Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 8/15/2022

DMO Update

• DMO Statement on the Inflation Reduction Act

• Skilled Union Labor Rules Assure Quality Construction – Read the Op Ed from DMO Board Member and Glendale, WI Mayor Bryan Kennedy

• Get your council involved with DMO – NationalDMO.org/join

Quick Links

• Minimum Wage Workers Cannot Afford a 2-bedroom Rental Home Anywhere

• Salt Lake City Confronts a Future Without a Lake

• Gainesville, Florida, Moves to End Single-Family Zoning

Ideas for Cities

• New law requires large warning labels at Albany County gun sellers

• 10 Ways to Make Your Local Match for Federal Projects

• Extreme Weather Is Only Getting Worse. Can Cities Protect Public Transit?

Messaging –Taxes and the Inflation Reduction Act

• Not one middle class person filling out their taxes will find that they are facing higher taxes or higher tax rates because of the corporate minimum tax. It’s that simple.

• The only people who have proposed raising taxes on Americans earning under $400,000 are Senate Republicans with an agenda put forward by Senator Rick Scott.

• The analysis has been clear: the corporate minimum tax will only raise taxes on 150 corporations earning more than $1 billion in profits who pay less than 15% in taxes.

• Steve Rosenthal, Tax Policy Center: “If you’re not a tax cheat, hedge fund manager or a corporation making over $1 billion, you’re not affected.”

News for Democrats

• How they won: Kansas organizers unpack their big win for abortion rights

• Armed man who was at Capitol on Jan. 6 is fatally shot after firing into an FBI field office in Cincinnati

• Harvard Affirmative Action, Gay Rights Cases Are Next Up at Supreme Court

Pic of the Week

The new signage set to be displayed in front of all Albany County gun stores.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 8/8/2022

DMO Update

• DMO Statement on the Inflation Reduction Act

• Skilled Union Labor Rules Assure Quality Construction – Read the Op Ed from DMO Board Member and Glendale, WI Mayor Bryan Kennedy

• Get your council involved with DMO – NationalDMO.org/join

Quick Links

• Introducing the CitiesSpeak podcast, with NLC President Clarence Anthony

• White House Releases Fact Sheets Highlighting President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Historic Progress Nationwide

• A Legal Showdown Over Section 8 Discrimination Is Brewing in Dallas Suburb

Ideas for Cities

• How Local Governments Are Handling a Threat They Can’t See

• Civic Engagement in One City Takes Off With a Digital Survey and Respect for Feedback

• I Got a Crash Course in Rodent Control at D.C.’s Rat Academy

In Depth – What Works to Reduce Violent Crime

• Longer prison sentences do not deter crime. If someone doesn’t believe they will get caught, there is no difference between a short and long sentence in their calculation of risk.

• Increasing the probability of being caught does deter crime. Police visibility directly impacts a likely offender’s perception that they will get caught.

• Leniency for first-time, non-violent offenders also reduces recidivism by ~50%. Entering first-time offenders into the prison system introduces them to a network of criminals, while limiting their ability to earn a living upon release.

• Similarly, housing, food stamps, and other social aid programs provide legitimate resources that give adults a stake in the system, and reduce the likelihood of criminal offenses.

• Increasing access to mental health resources reduces violent crime.

• Summer Youth Employment Programs also reduce violent crime. Not only do summer jobs provide a legitimate means of earning a living, they introduce teens to positive adult mentors in the workforce.

News for Democrats

• Republican Election Deniers Rack Up State Level Primary Wins

• FACT SHEET: President Biden Issues Executive Order at the First Meeting of the Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access

• New data sheds light on one method to combat election lies

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 8/1/2022

DMO Update

• Have you made your annual contribution to DMO?

• SCOTUS Overturns Roe – DMOs Respond

• Get your council involved with DMO – NationalDMO.org/join

Quick Links

• Bedrock, USA: New Podcast Explores Rise of Extremism in Local Politics

• National Democratic Training Committee – 30 Day Candidate Bootcamp

• Kansas City’s Zero Fare Transit Program Shows Major Success – And What Still Needs to Be Done

Ideas for Cities

• Better Tobacco Control Policy Starts Locally

• How Cities Are Investing ARPA Funds to Strengthen Municipal Workforces

• The Three Cs of Effective Public Engagement

News for Democrats

• Election deniers are running to control voting. Here’s how they’ve fared so far

• Inflation Reduction Act One Page Summary

• DCCC Announces Seven-Figure Advertising Investment to Court and Engage AAPI Voters

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 7/25/2022

DMO Update

• Have you made your annual contribution to DMO?

