5

NewDEAL Launches Advisory Council

Sen. Mary Landrieu, Mayor Manny Diaz, Kiki McLean, and Emily Cain are among the Council’s inaugural members

Washington, D.C. – NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders) has announced a new Advisory Council, bringing together thought leaders with backgrounds in government, business, and advocacy to support the organization’s network of innovative, forward-thinking state and local elected officials from across the country. A full list of individuals on the Advisory Council is below.

Launched in conjunction with NewDEAL’s eleventh anniversary, the 11-member group includes former members of Congress, heads of leading think tank and advocacy groups, and successful entrepreneurs. They are charged with helping to develop new ways to amplify the voices and spread the ideas of NewDEAL Leaders, recognizing them as the future of the Democratic Party and the country. The members of NewDEAL who the Council will support are nearly 200 state and local elected officials who have been chosen from more than 1750 nominations and are united by their work to enact pro-growth progressive solutions in a diverse array of communities.

NewDEAL alumni include Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Stacey Abrams, Jason Kander, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, and other members of Congress.

“Promoting outstanding state and local leadership and spreading great ideas across the country is vital as NewDEAL Leaders navigate so many competing challenges amid an ongoing pandemic, the impacts of climate change, necessary demands for racial justice, and threats to our democracy,” said NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan. “In this context, I am thrilled and honored to welcome an esteemed and diverse group of leaders to our Advisory Council to build on NewDEAL’s work. Together we will be able to do more than ever to support members in serving their communities, sharing their policy successes, and reaching their potential in public service.”

The Council’s efforts will complement the leadership of NewDEAL Honorary Co-Chairs U.S. Senator Chris Coons, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, and Columbia, SC Mayor Steve Benjamin.

The Advisory Council launch comes ahead of one of the organization’s signature events, the annual Ideas Summit, which will take place May 23-24 in Philadelphia, PA. About 50 NewDEAL Leaders will join other innovators from the public and private sectors to discuss a forward-looking agenda for state and local Democrats to address the biggest challenges facing our country, including the future of work and education, climate change, and threats to our democracy.

Members of the NewDEAL Advisory Council:

Sen. Emily Cain – Executive Director, Emily’s List & Former Maine State Senator

Jonathan Cowan – President and Co-founder, Third Way

Mayor Manny Diaz – Senior Partner, Lydecker LLP & Former Mayor of Miami, FL

Mitch Draizin – President, City University of New York LGBT Advisory Council & Founder of Longview Capital Advisors

Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson – President and CEO, Chicago Urban League & Former Indiana Attorney General and Mayor of Gary, IN

Controller Wendy Greuel – Vice-Chair, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority & Former City Controller, Los Angeles, CA

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu – Senior Policy Advisor, Van Ness Feldman LLP & Former U.S. Senator and Louisiana State Treasurer

Rep. Ben McAdams – Founder, Common Ground Institute & Former U.S. Representative (UT-4) & Mayor of Salt Lake County, UT

Kiki McLean – Treasurer, Democratic Governors Association

Oscar Ramirez – Co-founder, Fulcrum Public Affairs LLP

Bruce Rubin – Former Industrial Executive & Board Member and Advisor

About NewDEAL

The NewDEAL brings together leaders focused on expanding opportunity, helping them develop and spread innovative ideas to spur economic growth that is broadly-earned 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.

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Celebrating 11 Years of Supporting State & Local Leadership

Today, the NewDEAL celebrates our 11th anniversary of supporting innovative, principled, and highly effective state and local leaders around the country!

To recognize the incredible achievements of NewDEALers, take a look back at one of our first classes of NewDEAL Leaders who joined the network exactly ten years ago. In 2012, we already knew they represented a special kind of public servant, and we’re not surprised to see where many of them ended up.

 

66 elected officials joined our network in 2012

 

Some have moved up in public office:
Many remain in state and local offices, like:
Others are serving America in new ways:

NewDEAL Leaders exemplify the type of leadership our nation needs to continue moving forward. We’ve already seen how NewDEALers have been on the frontlines of steering our nation through the pandemic, and now they’re the ones making smart decisions about using an influx of federal recovery funds to address the inequities laid bare by the pandemic and build a better future for everyone. See our report, “The American Rescue Plan – One Year Later” for case studies of how NewDEALers are taking advantage of this moment to rebuild a stronger America. And don’t miss the opportunity to hear NewDEALers talk on our podcast An Honorable Profession about how they found their way into public service, what they’re prioritizing in their work now, and much more – subscribe now!

