State Issue Events
The Center for American Progress and Center for American Progress Action Fund host many events relevant to state issues. The slideshow below highlights some of these events.
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Strengthening Unemployment Insurance to Support Economic Recovery
November 14, 2008
Unemployment Insurance is a cornerstone of economic security and the first line of defense when jobs disappear, preventing families from falling into poverty, and infusing spending into the local economies hardest hit by unemployment. This safety net has never been more important than right now as Congress debates new measures to stimulate the economy: we have lost more than a million jobs since January, and the unemployment rate is likely heading to levels not seen since the serious recession of the early 1980s. But UI is falling behind its potential. Of special significance: many unemployed workers, especially lower income workers, never qualify for benefits; and limited extended benefits don't protect people from longer spells of unemployment in a difficult job market.
With economic recovery strategies at the top of the agenda for Congress and both the outgoing and incoming administrations, labor commissioners from Maine and New York and policy experts will discuss measures to strengthen the Unemployment Insurance program to help prevent a deep and prolonged recession and increased poverty.
Governor O'Malley Speaks on Fiscal Responsibility
July 31, 2008
The legacy of conservative governance combined with a faltering economy has left our country and many of our states facing a fundamental budget challenge: how to restore fiscal responsibility while making needed investments in infrastructure, energy, health care, education, housing, and elsewhere.
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has been a leader in demonstrating progressive fiscal responsibility and will discuss his efforts to close an inherited $1.7 billion structural deficit, while making critical investments to protect and invest in Maryland's priorities.
Governor O'Malley states, "In Maryland, we have tried to practice a different kind of politics–the 'politics of posterity'–to make decisions–sometimes very hard decisions–based on our shared values, and our desire to choose a better future for ourselves, our children, and our posterity." Please join the Center for American Progress Action Fund as we host Governor O'Malley for this stimulating discussion on fiscal responsibility.
Protecting the Nest Egg in a Turbulent Economy
July 11, 2008
The United States is seeing an increase in its aging population as the Baby Boomers reach retirement age. Whether or not families retire in dignity instead of working in their golden years will largely depend on the leadership the next president will show on private retirement savings.
Please join the Center for American Progress for a discussion on retirement income challenges and specific policy solutions. Tom Mackell Jr., author of When the Good Pensions Go Away, will present the results of his research. After his description of the challenges that policymakers will face in the coming years, a panel of experts will discuss a range of policy options from building savings outside of retirement wealth to vastly improving retirement savings plans and strengthening traditional defined benefit plans.
REBORN: New Orleans Schools: A Reel Progress Screening
June 26, 2008
"REBORN" chronicles the first official year of public school in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The centerpiece is the charter school movement's effort to radically transform education for the city's mostly African-American public school children, many of whom would still be attending some of the worst-performing schools in the nation. In post-Katrina New Orleans, principals and teachers are now readjusting to a wholly new educational model; likewise, families and communities are responding to the new responsibilities that come with finding their voices in the ways their children are educated.
The Media, The Economy and Workers: The Election Anomaly
June 20, 2008
The media has begun focusing of late on the appeal of various candidates to white, working-class voters. But how deep does this newfound interest in these workers go? A unique new quantitative study by the Center for American Progress finds that the media ignores ordinary workers and instead covers economic issues from the perspective of business. "Journalists Give Workers the Business" raises serious questions about whether the media is fairly covering economic issues, living up to its own standards, and properly serving democracy.
Ensuring Equal Opportunity in Public Education: How Local School District Funding Practices Hurt Disadvantaged Students and What Federal Policy Can Do About It
June 10, 2008
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was intended to provide additional spending for states and school districts to meet the needs of low-income children. But the intent hasn’t always been met. A comparability provision—intended to ensure that federal funds are added to an already-level playing field of state and local funding for schools—has been ineffective and enforced inconsistently. Join us for a conference that will explore these issues and focus on ways to improve comparability requirements to ensure equitable spending practices within school districts. We will also consider how these changes can be enforced and implemented, and what technical assistance is needed to spur fairer spending practices that result in improvements in instruction for students in high-poverty schools.
New Strategies for Working Adults
December 7, 2007
In his new paper, "Lifelong Learning: New Strategies for the Education of Working Adults," Bosworth proposes innovative changes to federal and state adult education systems to help America better prepare working adults for the 21st Century economy. The panel and participants will discuss: new adult education tax incentives for individuals and firms; a unique workplace approach to literacy; and a revolution in the use of technology for adult basic education.
Local Immigration Ordinances: The Result of Federal Inaction on Comprehensive Reform
August 8, 2007
In light of Congress' failure to deliver immigration reform, cities and counties across the country are passing ordinances to fill the void of a coherent national immigration policy. On Wednesday, August 8th at 10:30 a.m., the Center for American Progress will host a panel discussion with elected officials and litigators at the center of this debate to discuss their views on local immigration ordinances, the impact they are having on communities of color, and the implications local ordinances present for the national immigration debate.