• SCOTUS Overturns Roe – DMOs Respond

• Get your council involved with DMO – NationalDMO.org/join

Quick Links

• Why Local Officials Are Facing Growing Harassment and Threats

• Campaigns may have lost their most effective — and annoying — outreach tool

• States and Localities Plan for Billions in ARPA Workforce Spending

Ideas for Cities

• City of Boise won’t prioritize or use resources to investigate abortions

• Councilman wants feds to review sales at gun shop in wake of officer’s death – Led by DMO President Emeritus Scott Benson

• One Thing You Can Do – Red Flag laws are widespread, and available for the public to use to stop gun violence.

News for Democrats

• FACT SHEET: President Biden’s Executive Actions on Climate to Address Extreme Heat and Boost Offshore Wind

• Trump didn’t act and didn’t want to, plus 4 other takeaways from the Jan. 6 hearings

• FACT SHEET: President Biden’s Safer America Plan

Pic of the Week

DMO President Derek Green (At-large Council Member, Philadelphia, PA), Board Member Junie Joseph (Mayor Pro Tem, Boulder, CO), and Board Member Jeffrey Slavin (Mayor, Somerset, MD) at last week’s NBC-LEO Summer Conference for the National League of Cities.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 7/18/2022

Dial 988 – New national phone line will connect people experiencing a mental health crisis with local professionals.

DMO Update

• Have you made your annual contribution to DMO?

• SCOTUS Overturns Roe – DMOs Respond

• Get your council involved with DMO – NationalDMO.org/join

Quick Links

• The Water Wars Come to the Suburbs – Lake Mead may soon stop providing water to the Colorado River, and all the cities downstream that depend on it.

• After Supreme Court Ruling, Cities ‘Left Holding the Bag’ on Climate Change

• Get Ready to Apply for the Bridge Investment Program

Ideas for Cities

• The Office Tower Has a New Job to Do

• What the City of Rotterdam Can Teach Us About the Power of Green Roofs

• How States and Localities Can Plan for the Growing Economic Uncertainty

Messaging – White House Talking Points: HHS Issues Guidance to Pharmacies on Access to Reproductive Health Care

• Today, following the President’s Executive Order on ensuring access to reproductive health care, HHS took additional action to ensure women can access the reproductive health care they need.

• HHS issued guidance to 60,000 U.S. retail pharmacies making clear that as recipients of federal financial assistance – including Medicare and Medicaid payments –  pharmacies and their employees must not discriminate in fulfilling prescriptions they receive for patients – including birth control and other prescription medications for reproductive health.

• The guidance reminds pharmacies of their obligations not to discriminate when supplying medications, making determinations regarding the suitability of a prescribed medication for a patient, and advising patients about medications and how to take them.

• Today’s announcement follows a series of actions HHS has taken in response to the President’s Executive Order, including issuing guidance clarifying that no matter where a woman lives, she has the right to emergency medical care, including life-saving abortion services.

• President Biden has made clear that the only way to secure a woman’s right to choose is for Congress to restore protections of Roe as federal law. Until then, President Biden is doing everything in his power to defend reproductive rights and protect access to safe and legal abortion.

News for Democrats

• FACT SHEET: The Biden Administration’s 21 Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence

• Secret Service erased texts from two-day period spanning Jan. 6 attack, watchdog says

• Evidence grows of GOP’s potential 2022 candidate problem

Pic of the Week

The American Farmland Trust model predicting water stress throughout America in 2040.

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 7/11/2022

DMO Update

• Have you made your annual contribution to DMO?

• SCOTUS Overturns Roe – DMOs Respond

• DMO is looking to hire a Director for Labor and Member Engagement. Share the news widely!

Quick Links

• What Flooding Costs These US Cities

• Biden Administration Announces Nearly $1B in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding Improving Airport Terminals across U.S.

• Global Revenue from Car and Bike Sharing May Rise 40% by 2030

Ideas for Cities

• Extreme Risk Laws Save Lives – What are ‘Red Flag’ laws, and how can they save lives in your city?

