For Immediate Release:

June 29, 2023

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

NewDEAL Forum Announces New Leaders of Climate Policy Initiative

State and local policymakers will recommend practical ways to maximize the impact of historic federal investments in climate change.

Washington, D.C. – Today, the NewDEAL Forum announced California Sen. Ben Allen, New Hampshire Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, and Newport News, Virginia, Mayor Phillip Jones as the new co-chairs of the organization’s Climate Change Policy Group.

The next phase of the group’s work will focus specifically on how states and localities can maximize the clean energy benefits of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and other funding streams created during the Biden Administration. The group will pay special attention to IRA, the largest single investment in green energy and climate change in our country’s history, and how state and local leaders can both help ensure those funds are used wisely and enact policies to complement them.

These efforts will build on the group’s past Climate Solutions report, which offered dozens of policy recommendations for state and local leaders to grow a clean energy economy and protect their communities. The new co-chairs take over for the group’s first leaders, former Wisconsin Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes and Norfolk, VA Councilmember Andria McClellan.

Over the coming year, the working group will host virtual policy briefings with issue-area experts, as well as hold in-person meetings at major events of the Forum’s sister organization, the NewDEAL — a network for forward-thinking, results-oriented state and local elected officials from across the country. In addition, the Policy Group plans to issue several briefs to help state and local elected officials make smart, innovative, and workable investments to address climate change.

“The climate crisis is the defining policy issue of a generation,” said NewDEAL Forum CEO Debbie Cox Bultan. “Despite the seriousness of the situation, I feel hopeful because I know state and local elected officials like Sen. Allen, Sen. Perkins Kwoka, and Mayor Jones are summoning the technology, innovation, and urgency needed to meet this moment. The world needs leaders who are committed to utilizing every resource to bring about long-lasting change. I want to thank our past co-chairs, Mandela Barnes and Andria McClellan, for their incredible leadership in their communities and nationally, and I can’t think of three more dedicated officials to lead our climate policy efforts going forward.”

Sen. Allen has represented California’s 24th district since 2014 and chairs the Senate Environmental Quality Committee that oversees the state’s climate policy, among many other topics. In 2022, he spearheaded SB54 to dramatically reduce the waste generated by single-use disposable packaging and food serviceware by 2032 through source reduction, recycling, and composting.

“Addressing the climate crisis will take all of us working together at local, state, and federal levels,” said Sen. Allen. “As much as I want to share policies that have worked in California with colleagues from across the nation, I also want to learn about innovations that are making an impact elsewhere. If we all work together, we can leave a cleaner, healthier planet for future generations.”

Sen. Perkins Kwoka has represented New Hampshire’s 21st District since 2020, after previously serving for four years on the Portsmouth City Council. Her work in the state Senate has included a push to invest in offshore wind energy, as well as continuing her focus on affordable and workforce housing. In addition to her legislative work, Perkins Kwoka is Senior Vice President and General Counsel at ReWild Renewables, a solar company.

“Working towards renewables is a win-win for our local economies,” said Sen. Perkins Kwoka. “Giving our small businesses options for the purchase of electricity will drive prices down, and the IRA supports investments in communities across America to provide these options. As both a legislator and environmental attorney, I’m honored to help lead this working group to focus on practical, industry-minded solutions. I know how dire the situation is, yet I also know that we have the means and will – and ideas! – to bring about positive change. There’s no time to waste.”

At 33 years old, Phillip Jones is the youngest directly-elected mayor in Newport News history. As a veteran and now as an elected official, he is committed to an innovative, pro-growth vision for the city’s future, including through many initiatives to expand opportunity by encouraging small business growth, improving access to quality education, and ensuring affordable, accessible housing, while recognizing that the ability to address those issues relies on stopping damage from climate change.

“The Inflation Reduction Act is a once-in-a-generation investment in addressing the climate crisis,” said Mayor Jones. “Residents of Newport News and the Hampton Roads region have experienced the effects of increased severe weather events over the past several years. We cannot afford to waste a moment or a dollar as we implement policies here and around the nation. I’m excited to work with my colleagues to ensure that we are all doing everything we can to seize this opportunity.”

