CNL AUGUST NEWSLETTER

In a departure from our usual newsletter format, we are excited to share this brief introductory message from Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Governor Polis has long been a friend of the Center for New Liberalism, and his work to fight for housing abundance in Colorado has been an inspiration to New Liberals across the country:

In Colorado, we are laser focused on building an affordable, sustainable, livable Colorado now and for the future. This means tackling the cost of housing – something 95% of Coloradans of all party affiliations, across all parts of the state, agree is too high – and in turn, unlocking opportunity, stability, and prosperity for Coloradans for generations to come.

We are coming off of a historic legislative session where we delivered on the promise of more housing now by cutting red tape and breaking down artificial barriers that prevent or delay housing from being built, thanks to the support of Denver New Liberals.

From giving homeowners the freedom to build an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on their property and eliminating unnecessary parking requirements above and beyond what is needed, to expanding housing near transit and job centers, to legalizing several unrelated roommates living together, we are creating more housing supply that is inherently affordable and filling critical gaps in our communities.

These steps are key pieces of the puzzle to alleviate the artificial barriers that have historically restricted housing supply and thrown supply and demand out of whack, in turn driving up housing prices and slowing down the process for new housing to be built.

We are grateful that demand for housing in Colorado is high, including demand for inherently affordable housing options like ADUs that use space that is already built and utilities that already exist, allowing seniors to age in place or young family members to have a place to live when they start their careers. What we don’t want are unnecessarily constraints and delays that prevent supply from meeting demand and fulfilling the needs of the market.

By cutting red tape, easing zoning requirements, and breaking down artificial barriers that historically existed to these types of housing, we can finally start to make progress for supply to meet demand and for more housing to be built more quickly.

We know that our bold goals - on housing, air, water, climate, and transit – all go hand in hand, and by expanding access to housing that Coloradans at every budget can afford especially close to job centers, we are creating a ripple effect that moves us forward in all of these important areas.

In Colorado, we know that by working together, we can continue to find innovative solutions to even our most complex challenges. Thank you for the work that you do in pursuit of a sustainable, prosperous future and I look forward to the opportunities ahead.

- Governor Jared Polis

What We’re Up To

The last month in both American and world politics, has been a non-stop whirlwind. The month started with the election of Keir Starmer as the UK’s new prime minister, and things haven’t stopped since.

Towards the end of July, CNL Director Colin Mortimer released a statement [[link removed]] recognizing President Biden’s longstanding commitment to our nation and commending his decision to pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris and endorsing her as the Democratic presidential nominee.

Last month, we also attended and sponsored the Voters of Tomorrow Summit: The Year of Youth in Atlanta, Georgia with over 100 other youth organizers. We encountered first-hand the excitement young voters have to rally behind the Harris presidential ticket and to do the on-the-ground organizing necessary in this critical election year to secure wins for Democrats across the country.

Earlier this week, Colin Mortimer and Cathy Reisenwitz, Chair of the CNL Steering Committee, released a statement [[link removed]] in support of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz joining Vice President Kamala Harris on the presidential ticket. We’re excited to rally behind a pragmatic vice president nominee who has been a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ and abortion rights, housing abundance, clean energy, and permitting reform.

And finally, CNL will be attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and hosting a Reception and Watch Party! The event will take place on Tuesday, August 20th and will feature card-carrying New Liberal Rep. Scott Peters (CA-50), UK Labour General Secretary David Evans, and three MPs from the UK Labour Party. We’re excited to be there for this historic moment later this month, and we hope that those of you who will be in Chicago at the same time can join us!

