Feel-good update: Leading when it matters most

How the RFS community is stepping up in this crisis.

Hope you’re hanging in there, healthy and safe wherever you are.

This week, we rolled out a new series called “How I Lead” — spotlighting how state & local elected officials are navigating the pandemic. First up: Rep. John Bucy III, a member of the Texas State House. You’ve got to read about how he’s running a major food-delivery service for seniors & people with disabilities in his city. (This is part of the broader storytelling effort we explained in last week’s strategic plan update, ICYMI.)

Rep. John Bucy III delivering food to his neighbors.

More examples: Local governments are leading the charge on safe voting — in Allegheny County, PA, RFS alum Bethany Hallam is leading on sending absentee ballot applications & pre-paid postage to all voters, setting up a model for other city & county gov’ts across the country.

(Bethany is also leading on a proposal requiring paid sick leave for workers across the county. You truly love to see it.)

More RFS alum & candidates leading when it matters most:

CA: Carlsbad Councilmember Priya Bhat-Patel published a powerful and personal op-ed on immediate action we can take to protect victims of domestic violence and sexual assault during this crisis.

CT: State Sen. Will Haskell took office a year ago, fresh out of college at the age of 22. Now he’s representing a district that has 42% of the state’s positive cases (including Will’s own dad & step-mom.) His accessibility & work-ethic is unflagging.

SC: Rep. Kambrell Garvin keeps fighting for his community — which is predominately African American and includes one of the hardest-hit zipcodes in South Carolina — to get the help they need.

NY: State Sen. Andrew Gounardes proposed legislation to reform New York’s unemployment insurance to better help seniors, folks in high-risk communities and furloughed employees get access to the funds they need.

CO: Rep. Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician, is part of the team of CO state legislators who’s thinking through how to restructure legislative session & procedure to stay in line with public health recommendations.

NH: State Sen. Jon Morgan joined with a colleague to propose a Frontline Worker Fund, giving a pay bump to people like medical providers & support staff, grocery store workers, first responders, delivery workers, and more.

​DE: Sarah McBride is an advocate for trans equality, but she’s not running to be a transgender state senator — she’s running to fight for health care, paid family medical leave, better schools, and more.​ Her story is incredible; read more about it on Shondaland.

MI: Eli Savit, candidate for Washtenaw County Prosecutor, is calling for a release of prisoners most vulnerable to the virus, and to expedite resentencing hearings for those sentences to life without parole as kids.

​WI: Some good news! The Dane County Board​ is a majority women and is younger than ever before, including three RFS alum (Analiese Eicher, Kelly Danner, and Elena Haasl).

Finally, two RFS-adjacent stories you might like:

(1) Countries with women leaders are handling this crisis better — Julie Kohler from the Democracy Alliance has some ideas for how we can cultivate the same kind of leadership here. (Hint: Investing in missions like ours is part of that!)

(2) Time Magazine’s deep-dive into the impact of Mitch McConnell’s refusal to fund state & local budgets, which, given the important work these govts do, is going to directly fuck over so many gov’t services. (Horrific fact: 10x more people work for state & local gov’ts than for the federal gov’t.)

It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel…but at least we’re in the tunnel together! Thanks for continuing to make this work possible.