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State and Local Policy

The Center for American Progress constantly strives to find meaningful solutions and pathways to promote progressive policy advancement at the state and local level. Our work focuses on locally driven solutions as well as the vast policy and communications expertise in the organization. We hope this research and data can help facilitate thoughtful debate among state and local leaders so that we can bring about progressive change in an ever-changing political landscape.

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Fact Sheet: 5 Hidden Ways the Government Rigs the Market in Favor of Fossil Fuels Fact Sheet
The Houston skyline is seen from an oil refinery.

Fact Sheet: 5 Hidden Ways the Government Rigs the Market in Favor of Fossil Fuels

Contrary to the Trump administration’s claims, fossil fuel industries have benefited heavily from government subsidies in the form of direct tax incentives, steep discounts on public lands, reduced permitting barriers, government services, and lack of accountability for their pollution and public health impacts.

Alia Hidayat, Sophie Conroy, Gianna Sala

5 Hidden Ways the Government Rigs the Market in Favor of Fossil Fuels Report
Pumpjacks lift oil from wells at an oil field near Taft, California, on October 17, 2025.

5 Hidden Ways the Government Rigs the Market in Favor of Fossil Fuels

While renewables have received scrutiny from the Trump administration and congressional Republicans over subsidies, the administration’s narrative hides how fossil fuel industries reap the benefits of a distorted market that has made Americans pay more for polluting fossil energy for decades.

Alia Hidayat, Sophie Conroy, Gianna Sala

Gun Violence in Rural America Is the Forgotten Public Health Epidemic Report
Silhouetted student in classroom beneath American flag

Gun Violence in Rural America Is the Forgotten Public Health Epidemic

Rural American communities are facing a growing crisis involving gun homicides and suicides that has long been ignored as narratives around gun violence have disproportionately and unjustly focused on urban communities.

Chandler Hall

Toolkit: Ensuring State Implementation of HHS’ Updated Section 504 Rule Report
A sign reading

Toolkit: Ensuring State Implementation of HHS’ Updated Section 504 Rule

This toolkit provides background on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ final rule on “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.” It also provides guidance for advocates on outreach to state attorneys general and officials, reminding them of compliance dates related to the rule.

Casey Doherty, Mia Ives-Rublee

Reining in DHS and Restoring Accountability Past Event

Reining in DHS and Restoring Accountability

Join a virtual discussion with the authors of five commonsense reforms to rein in DHS.

Virginia Workers’ Biggest Win in Decades Could Come in 2026 Report
Virginia State Capitol building

Virginia Workers’ Biggest Win in Decades Could Come in 2026

Virginia lawmakers can empower hundreds of thousands of state and local government workers to unionize and bargain collectively over wages, benefits, and working conditions. Doing so will help make work pay for Virginia families; allow state and local governments to attract and retain well-qualified workers; and align with the values of everyday Americans.

Karla Walter

Community Violence Intervention: Maiya Shackelford Shares Heartfelt Story of 1 Gunshot Survivor’s Journey to Thriving Video

Community Violence Intervention: Maiya Shackelford Shares Heartfelt Story of 1 Gunshot Survivor’s Journey to Thriving

Maiya Shackelford shares how coaches at the community violence intervention program READI Chicago support program participants to rebuild and have autonomy over their lives.

Chandler Hall, Nick Wilson, Olivia Mowry, 1 More Hai-Lam Phan

How States Can Turn Polluted Lands Into Clean Energy Report
Turbines from the Roth Rock wind farm are seen in Oakland, Maryland, August 23, 2022.

How States Can Turn Polluted Lands Into Clean Energy

In the absence of federal leadership, states should encourage renewable energy development on contaminated lands—including landfills, abandoned mines, and brownfield sites—in order to reap economic benefits and meet rising electricity demand.

Dylan Nezaj, Alia Hidayat

Fact Sheet: How States Can Turn Polluted Lands Into Clean Energy Fact Sheet
Turbines from the Roth Rock wind farm along the Backbone Mountain are seen on August 23, 2022.

Fact Sheet: How States Can Turn Polluted Lands Into Clean Energy

In the absence of federal leadership, states should encourage renewable energy development on contaminated lands—including landfills, abandoned mines, and brownfield sites—in order to reap economic benefits and meet rising electricity demand.

Alia Hidayat, Dylan Nezaj

Fact Sheet: Expanding the Public Safety Workforce Fact Sheet
Social workers provide a man experiencing homelessness with resources in a local park in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Fact Sheet: Expanding the Public Safety Workforce

Cities across the country are investing in safety by incorporating specially trained professionals such as community responders and community violence intervention professionals into their local public safety workforces.

