Wildfires are raging across the West and the Gulf Coast is experiencing a drastic hurricane season. State legislatures are taking quick action

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** Free College for Essential Workers
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Essential workers have been on the frontlines of the pandemic, providing access to food, health care, mail, and other critical services while often putting their own health at risk. From grocery store clerks to hospital staff to food delivery drivers, their work has made it possible for many other Americans to keep themselves safe. Now, Michigan is giving back to these workers. In an effort called Futures for Frontliners ([link removed]) , Michigan is set to provide free community college to those in the manufacturing, nursing homes, grocery stores, sanitation, delivery, retail, health care fields, and more.


** New York to Lead States in Antitrust Law
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Much of the U.S.’s antitrust protection happens on the federal level, but a bill in the New York state Senate would drastically strengthen the state’s ability to crack down on anti-competitive behavior ([link removed]) . The bill would increase penalties, allow for private class-action lawsuits, and allow the state to sue an individual company, as opposed to the current law which requires the state to sue at least two companies at a time. The bill would eliminate some provisions that currently protect offending companies, like tech giants who claim they’re exempt from antitrust laws because they’re not technically monopolies.


** Furthering Equity and Fairness in State Courts
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Across the country, state court systems and judges are directly reckoning with their role in perpetuating anti-Black racism ([link removed]) . From inequitable judicial elections and appointments, to jury selection, to sentencing, state courts must systematically review their histories, structures, practices, and personnel to restore their legitimacy for people of color. In Rhode Island–where White judges, jurors, and officers have been the face of justice ([link removed]) –state courts recently established a Committee on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts ([link removed](AP)%20%E2%80%94,is%20treated%20equitably%20and%20fairly.) . The committee is charged with developing policies and programs to counter racial bias across the criminal justice system.


** States Grapple with Impacts of Climate Change
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Wildfires are raging across the West , the severity of which was an undeniable effect of climate change. Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast is experiencing a drastic hurricane season. State legislatures ([link removed]) and governors ([link removed]) are taking quick action—but facing already-tight budgets due to the pandemic and subsequent economic fallout, they may be strapped for resources that can squelch the fires ([link removed]) , let alone prevent them ([link removed]) . The entire country is likely to experience mass migration due to climate change, and legislators will be faced with decisions about which
communities to save ([link removed]) . SiX’s own Director of Agriculture and Food Systems, Kendra Kimbirauskas, had to evacuate her farm in Oregon and spent much of last week helping to rescue and feed animals in the area ([link removed]) .


** Black Caucuses Lead in State Legislatures
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Legislative Black Caucuses in several states are playing prominent roles in advancing critical social justice measures. Kentucky’s Black Caucus ([link removed]) is pushing for meaningful reforms in the wake of the murder of Breonna Taylor. Illinois’ Black Caucus ([link removed]) unveiled four pillars that will guide their policy agenda in their upcoming veto session this fall: criminal justice reform, violence reduction, and police accountability; education and workforce development; economic access, equity, and opportunity; and health care and human services.


** COVID: States Continue to Play Critical Role in Providing Economic Relief
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State budgets are already feeling the squeeze and states are cutting programs and aid to stay solvent ([link removed]) during the economic crisis spurred by the pandemic. But in the face of so much federal inaction, many states are providing a lifeline for their residents: protection against eviction, replacing lost wages ([link removed]) , or maintaining access to health care, utilities, and food. State extensions ([link removed]) of these protections are critical, as federal orders are falling short ([link removed]) .


** Appalling Human Rights Violations by ICE
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This week, nurse Dawn Wooten filed a whistleblower complaint ([link removed]) against a Georgia ICE Detention Center reporting an inordinate number of detainees were subjected to forced hysterectomies. This is outrageous and unacceptable. We know that the U.S. has a long history of enacting reproductive violence on Black and Brown women and today we see immigrant families in ICE detention centers ripped apart, placed in cages, with reports of forced hysterectomies. Take action by signing and sharing Sister Song's statement ([link removed]) .


** Medication Abortion is Safe
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Medication abortion care is a safe and effective method of abortion care that has been studied extensively since it was approved by the FDA 20 years ago this month. Still, many Americans are unfamiliar with medication abortion care. To help state legislators with their work in this area SiX Reproductive Rights teamed up with Dr. Ushma Upadhyay, an expert in medication abortion care from the University of California San Francisco, and Innovating Education in Reproductive Health ([link removed]) to make this short instructive video ([link removed]) .

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The State Innovation Exchange (SiX) is a national resource and strategy center that supports state legislators who seek to strengthen our democracy, fight for working families, defend civil rights and liberties, and protect the environment. We do this by providing training, emphasizing leadership development, amplifying legislators’ voices, and forging strategic alliances between our legislative network and grassroots movements.

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