Pic of the Week

Three Words. 70 Cases. The Tragic History of ‘I Can’t Breathe.’

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 6/22/2020

DMO Update

• Want to organize in Virginia? Join the DMO VA state chapter call this Friday at 11am. Email Christine.Senteno@NationalDMO.org.

• Stay on the lookout for more Municipal Monday content!

• Time to build the movement for water security. Publish this sample op-ed in your local paper.

Quick Links

• Innovations Conference: Shrink the System – A virtual conference on policing and justice.

• Power to Rework Criticized Police Contracts Lies With Elected Leaders

• Participatory Budgeting Comes to Atlanta

Ideas for Cities

• In Austin, ConnectATX Makes COVID-19 Resources Easy to Find

• A More Modern Approach to City-Owned Art

• Reimagining policing: Community leaders, activists, law enforcement, and others offer 14 ways to confront racist policing.

Advisory Board Updates

• Include an Equity Plan in your Project Labor Agreements

• National Safety Month

• Comcast Extends Free Public WiFi Access to Everyone For the Remainder of 2020

News for Democrats 

• House Democrats Lay Out $1.5 Trillion Infrastructure Plan

• Left eyes huge night in NY, Kentucky primaries

• Trump Campaign Pushing for Four Debates With Biden

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 6/15/2020

DMO Update

• We have upcoming state chapter calls for Maryland (1pm Wednesday) and Michigan (4pm Thursday). To join, or learn more about starting your own state chapter, email Christine.Senteno@NationalDMO.org.

• Couldn’t attend the first Municipal Mondays with Rep. Maxine Waters and Mayor Van Johnson? Stay on the lookout this summer for more Monday webinars featuring top Democrats, policy experts, and DMOs.

• Want to build the movement for water security? DMO now has a sample op-ed for you to publish in your local paper.

Quick Links

• Mapping Police Violence

• Minneapolis City Council resolves to replace police with community-led model

• So You Want to Learn About Juneteenth?

Ideas for Cities

• How Portland Got PPE to Its Most Vulnerable

• Unarmed professionals will now respond to non-criminal police calls in San Francisco to reduce ‘police confrontations’

• President Obama’s Task Force Recommendations on 21st Century Policing

News for Democrats 

• Democrats roll out new tool to combat voter purges

• Chaos In Primary Elections Raises Fears For November – Between COVID and intentional suppression efforts, Democrats need to be working now to protect the vote in November.

• Supreme Court says gay, transgender workers protected by federal law forbidding discrimination

DMO Political Council Advice

Mark Schaur of Winning Connections

Telephone Town Halls: Safely Interacting with Constituents and Voters at Scale

As our country continues to adjust to life under Covid-19—coupled with nationwide protests over the police killing of George Floyd and racism in America— telephone town halls are an ideal tool to help elected leaders and candidates at all levels safely and conveniently communicate with constituents and voters at scale. Telephone town halls, essentially, are your own “radio call-in show,” controlled and moderated by you and your team. In the era of video conferencing, we’ve added a video livestream option to our traditional town halls, which place out-bound calls to a landline universe.

With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, Winning Connections-hosted telephone town halls are helping Democratic leaders engage in interactive conversations with constituents and voters at a time when in-person meetings are limited, if not impossible. The public is filled with uncertainty, and there is no better way to address their concerns and keep people informed than through live, interactive town halls.

During this period of social distancing and public wariness about “returning to normal,” we have seen an enormous surge in telephone town hall participation rates. And like the New York Times reported in April with the story “Surprising Poll Results: People Are Now Happy to Pick Up the Phone,” this isn’t a fluke. We are having longer conversations with more engaged voters who desire real conversations about the issues.

Winning Connections has facilitated telephone town halls this year for governors, mayors, U.S. senators, interest groups, and candidates.  At this year’s Campaigns & Elections Reed Awards, Winning Connections took home the award for “Best Telephone Town Hall” for a town hall we ran for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan which featured Governor Gretchen Whitmer. If you’d like to learn more, contact me at ms@winningconnections.com or (269) 209-3940.

Mark Schauer is a former Battle Creek (MI) City Commissioner, MI state Representative and Senate Minority Leader, Member of Congress (MI-07), and 2014 Democratic nominee for Governor.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 6/8/2020

DMO Update

• We have upcoming state chapter calls for Ohio, Maryland, and Florida. To join, or learn more about starting your own state chapter, email Christine.Senteno@NationalDMO.org.

• The right to running water in DMO’s Water Security Campaign has been added to the HEROES Act, but only for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. Call your representatives to demand permanent federal funding for water security.

