Thanks to some smart and courageous state legislators around the country, the progressive agenda actually inched forward in 2011. Yes, you read that correctly: This year, progressive state laws have been enacted that may actually have a positive economic effect for families and state economies. And their passage came despite unprecedented assaults on the middle class by opponents on the right. Although I\u2019m not one who customarily uses religious imagery or exclamations, I can say amen to that.<\/p>\n
A recent article by Progressive States Network<\/a> [PSN] lists 13 new, landmark laws that \u201cmay point the way forward for future years in other states\u2014when [conservatives] will surely find themselves out of power once again\u2026and promise to continue gaining momentum across the nation in years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n Here, briefly, are Progressive State Network\u2019s baker\u2019s dozen of refreshing, progressive bills that don\u2019t assault workers\u2019, women\u2019s or immigrants\u2019 rights, that don\u2019t balance state budgets on the backs of children and poor people, don\u2019t give unneeded tax breaks to millionaires and corporate CEOs, and do responsibly raise revenues for struggling economies. More details, including states that have similar bills pending, are on Progressive States Network web page.<\/p>\n (1) Oregon: A new law increases accountability for corporate subsidies, by requiring a state agency to publish, on the state website, detailed information about the amount, purpose and intent of tax incentives directed to corporations.<\/p>\n (2) Illinois: SB 2505 raises the state corporate and personal income tax as a responsible way to generate revenue in a state whose governor said that its \u201cfiscal house was burning.\u201d<\/p>\n (3) Oregon: The legislature agreed to set up \u201cPartnership Banks\u201d\u2014state-sponsored banks that serve as alternative depositories for state revenue, return part of their profits to the state, and keep public dollars in the community. [South Dakota\u2019s public bank <\/a>is the model for this plan.]<\/p>\n (4) Maryland: A new law, representing an effort to counter Citizens United,<\/em> requires corporations, unions or other organizations that make independent expenditures and\/or engage in electioneering to influence public policy or elections, to report their activities to their shareholders. Maryland is the first state to require this sort of transparency.<\/p>\n (5) Connecticut: In 2011, the legislature\u00a0enacted\u00a0the first statewide law guaranteeing workers the right to earn paid sick days. [The significance of this guarantee comes in its contrast to Wisconsin, where legislators enacted a law preempting municipal paid sick days ordinances and quashed the will of Milwaukee voters who overwhelmingly enacted such a law in 2008.]<\/p>\n