Allie Preston, Rachael Eisenberg, Kirby Gaherty

How Changes to Fourth-Grade Reading Standards and Research-Backed Approaches Can Improve Reading Achievement Report
Teacher sitting at classroom table with students

How Changes to Fourth-Grade Reading Standards and Research-Backed Approaches Can Improve Reading Achievement

Four states—Alabama, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Mississippi—have shown that adopting more rigorous literacy standards and scientific approaches to reading instruction can help reverse the decline in reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Tania Otero Martinez, Weadé James

Louisiana v. Callais: The End of the Voting Rights Act? Article
Supreme Court building beneath stormy sky

Louisiana v. Callais: The End of the Voting Rights Act?

Louisiana v. Callais puts Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in the Supreme Court’s crosshairs and could result in the elimination of the last remaining bulwark against racial discrimination in voting.

Devon Ombres

Expanding the Public Safety Workforce Report
Three people speaking, with two standing outside van and one sitting inside.

Expanding the Public Safety Workforce

Cities across the country are exploring innovative ways to incorporate new professionals, such as community responders and community violence intervention professionals, into their existing public safety workforces to improve outcomes for communities.

Allie Preston, Rachael Eisenberg, Kirby Gaherty

The Trump Administration’s Attack on Environmental Protections Will Increase Cancer-Causing Pollution Report
In the background of the view of a residential street, smokestacks at the Hugh L. Spurlock Generating Station are seen in Maysville, Kentucky.

The Trump Administration’s Attack on Environmental Protections Will Increase Cancer-Causing Pollution

The Trump administration’s plan to torpedo air pollution limits and cancer prevention programs while ripping away health care and cancer treatment and canceling clean energy investments will increase preventable cancer cases among Americans—all to enhance polluters’ profits and cut taxes for the superrich.

Cathleen Kelly, Leo Banks, Jill Rosenthal

The Trump Administration Is Quietly Gutting Minimum Wage Protections for Millions of Workers Article
A group of workers is seen walking along a brick pathway.

The Trump Administration Is Quietly Gutting Minimum Wage Protections for Millions of Workers

The administration has already cut minimum wage protections for hundreds of thousands of federal contract workers and halted plans to require companies to pay disabled workers at least $7.25 per hour; this Labor Day, it will advance plans to eliminate federal minimum wage protections for millions of child care and home care providers.

Aurelia Glass

States Can Lead the Way on an Abundant, Pro-Nature Clean Energy Future Article
Wildflowers growing on hills with wind turbines

States Can Lead the Way on an Abundant, Pro-Nature Clean Energy Future

The Trump administration has falsely framed wind and solar power as harmful to wildlife in order to justify stifling affordable, rapid-to-deploy, clean energy. Here’s how state leadership can advance clean energy and conservation goals simultaneously.

Alia Hidayat

Executive Summary: Hope After Harm Article
Police officers are seen behind a yellow line of caution tape on a street with cars parked on either side.

Executive Summary: Hope After Harm

A state-by-state analysis of victim compensation statutes reveals tremendous potential for states to better meet the needs of survivors of violence and to ultimately break cycles of harm.

Chandler Hall, Alice Hamblett

Resumen ejecutivo: Esperanza después del daño Artículo
Police officers are seen behind a yellow line of caution tape on a street with cars parked on either side.

Resumen ejecutivo: Esperanza después del daño

Un análisis estado por estado de las leyes de compensación para las víctimas revela un tremendo potencial para que los estados satisfagan mejor las necesidades de los sobrevivientes de la violencia y, en última instancia, rompan los ciclos de daño.

Chandler Hall, Alice Hamblett

State Fact Sheets: How the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans Are Increasing Costs for American Families Fact Sheet
The Capitol dome reflected in water on pavement

State Fact Sheets: How the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans Are Increasing Costs for American Families

This series of fact sheets provides insights into how the OBBBA and the administration’s policies will increase the costs of health care, food, energy, and borrowing in each state in the near future.

Amina Khalique, Kennedy Andara, Natalie Baker, 2 More Sara Partridge, Kyle Ross

Promising Models To Support and Expand the Early Childhood Educator Workforce Report
Young children sitting on bench

Promising Models To Support and Expand the Early Childhood Educator Workforce

Early childhood educators do critical work in educating the nation’s youngest learners. Recruiting, retaining, and expanding the workforce through investments in their compensation and benefits must be prioritized.

Erin Grant

4 Reasons the Senate’s AI Pause Should Be Opposed Article
A Capitol Police officer stands outside the U.S. Capitol.

4 Reasons the Senate’s AI Pause Should Be Opposed

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s AI pause would block states subject to it from enforcing laws that protect residents from AI-driven harms, including criminal offenses and health care decisions. Senators should vote to remove it from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act during reconciliation.

Nicole Alvarez, Adam Conner

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Tackling Climate Change and Environmental Injustice
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Tackling Climate Change and Environmental Injustice

We pursue climate action that meets the crisis’s urgency, creates good-quality jobs, benefits disadvantaged communities, and restores U.S. credibility on the global stage.

Restoring Social Trust in Democracy
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Restoring Social Trust in Democracy

Democracy is under attack at home and abroad. We must act to ensure it is accessible to all, accountable, and can serve as a force of good.

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