RSVP for DNC Reception [[link removed]]

Member Highlight - Matt Hughes

Every month, we highlight a member of the Center for New Liberalism who is doing exceptional work in their community in The Home Base, a blog from our partner, New Democracy. This month, we’re highlighting Matt Hughes, the County Commissioner of Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Click the button below to learn more about Matt and his involvement with the North Carolina Democratic Party.
Read More: [link removed]

In the News

Date: July 8
Publication: AL.com
Title: Huntsville puts brakes on ‘sweeping change to zoning’ but for how long?
Mention & Chapter: Cathy Reisenwitz & Rob Clark, Advance Huntsville
Quote: “Reisenwitz said that if Huntsville doesn’t make better choices “we will get the same result, which is increased homelessness, longer commutes, worse public health, more climate emissions.”
“Rob Clark told the council that the longer it takes to address ADUs, the more it threatens the progress Huntsville has made in becoming Alabama’s largest city.”
Link:
[link removed]

Date: July 14
Publication: Infinite Scroll
Title: What is the purpose of liberalism?
Author & Chapter: Jeremiah Johnson, Co-Founder of CNL
Quote: “The purpose of liberalism is to allow us to disagree with someone without discriminating against them, without harassing them, without killing them. It’s a precious thing, perhaps the most precious thing our civilization has achieved.”
Link:
[link removed]

Date: July 15
Publication: Politico
Title: This internet isn’t built for an assassination attempt
Mention & Chapter: Jeremiah Johnson, Co-Founder of CNL
Quote: “Twitter remains pretty vital, and it shocks me how similar the social media reaction to this event was to everything else,” said Jeremiah Johnson, author of the Infinite Scroll Substack and founder of the Center for New Liberalism think tank. “There are people doing conspiracy theories from every direction, it’s a false flag, the guy’s a Democrat, he’s a Republican, no, he’s just pretending to be a Republican… there was even a conspiracy theory that the guy was mad about Donald Trump’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein.”
Link:
[link removed]

Date: July 15
Publication: The New York Times
Title: A New York Official Is Filling Community Boards with Pro-Housing Members
Mention & Chapter: Tibita Kaneene, NYC New Liberals
Quote: “I wanted to build more housing, in a smart way, that helps lower the cost of housing and provides more housing for people,” he said.
Now, he chairs the board’s land use and housing committee.”
Link:
[link removed]

Date: July 24
Publication: AMNY
Title: Online ‘safety’ legislation threatens LGBTQIA+ youth, reproductive health resources
Author & Chapter: Jeremiah Johnson, Co-Founder of CNL
Quote: “If Congressional Democrats genuinely want to protect kids online, they must abandon KOSA in its current form and take a more thoughtful approach. This means engaging with civil liberties experts, LGBTQIA+ advocates, and child protection organizations to create legislation that truly safeguards children without infringing on free speech or privacy rights.”
Link:
[link removed]

Date: July 25
Publication: Columbia Journalism Review
Title: Harris is winning social media in a way Biden never could (at least for now)
Mention & Chapter: CNL
Quote: “For CJR’s recent Election Issue, Linda Kinstler wrote about the young activists behind an organization called the Center for New Liberalism, one of whom created several “Dark Brandon” memes depicting Biden as a kind of superhero shooting lasers from his eyes.”
Link:
[link removed]

Date: July 26
Publication: Foreign Policy
Title: Europe Is in Danger of Regulating Its Tech Market Out of Existence
Author & Chapter: Jeremiah Johnson, Co-Founder of CNL
Quote: “Ultimately, Europe needs to figure out what it wants from the world’s technology industry. At times, it seems as if Europe has given up on trying to innovate or succeed in the tech sector. The continent takes more pride in being a leader in regulation than a leader in innovation, and its tech industry is a rounding error compared with that in the United States or China.”
Link:
[link removed]

Events

Date: August 8th | 7:00 PM
Chapter: Advance Huntsville
Title: Advance Huntsville + YIMBY August Happy Hour [[link removed]]
Location: Green Bus Brewing, 206 Eustis Ave SE, Huntsville, AL 35801
Summary: In 2024 Advance Huntsville is getting together every second Thursday for our super fun happy hour.