DelBene and Franklin in the Everett Daily Herald: Local leaders key to American Rescue Plan’s success

In the more than two years since the first U.S. cases of covid-19 were identified in Snohomish County, Americans watched as the virus spread to family members, friends and colleagues. We endured school closures, business shutdowns, layoffs and more, in our region and across the country.

As we learn to live with this virus, we must also use this as an opportunity to grow from the challenges of this pandemic. Covid-19 exposed and exacerbated many existing problems in our communities; from child care affordability to internet access to resources to keep small businesses open.

Governing: How Cities Can Use ARP Money to Heal the Wounds of the Past

March 11, 2022

by Levar M. Stoney, Mayor of Richmond, Va.

How Cities Can Use ARP Money to Heal the Wounds of the Past

The federal funds provide an opportunity for cities to address and make tangible progress toward addressing the systemic inequities that have lingered for far too long.

In 2020, I oversaw the removal of Richmond’s monuments to the Confederacy’s “Lost Cause” that represented oppression and inequality from generations ago. As mayor, I know that many Richmonders looked at this moment not as a way to review and rewrite the sins of our past but as part of moving us forward to a brighter future. And doing so requires more than symbolism.

When President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) into law a year ago today, state and local leaders were given a historic opportunity to turn the rhetoric of our nation’s latest racial reckoning into tangible progress. Elected officials would have the chance to address systemic inequalities that have lingered for far too long. The state and local recovery funds from the legislation were to help localities “build back” from COVID-19. The pandemic did not create disparities in our communities, but it did highlight them and, in many cases, exacerbated them.

A year after the bill’s signing, I am proud that Richmond, guided by the city’s first-ever Equity Agenda, has focused the overwhelming majority of its ARP funding on responding to ways residents in our city have been historically underserved.

To begin with, we are investing $81 million — more than half of our ARP funding — to support systems for children and families, which includes funds for child care and parental support, a family crisis fund, and improvements to our park systems and community centers.

We are also using ARP funds to work toward our city’s ambitious goal of building 10,000 affordable housing units in the next 10 years, and we are investing $12 million in redeveloping public housing, including $6.8 million toward the transformation of Creighton Court, one of the city’s oldest public housing complexes.

And as we recover from the pandemic, we will use $5 million to establish the city’s first-ever Health Equity Trust Fund which, in addition to our COVID-19 response, will support food access and security, substance use disorder and treatment, mental and behavioral health, and infant and maternal health.

Richmond is not alone in seeing ARP as a mechanism to address inequalities. I’m part of a national organization called The NewDEAL, which supports a national network of innovative, pro-growth, progressive state and local officials. Many of them are illustrating the opportunity that exists across the country to make similar progress on equity that is tangible — not empty rhetoric.

 

Strickland & Cox Bultan in the Hill: The American Rescue Plan worked

When schools began reopening in 2021 and the cost of childcare soared, Carolyn worried that she could not afford before and after-school childcare for her son in Washington state. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan’s child tax credit provision, Carolyn and millions of American families were able to pay for this care. While the program was temporary, it was one of many ways that the Rescue Plan had a positive impact in support of American families.

As we reach the first anniversary of President Biden signing the American Rescue Plan into law, the obvious questions include: How did it help? Where or whom did it help the most? And most importantly, did the $1.9 trillion bill do what Congress and the president intended? Did it help Americans get back to work and rebuild communities with an eye towards reducing the inequities that were magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic?

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Route Fifty: One Year Into ARPA Rollout, Spending Varies as Scrutiny Mounts

Debbie Cox Bultan, CEO of NewDEAL, a network of progressive state and local leaders, emphasized that members of her group are backing spending that is designed to address equity concerns.

