Winning Public Policies that put People and the Planet First
The People’s Lobby’s top priority is winning public policies that put the needs of people and our planet before the interests of corporations and the very rich and that challenge structural economic, racial and gender inequality. Click here to view an expanded PDF of our recent accomplishments.
Raised the minimum wage: We successfully moved the Cook County Board of Commissioners to raise the minimum wage in a number of Cook County suburbs, resulting in raises from $8.25 up to $13 by 2020 for tens of thousands of low-wage workers.
Closed corporate tax loopholes: After years of organizing for a fair state budget, The People’s Lobby – with our statewide coalition Fair Economy Illinois – led a set of actions last year culminating in a 2-week, 200-mile march from Chicago to the state capitol in Springfield, where we engaged in civil disobedience as the legislative session was ending. As a result of this campaign, the legislature closed $125 million in corporate tax loopholes that we proposed as part of the budget deal that passed in July 2017. We also changed the public conversation about the state budget and the visionary array of public services we could have (universal health care, free college, and a clean energy economy, just to name a few) if we tax the 1% and pass a People and Planet First Budget.
Successfully fought mass incarceration in the Cook County Jail: Since 2016, The People’s Lobby has been organizing to end cash bail in Illinois. We introduced state legislation with 18 cosponsoring legislators, organized an action of 200 people with civil disobedience to push Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans to reform the County’s bail system, and moved State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to increase the number of situations in which prosecutors are recommending release without cash bail. As a result of our work and the work of our allies, Chief Judge Evans issued an order requiring judges to set bail only within the limits of what defendants can afford. Since then, the number of people incarcerated in the Cook County Jail has gone down from approximately 7,500 to approximately 6,100, and it will likely continue to decrease.
Won clean energy jobs in Illinois: The People’s Lobby played a key role in the statewide coalition that won the Future Energy Jobs Bill. Thanks in large part to The People’s Lobby’s leadership, legislators dumped a consumer-gouging demand charge sought by ComEd and a multibillion dollar coal bailout. The Future Energy Jobs Bill will double the amount of renewable energy in Illinois by 2025 and, for the first time ever, invest $500 million in targeted low-income solar and green jobs training that will bring tangible benefits to our communities. With a climate change denier in the White House, state level victories like this are our best hope for addressing the threats posed by climate change.
Building Progressive Political Power to Reclaim Government from Corporate Interests
In order to overcome the force of big money in politics, we need to organize large numbers of people to get involved. This requires us to do politics differently. Instead of putting candidates front and center in conversations with voters, we lead our values, our vision for the future, and the policies we plan to win when we reclaim government. Then we introduce voters to the candidates we’ve endorsed who are committed to fight for us. We also recruit and train people from our communities to run for office. And instead of closing up shop after the election, as the mainstream political parties do, we engage our growing base in fights for public policies that will increase investment in our communities.
In 2015, The People’s Lobby worked with National Nurses United to form Reclaim Chicago, which leads powerful movement electoral work in partnership with The People’s Lobby across the city and state.
Some elected officials The People’s Lobby and Reclaim have successfully worked to elect include:
- Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx
- State Senator Omar Aquino
- State Representative Will Guzzardi
- State Representative Theresa Mah
- State Representative Christian Mitchell
- Alderman Carlos Rosa
- Evanston City Clerk Devon Reid
- Evanston Alderman Robin Rue Simmons
- Democratic nominee for Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson
- Democratic nominee for State Senate Ram Villivalam
Connecting Analysis and Strategy
The progressive left has consistently lost ground over the past four decades. Some of this is our fault for being fractured and fragmented and for using strategies and tactics developed for a different era. The People’s Lobby puts critique, analysis and political education front and center in its training and communications. The Center for Progressive Strategy and Research, our think and do tank, runs a daylong analysis training and a monthly reading group for leaders. It has also published The Movement We Need, a manifesto for the American left. Download it at thepeopleslobbyusa.org/our-strategy.
In order to win, we need you!
The People’s Lobby is winning important victories, but we don’t have enough power to win all the resources we need for our communities. We need YOU to join this work by giving your financial support and your time!
Visit www.thepeopleslobbyusa.org to become a dues-paying members. Email us at info@thepeopleslobbyusa.org to get involved in our campaigns.