Date: August 10th | 11:30 AM
Chapter: DC New Liberals
Title: DC New Liberals Maryland Canvass [[link removed]]
Location: Montgomery County Field Office, 8455 Colesville Rd Ste 202, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Summary: DC New Liberals Canvass for Angela Alsobrooks in Silver Spring, Maryland

Date: August 11th | 5:00 PM
Chapter: Advance Huntsville
Title: Canvassing for Claudia Harris [[link removed]]
Location: Publix at Providence, 1660 Old Monrovia Rd NW, Huntsville, AL 35806
Summary: Join us this Sunday from 5:00 – 6:30PM to canvass for Claudia Harris, who’s running for Huntsville City School Board in D1, before the election on August 27th. We’ll meet in the Providence Publix parking lot.

Date: August 12th | 5:00 PM
Chapter: CNL
Title: Peer to Peer Organizing with Greta Carnes [[link removed]]
Location: Virtual
Summary: Peer to peer connection is THE most effective tool for organizing. It's also the best tool we have to "cut through the noise". Especially in times like these, when we need every vote, everywhere for a successful November, knowing how to p2p effectively Is critical. And of course, the data behind this is fascinating. We are joined by co-founder of Relentless, Greta Carnes for this discussion! Hope you can join us!

Date: August 13th | 7:00 PM
Chapter: Advance Huntsville
Title: Advance Huntsville + YIMBY August Business Meeting [[link removed]]
Location: Cathy and Rob's Place, 1069 Stones Throw Dr NW, Huntsville, AL 35806
Summary: Every month on the Tuesday following our Happy Hour, we’ll meet to discuss how exactly we want Huntsville to be better and what we each can do to make that happen.

Date: August 13th | 7:00 PM
Chapter: Houston New Liberals
Title: Houston New Liberals Monthly Social [[link removed]]
Location: Empire Cafe, 1732 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77098
Summary: Join the Houston New Liberals to meet with like-minded center-left Democrats for food and great conversations about how we can advance our agenda in Houston!

Date: August 17th | 2:00 PM
Chapter: Columbus New Liberals
Title: Columbus Area Urbanist Meetup [[link removed]]
Location: Gemüt Biergarten, 734 Oak St, Columbus, OH 43205
Summary: Come meet fellow Urbanists and chat about transit, zoning, development, and other issues! Are you someone who is excited about urban sustainability and wants to see Columbus continue to grow into a thriving major city? Do you think we need to build more housing and invest in less car-centric transportation infrastructure? Come out and meet like-minded people! First round of drinks will be on us!

Date: August 19th | 5:30 PM
Chapter: Phoenix New Liberals
Title: Midtown Happy Hour [[link removed]]
Location: The Other Bar, 1588 E Bethany Home Rd AZ85014, Phoenix, AZ 85014
Summary: Join Phoenix New Liberals at The Other Bar to share thoughts and get excited to vote in November! First drink is on us!

Date: August 20th | 5:00 PM
Chapter: CNL
Title: New Liberals Reception at the Chicago DNC [[link removed]]
Location: Carnivale, 702 West Fulton Street Chicago, IL 60661
Summary: The New Liberals will be at the DNC in Chicago, and we're excited to be hosting a reception and watch party for the Tuesday Night activities at the DNC, featuring a number of special guests. Drinks are on us.

Date: August 21st | 6:30 PM
Chapter: Twin Cities New Liberals
Title: Twin Cities New Liberals August Meetup [[link removed]]
Location: Venn Brewing, 3550 E 46th St, Minneapolis, MN 55406

Date: August 21st | 7:00 PM
Chapter: Atlanta New Liberals
Title: Atlanta New Liberals August Social [[link removed]]
Location: Manuel's Tavern, 602 N Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
Summary: Come join the Atlanta New Liberals for drinks and great conversations on how we can advance our agenda in Atlanta!

Date: August 21st | 7:00 PM
Chapter: NYC New Liberals
Title: NYC New Liberals Joe McReynolds Discusses his Book” “Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City” [[link removed]]
Location: Tailor Public House, 505 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018
Summary: Author Joe McReynolds will join us on Wednesday, August 21st to discuss his book, "Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City".

