EARN Notice
A monthly newsletter from the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN)


** EARN Notice April 2025
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Dear EARN community,

These are not normal times. While our work on familiar issues continues, the terrain on which we engage policymaking is shifting by the hour, and our institutions are under attack from increasingly authoritarian actions being taken by the current administration. Many of their tactics follow a similar playbook to one rightwing lawmakers have deployed at the state level for decades ([link removed]) —making EARN groups’ expertise in analyzing policy impacts and sounding the alarm about threats especially valuable and needed at this moment. At the same time, the cruelty, recklessness, and contempt for the rule of law with which this administration is acting are shocking and unprecedented.

The abductions of international students or of workers like Kilmar Abrego Garcia and over 200 others now imprisoned in El Salvador have been particularly unsettling – evoking fear for both the welfare of the individuals involved and the constitutional rights of all U.S. residents ([link removed]) . We also see sparks of hope in the growing chorus of labor leaders, elected officials, journalists, judges, and protestors in towns big and small speaking out loudly, calling for Abrego Garcia’s immediate return ([link removed]) and the release of Lelo Juarez ([link removed]) , Rumeysa Ozturk ([link removed]) and many others, while rejecting abuses of state power and defending democracy and due process for
all.

We know that EARN groups across the country are seizing opportunities with allies to spread truth amid an onslaught of disinformation and push back against damaging federal attacks, even when it requires delving into unfamiliar issues or stepping beyond comfort zones to reach new and larger audiences. From statehouse hearings to op-ed pages, social media feeds, and public rallies, EARN groups are shaping public understanding of the vital role of immigrants ([link removed]) and what’s at risk from mass deportations ([link removed]) ; describing the harm caused ([link removed]) by illegal federal workforce ([link removed]) and funding cuts
([link removed]) ; explaining the damage of chaotic trade policies ([link removed]) ; and making clear what’s at stake if Congress slashes critical funding for education ([link removed]) , healthcare ([link removed]) , and social insurance programs ([link removed]) .

We say this a lot, but it bears repeating, especially in the face of what we can anticipate will be more concerted attacks on our rights and institutions, that we stand in solidarity with all of you as you work to make your states and our country’s economy more just, sustainable, and equitable—and as you help provide the clarity and courage that our communities need now more than ever.

Solidarity,
The EARN team at EPI


** New Publications
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[link removed]
Federal Workers Are Vital to Alabama’s Economy ([link removed]) (March 26)

[link removed]
Women Power Vermont’s Social Services ([link removed]) (March 28)

[link removed]
Kentuckians Need a New Trade Policy, Not a Chaotic Trade War ([link removed]) (April 7)

[link removed]
If You Fund It They Will Come: How Federal Clean Energy and Manufacturing Funds Spurred Private Spending, Doubling Appalachia’s Climate Infrastructure Investment in Coal Country ([link removed]) (April 9)


** What We're Reading
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* Cecilia Nowell. April 2025. The Guardian."New Mexico Made Childcare Free. It Lifted 120,000 People Above the Poverty Line" ([link removed])


** ICYMI: Announcements and Resources
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EARNCon 2025 Call for Proposals is Now Open! EARNCon 2025 will center around the theme “Community, Solidarity, Resilience: Building multiracial worker power in the states” and will take place November 12-14, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. We invite EARN groups, state and local policy advocates, labor and grassroots organizers, allied researchers, and other EPI partners to submit conference session proposals that will contribute to an enriching and engaging experience for all attendees. Please submit all proposals using the form linked below. All proposals must be submitted by 11:59pm ET on Friday, May 30th, 2025.

EARNCon 2025 Session Proposal Submission Form ([link removed])

Federal Attacks Resource List: Last month, we shared a collection of resources to help states respond to ongoing federal attacks and we are continuing to update it and add new resources as they become available. The document linked below includes tools and resources to help you quantify the effects of federal actions on state and local economies, a template you can use to create a fact sheet with information on the federal workforce in your state, and examples of EARN group publications describing how the attacks on federal employees and agencies are affecting people in their state.

Resource List ([link removed])
Federal Workers Fact Sheet Template ([link removed])

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