About NewDEAL Forum 

The NewDEAL Forum is a Washington-DC based 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 throughout the country.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                               

May 24, 2023 

Contact: Jonathon Dworkin, 202-660-1340 x5

 

New Reports Show American Rescue Plan’s Ongoing Impact on Economic Opportunity Nationwide 

Three reports highlight more than 40 examples of NewDEAL Leader investments in childcare access, housing affordability, and economic opportunity

Washington D.C. – Today, the NewDEAL issued three reports underscoring the impact of investments from the American Rescue Plan Act’s state and local recovery funds on some of the country’s most pressing issues. Featuring policymakers representing 29 states and more than 40 communities, the documents detail the collective effort by members of the organization’s network of the most forward-thinking, innovative state and local leaders in the country to address housing, child care, and economic growth. (See links to the full reports and highlights below.)  

The reports highlight the transformative power of ARPA funding to stabilize and revitalize communities across the nation post-Covid, and a unique opportunity to deal with challenges that have long seemed intractable. President Biden’s first major legislative accomplishment, ARPA provided $350 billion in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, giving state and local policy makers both flexibility and longevity to make long-term investments. Thanks to the efforts of NewDEAL Leaders, over 10,000 housing units are in various stages of completion, thousands of families have gained access to affordable childcare, over 2,000 workers have been supported with wage increases and bonuses, and many more can now plan for a brighter future.

Read the ARPA Housing Report here.

Read the ARPA Childcare Report here.

Read the ARPA Economic Report here.

“Now more than two years since President Biden signed ARPA into law, NewDEAL leaders have led the way in making meaningful investments to tackle the most pressing issue facing their communities,” said NewDEAL Leader CEO Debbie Cox Bultan. “They have demonstrated the power of supporting state and local leaders, and it’s clear that investing in states and localities is an important part of responding to an economic crisis.  With flexibility to use the funds over multiple years, we are just now beginning to see the meaningful and long-term impact that state and local leaders will have in advancing solutions on seemingly intractable issues facing Americans.”

Among the innovative solutions showcased in the report are direct efforts to help vulnerable youth, crisis response teams, investments in childcare facilities, professional development for early childhood educators, small business grants, job training programs, and infrastructure improvements. Notable highlights include:

Housing –

• Denver, CO: State Senator Chris Hansen sponsored a bill that invests $50 million in ARPA funding into developing and operating a navigation campus assisting residents experiencing homelessness in the Denver-metropolitan region.
• Boise, ID: Mayor Lauren McLean used $6.5 million in ARPA funding to support over 3,200 households earning 80% of the average income or less.
• Kansas City, MO: Mayor Quinton Lewis has overseen the use of $15 million in ARPA funding, supporting over 450 affordable homes across 14 projects.
• Austin, TX: Former Mayor Steve Adler used $107 million in ARPA funding, creating housing for 3,000 individuals and stabilizing housing for 2,300 more households.

Childcare –

• Phoenix, AZ: Mayor Kate Gallego used $4 million in ARPA funds to create an on-site childcare center at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and provided employee vouchers to cover childcare costs.
• Boston, MA: Mayor Michelle Wu used $7 million in ARPA funds to enhance the post-pandemic early childhood sector through internships, scholarships, 800 educator certificates/degrees, and wraparound support services.
• Columbus, OH: Council President Shannon Hardin used $3.5 million in ARPA funding to award 63 affordability scholarships to low-income families and provided 169 one-time $1,000 signing bonuses for new child care workers.
• Richmond, VA: Mayor Levar Stoney used $78 million in ARPA funding for high-quality child care programs, opened a new childcare facility, and allocated funds for new centers, increasing access for over 200 families.

Economic Development –

• La Mesa, CA: Councilmember Colin Parent is using $800,000 in ARPA funds to fund small business recovery, startups, and Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program (LEAP), offering grants for training and exterior property improvements.
• Stamford, CT: Mayor Caroline Simmons used $1.5 million in ARPA funds to launch a small business grant program, helping around 200 small businesses with grants of up to $7,500 for critical expenses.
• Oakland County, MI: County Executive Dave Coulter used $9.6 million in ARPA funds to invest in the Oakland80 program, aiming to help 80% of county residents obtain a post-high school degree or credential by 2030.
• Salt Lake City, UT: Mayor Erin Mendenhall is using $10 million in ARP funds to create neighborhood centers providing job training and assistance services.

These features are the latest in NewDEAL’s ongoing effort to uplift and share success stories and share best practices from the organization’s members work to deploy ARPA funds. Visit the NewDEAL’s ARPA in Action site to read more and learn about the latest policy efforts from NewDEAL Leaders.

About the 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. NewDEAL alumni have included Pete Buttigieg, Stacey Abrams, Jason Kander, Alex Padilla, Ben McAdams, and more.

 

###