FutureNowUSA

Why Let Special Interests Have All the Fun? State capitals should be laboratories for democracy (not places where bad policies make people's lives worse). What's happening (or not) in DC may dictate the national news—but real policy action is happening in the states. A thread.

The problem: For decades, the most consistent focus on state legislatures has come from the extreme right wing & corporate special interests. They’ve successfully used states as laboratories to enact radical policies. (We'll just leave this example here https://www.colorlines.com/articles/npr-investigation-private-prison-companies-helped-write-sb-1070 …).

The solution: 1. Give states a framework. America’s Goals is a set of bold, achievable targets, w/ decades of research & practice behind it. It is a tool to help state lawmakers across the US make choices, set priorities & work toward a shared framework. http://americasgoals.org 

2. Distill ambitious goals into actionable ideas. The Future Now Policy Library includes not just model bills but also messaging materials, examples from other states & lists of partners who can help mobilize political support—plus the site is easy to use. http://americasgoals.org