• Want to build the movement for water security? DMO now has a sample op-ed for you to publish in your local paper.

Quick Links

• Minneapolis City Council members say they plan to vote to disband city’s police department

• America’s Cities Were Designed to Oppress – From highways to hostile architecture, who was your city built for?

• Did Curfews Work? Cities Begin to Roll Back Restrictions

Ideas for Cities

• Thinking about a civilian police oversight board? Look to Seattle for their model.

• A Practical Guide to Defunding the Police – What do protestors mean when they say “defund the police”?

• Immediate Actions on Policing

News for Democrats 

• A call for mayors, city councils, and police oversight bodies to address police use of force policies – Take President Obama’s pledge.

• Congressional Democrats unveil sweeping police reform bill that would ban chokeholds, no-knock warrants in drug cases

• Governors Push Back On Trump’s Threat To Deploy Federal Troops To Quell Unrest

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 6/1/2020

DMO Update

• Join Mayors Against Illegal Guns and the Giffords group for a discussion on gun violence prevention during the DMO Policy Council call, Wednesday at 3pm ET / 12pm PT. Email Nils.Robbins@NationalDMO.org for dial in details.

• The right to running water in DMO’s Water Security Campaign has been added to the HEROES Act, but only for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. Call your representatives to demand permanent federal funding for water security.

• We have a presumptive nominee, but primary season isn’t over yet. Help DMO Get Out The Vote on June 2nd and build momentum for November 3rd.

Quick Links

• Poor Neighborhoods Are Only Getting Poorer

• Homeserve – Addressing New Challenges from COVID-19

• Being in Jail Has Become a ‘Death Sentence,’ Advocates Say. Detainees Are Suing to be Released.

Ideas for Cities

• The answer to police violence is not ‘reform’. It’s defunding. Here’s why

• Can science offer police a better way to handle protests? – When police show up to facilitate a safe protest, it protects police and demonstraters alike.

• 15 Things Your City Can Do Right Now to End Police Brutality

News for Democrats 

• Trump threatens to deploy military against protesters in U.S. cities

• How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change – By former President Barack Obama

• As rage over killings of black Americans sweeps nation, DOJ has all but abandoned broad police investigations

Pic of the Week

Trump had police attack peaceful protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets after calling on city officials to imitate his brutality.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 5/25/2020

DMO Update

• Keep water flowing to every home – Join the DMO Campaign for Water Security

• The right to running water has been added to the HEROES Act, but only for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. Call your representatives to demand permanent federal funding for water security.

• We have a presumptive nominee, but primary season isn’t over yet. Help DMO Get Out The Vote on June 2nd and build momentum for November 3rd.

Quick Links

• Nearly Half of U.S. Households Lost Some Income During Pandemic

• Many Jobs Aren’t Coming Back Post-COVID-19, Study Says

• COVID-19 is decimating the local government, education workforce

Ideas for Cities

• Amid COVID-19, SNAP Rolls Out Online Ordering

• Join OpenGov on June 16th for a webinar on Maintaining Operations, Balancing Budgets, and Communicating Effectively in a Crisis

• LIVE@LIFT with Andre Iguodala: How to Motivate Your Remote Workforce

News for Democrats 

• Shocking new economic data confirms it: The swing states are getting hammered

• How the Biden Campaign Aims to Win Battleground States

• U.S. Could Have Saved 36,000 Lives If Social Distancing Started 1 Week Earlier – Keep that number in mind when pressured to reopen your city before it’s safe.

Pic of the Week

As deaths from coronavirus reach 100,000, cities must stand firm in enforcing social distancing policy.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 5/18/2020

DMO Update

• Keep water flowing to every home – Join the DMO Campaign for Water Security

• The right to running water has been added to the HEROES Act, but only for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. Add your name to the campaign above and make that security permanent.

• We have a presumptive nominee, but primary season isn’t over yet. Help DMO Get Out The Vote on June 2nd and build momentum for November 3rd.