• How the Cuyahoga River Got Its Otters Back

• Localities Look To an Untapped ‘Goldmine’ of Potential Revenue

News for Democrats

• FACT SHEET: President Biden to Sign Executive Order Protecting Access to Reproductive Health Care Services

• DNC Webinar – Defend Choice Week of Action Kickoff Event

• The first Gen Z candidates are running for Congress — and running against compromise

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 7/4/2022

DMO Update

• Have you made your annual contribution to DMO?

• SCOTUS Overturns Roe – DMOs Respond

• DMO Welcomes Dominick Perkins As Our New Political Director

Quick Links

• Supreme Court Strikes Down Clean Power Plan

• Cities Seek Alternatives to Gas Tax Holidays

• A ‘Warehouse’ by Any Other Name

Ideas for Cities

• Denver’s Civilian Crisis Response Program Reduces Crime And Saves Money

• Recommendations for Local Leaders in the wake of the Dobbs decision – Planned Parenthood Action Fund

• Increasing Capacity and Funding for Rural Communities

News for Democrats

• Biden backs filibuster changes to codify Roe v. Wade

• President Joe Biden will visit Cleveland to announce final American Rescue Plan fix for troubled multi-employer pension plans

• What Does the West Virginia vs. EPA Ruling Mean?

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 6/27/2022

DMO Update

• DMO President Derek Green Statement on Roe Leak

• SCOTUS Overturns Roe – DMOs Respond

• DMO Welcomes Dominick Perkins As Our New Political Director

Quick Links

• How Cities Will ‘Buy America’ with Federal Dollars

• When Cities Made Monuments to Traffic Deaths

• Why Job Applicants Get Frustrated With the State and Local Government Hiring Process

Ideas for Cities

• Local Officials Beef Up Abortion Sanctuary Cities

• Is It Time to Reimagine the American Schoolyard?

• How Cities Can Respond to Extreme Heat

News for Democrats

• Biden signs bipartisan gun safety package into law

• ‘Furious’ Trump knew Jan 6 protesters had weapons, fought Secret Service

• Supreme Court reinstates Louisiana House map amid racial bias claims

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 6/20/2022

DMO Update

• DMO President Derek Green Statement on Roe Leak

• Congratulations to DMO Board Member Anita Bonds on her resounding victory last night in the DC At-Large Councilmember primary.

• DMO Welcomes Dominick Perkins As Our New Political Director

Quick Links

• White House Hopes New Funding Will Deter Clearing Homeless Encampments

• The State Laws That Are Most Effective at Stopping Mass Shootings

• Philadelphia’s Mayor Opens Up About His Proudest Moments in Office – and His Biggest Mistakes

Ideas for Cities

• Chicago Offers a Blueprint for Expanding Urban Internet Access

• When Preserving Affordable Housing Is Cheaper Than Building It

• In a City Scarred by Violence, a New Approach to Public Safety

News for Democrats

• Anti-Abortion Movement Reveals Its Post-Roe Plans, and They’re Horrific

• Free school lunches for all set to end, creating ‘perfect storm’ amid high inflation – Republicans are taking food out of the mouths of millions of children by blocking the free school lunch program.

• Organizing and adding members are top goals for the newly elected AFL-CIO president

Democratic Municipal Officials Digest
Week of 6/13/2022

DMO Update

• DMO President Derek Green Statement on Roe Leak

• Add your name – Update the Office of Management and Budget labor standards guidance.

• DMO Welcomes Dominick Perkins As Our New Political Director

Quick Links

• Boulder City Council passed package of gun laws, including an assault weapons ban

• Rural Communities Need Federal Child Care Investments

• Denver’s Program to Dispatch Mental Health Teams Instead of Police is So Successful it is Expanding 5-Fold – These programs not only save money, they also free up police to focus on crime.

Ideas for Cities

• To Get to Net Zero, This City Is Making a Map

• For Mental Crises, Send a Pro Not the Police

• How a Simple Rental Registry in Chicago Could Limit Widespread Housing Scams

News for Democrats

• 31 tied to hate group charged with planning riot near LGBTQ event in Idaho – Patriot Front is a splinter group of the same white supremacist militia behind the attack on Charlottesville.

• ‘Multiple’ GOP Lawmakers Sought Pardons for Trying to Overturn Biden Win: Jan. 6 Committee

• Jan. 6 Committee Details Proud Boys, Oath Keepers Involvement in Capitol Insurrection