Date: August 22nd | 6:30 PM
Chapter: Dallas New Liberals
Title: Dallas New Liberals Monthly Social [[link removed]]
Location: Pegasus City Brewery, 1508 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75201
Summary: Join the Dallas New Liberals for drinks and discussion on how we can build a DFW that works for everyone!

Date: August 28th | 7:00 PM
Chapter: LA New Liberals
Title: Defining New Liberalism: The New Liberal Candidate [[link removed]]
Location: Virtual
Summary: The LA New Liberals are thrilled to present the final installment in our Freedom, Agency, and Abundance: Defining New Liberalism series. In this final installment, we are exploring what it means to be a New Liberal candidate for elected office. What are some of the common values New Liberal and pragmatic progressive candidates share? How do they present their message to constituents and partners? What sorts of coalitions have they endeavored to build in their respective races and beyond? To help answer these questions, the LA New Liberals sit down with Chris Ahuja, candidate for California's 32nd Congressional District; Dulce Vasquez, former candidate for California's 57th Assembly District; and Nick Melvoin, LAUSD Board Member and former candidate for California's 30th Congressional District to discuss what they think makes the New Liberal candidate.

Podcasts

Breaking Down Labour’s Landslide Ft. Claire Ainsley [[link removed]]
In the UK, Labour have just cruised to a historic election victory, winning a huge majority in Parliament for the first time in 14 years. PPI's Claire Ainsley joins the podcast to discuss how it happened and what it means. Why did the Conservatives collapse so hard after more than a decade in power? What will be on Keir Starmer's agenda as takes power as the new Prime Minister? And can the UK finally wake up and start building housing? We discuss all this and more as Labour takes control.

The Purpose of Liberalism [[link removed]]
Jeremiah discusses the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, and why liberalism requires that we oppose political violence.

It’s Kamala Time Ft. Matti Miranda [[link removed]]
CNL Assistant Director Matti Miranda joins the show for an emergency podcast on Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential race and endorsing Kamala Harris. Is this a positive development for Democrats? How will Republicans respond? How does this change the dynamics of the 2024 presidential race?

How Lobbying Took Over Ft. Brody Mullins [[link removed]]
Lobbying in the 1950s and 60s was a small-time, sleepy industry without much impact. How did it grow to the behemoth political force it is today? Brody Mullins is the author of the new book The Wolves of K Street, and he joins the podcast to talk about corporate lobbying power, how lobbyists actually influence politicians, and how to design a better system.

A Pragmatic Liberal Budget Ft. Ben Ritz & Laura Duffy [[link removed]]
The federal budget is always a hot topic in election years. How can we build a budget that address our deficit problem while funding the things we need? PPI's Ben Ritz and Laura Duffy join the podcast to discuss their new proposed budget. They discuss how they'd stabilize runaway costs for Social Security and Medicare, how to pay for programs like the Child Tax Credit and Paid Family Leave without breaking the bank, as well as how the budget can impact housing, immigration, trade and much more!
Check out PPI's proposed budget here - [link removed]

Closing Remarks

The 2024 election season is kicking into full gear and the general election continues to get closer every month. There’s a lot at stake in this year’s election, and it’s more important than ever for all of us to do the work to continue advancing our pragmatic agenda in our local communities and get people to the ballot box in November.

If you aren’t already involved, we encourage you to get more involved with your local CNL chapter, and consider joining their leadership team! Not sure if you have a chapter in your area? Check out the chapter map on our website to find out, and sign up for email updates from your local chapter!

Chapter Map [[link removed]]

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The Center for New Liberalism (CNL) is a digital-first grassroots organization dedicated to fighting for liberalism during the age it is most under attack. We are the hub of a grassroots movement of center-left activists from around the world. Collectively, our work reaches upwards of 60 million people a month.
CNL values our members. To become a member or to learn more about membership, visit our membership page [[link removed]] .
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