Quick Links

• Southern governors shouldn’t try to preempt local attempts to stop virus spread

• You are not alone. See how other cities are faring during the COVID-19 crisis

• U.S. Cities Seen Losing $360 Billion of Revenue From Economic Rout

Advisory Board Spotlights

• The Essential Home: Solutions for Local Governments

• Urge Congress to Establish a COVID-19 Recovery Fund

• Xfinity Communities Provides Complimentary Video and High-Performance Internet to Colorado Apartments Housing Healthcare Workers

Ideas for Cities

• It’s Time for A Robot Tax

• How State and Local Governments Can Support Safe Workplaces and Protect Public Health During the Coronavirus Crisis

• Cities Turn to Virtual Tools to Stay Connected With Their Citizens

News for Democrats 

• Pete Buttigieg’s Next Move: A PAC Called Win the Era

• Information on the HEROES COVID recovery act

• Sign up for DemList. As the Convention draws near, stay connected to the latest Democratic Party news and upcoming events.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 5/11/2020

DMO Update

• Keep water flowing to every home – Join the DMO Campaign for Water Security

• Organize your state before November. Attend the DMO Council of State Chapters call, this Friday at 4pm ET / 1pm PT. Email Christine.Senteno@NationalDMO.org for details.

• DMO is standing with essential city workers. We have signed on to this SEIU letter calling on additional resources for the people keeping our cities running during COVID-19. You can still add your name today by emailing abe.silk@seiu.org.

Quick Links

• This year’s Wear Orange Day is virtual

• Cities Are Essential. We’re Fighting to Prove It.

• Washington, DC, Passes Tenant Protection Package

Ideas for Cities

• How Newark Retooled Its Ambitious Arts Grant Program to Respond to COVID-19

• Need More Outdoor Public Space? Maybe Cities Already Have It.

• Ending ‘Acceptable Losses’ in Disasters: How Emergency Management Can Help Build More Equitable Communities

News for Democrats 

• Biden adds states director, deputy in hiring spurt

• Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order to Protect Public Health by Mailing Every Registered Voter a Ballot Ahead of the November General Election

• Democrats Will Take Their First Step Toward a Virtual Convention

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 5/4/2020

DMO Update

• Keep water flowing to every home – Join the DMO Campaign for Water Security

• Join Political Council Member Josh Nanberg for two webinars this week. The first with DMO Board Member Wendy Davis for a conversation on telephone town halls during COVID (Tuesday 4pm ET), and the second with Political Council Member Beth Becker for her insights on social media management (Thursday 5pm ET).

• Are the other Democrats on your council members of DMO? Make sure your peers sign up at NationalDMO.org/join to get connected to Democratic Party resources before the Convention.

Quick Links

• Across the Country, Local Officials Hope New Rules Will Help Parks Reopen Safely

• Homeserve – Leadership During Coronavirus

• Former Auburn City Councilmember Bill Peloza dies – Read the writeup of Bill’s time on Council from late last year

Ideas for Cities

• Mayors on the Front Lines of Two Public Health Crises: Addressing Gun Violence Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic

• Adapting City Processes and Staff to Telework

• ICSC Guidance on Reopening – Take these steps to keep local businesses safe

News for Democrats 

• What Reopening Georgia Might Really Be About – States likely do not have to pay unemployment for poeple who refuse to return to unsafe workplaces

• The DCCC Virtual Action Center – Call on your constituents to preserve our Congressional majority

• We Should Never Have to Vote in Person Again

DMO Political Council Advice

Zach Mandelblatt of Compete Everywhere

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 4/27/2020

DMO Update

• Keep water flowing to every home – Join the DMO Campaign for Water Security

• Join DMO Illinois at 10am this Thursday for our monthly State Chapter call. (Now in Zoom Meeting). Email Christine.Senteno@NationalDMO.org for details.

• Are the other Democrats on your council members of DMO? Make sure your peers sign up at NationalDMO.org/join to get connected to Democratic Party resources before the Convention.

Quick Links

• US stores and supermarkets might see shortages for the next year and a half, supply chain experts say – Prevent panic by letting constituents know to expect minor, but temporary shortages of certain items.

• We Can’t Wait Until Coronavirus Is Over to Address Racial Disparities

• What Happens When Eviction Moratoriums Are Over? – New York City helps prevent evictions by providing direct assistance to landlords whose tenants can’t make rent.

Ideas for Cities

• Minnesota Library Launches COVID-19 Hotline to Answer Resident Questions

• Draft Resolution Requesting Rental Assistance from Congress in the Next COVID-19 Bill

• Conspiracy Theories Abound About the Coronavirus. How Officials Can Deal with Them

News for Democrats 

• 8 In 10 Americans Support COVID-19 Shutdown, Kaiser Health Poll Finds

• AFT, NEA, SEIU, and AFSCME send letter to Congress on worker priorities

• Trump’s new campaign app gamifies voter outreach – Democrats can’t afford to take it easy against Trump.

DMO Political Council Advice

Russ Swindell of Public Policy Polling