“Leaders are not content looking backward to rebuild flawed systems of the past, but rather are taking advantage of a unique moment to build a better, more prosperous future,” she said in a statement.

report the group issued this week gave examples like programs pushed by St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, that will use $15 million to help residents struggling to pay for home repairs and another $23 million for rental assistance.

Route 50: Bridging the Digital Divide with American Rescue Plan Act Funding

March 10th, 2022

By Trey Mendez,
Mayor of Brownsviille, Texas

 

Bridging the Digital Divide with American Rescue Plan Act Funding

COMMENTARY | One year after ARPA was signed, states, cities and counties are making meaningful progress to expand broadband access.

 

In this day and age, access to broadband is not a luxury. Trust me—I know.

In 2019, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance named Brownsville, Texas, as one of the “Worst Connected Cities” in the country. That was the same year I was elected mayor.

At the time, two-thirds of households lacked high-speed (cable, DSL or fiber) internet access. I knew that if Brownsville was going to be a thriving community, the issue of broadband must be one of my top priorities.

Then came the Covid-19 pandemic, which placed a huge spotlight on the digital divide. Throughout 2020 and 2021, we saw schools close and many businesses transition to working from home. The sudden transition was harder for some than others. A Rice University study of the Houston area in March 2021 found one in three Black families and one in four Hispanic families reported challenges with internet and/or digital access, compared to just one in 10 white parents.

Across the country, lack of high-speed internet forced some students to park outside libraries in the evenings so they could access free Wi-Fi just to complete school assignments. And the ability to work from home was only available to those who had the means and resources to do so.

 

Like many other elected officials, I knew that bridging the digital divide would be one of the key issues to ensure today’s workers, and our children, would be ready for the jobs of tomorrow. And this past year, we were aided by the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act that was signed into law on March 11, 2021.

In Brownsville, we are using those funds to build out 95 miles of “middle-mile” infrastructure to bring high-speed internet to homes throughout some of our most underserved communities. These investments will bring down the cost for residents, add resiliency to existing networks, and create the infrastructure that will make possible the all-important “last-mile” work.

And Brownsville is not alone in making this kind of investment. I’m part of a network of NewDEAL Leaders, consisting of state and local elected officials across the nation who share an innovative, results-driven approach to governing. Some of my colleagues making progress on internet access include Mayor Kate Gallego of Phoenix, who has worked with local providers to ensure 250,000 families have high-speed internet for students in some of the city’s most high-need areas.

Delegate Brooke Lierman spearheaded legislation to set up Maryland’s Office of Statewide Broadband in 2021. With the support of ARPA funds, the office is providing grants of up to $10 million to local jurisdictions to extend existing broadband service to unserved areas.

Government Technology: Report Outlines Broadband Fixes for State, Local Governments

March 8th, 2022

by Jed Pressgrove

Report Outlines Broadband Fixes for State, Local Governments

A new report from the NewDEAL Forum shows different ways that states and local areas can address the digital divide. The report examines approaches from Texas, California, Colorado, and several other states.

 

How should states and local areas use federal dollars to connect the digital have-nots? A recent report aims to help governments that are looking for different options to address Internet access gaps in their communities.

In addition to broadband access, the report, produced by the NewDEAL Forum’s Broadband Task Force, examines a number of Internet-related subjects like coverage mapping, affordability, telehealth and digital skills.

The overall goal is to give states and local areas a plethora of ideas that they might draw from as they develop new programs funded by recent federal legislation. The report shares the experience of state and local policymakers as well as knowledge from the private sector.

Loranne Ausley, a Florida senator and co-chair of the aforementioned task force, said the report should be seen as a boon by broadband stakeholders, as closing the digital divide can involve many different potential factors depending on local contexts.

“As one of those policymakers trying to deliver on this issue over the last couple of years, I would have loved to have something like this at my fingertips,” she said. “I spent a lot of time going down rabbit holes … there was nothing like this at the time when I started on this path.”

Local areas, particularly when they’re rural, don’t always have the resources to identify a path forward when it comes to connectivity and digital inclusion. The report showcases the importance of having a state office that can support smaller community efforts with technical assistance, and underlines how critical it is to understand the different technologies that can help get households connected.