Financial uncertainty looms for many Americans as Trump pursues reckless policies in Washington, but Democrats in state legislatures are leading and bringing forward solutions to lower costs and make progress on economic issues for all Americans. As economists show MAGA policies are slowing the nation’s growth and putting us on the road to rising inflation, state legislative Democrats are moving us forward on everything from raising wages to expanding paid family and medical leave to lowering the costs of housing, groceries, and health care.
The federal minimum wage has remained stagnant for over fifteen years, but thanks to legislative Democrats in 5 states raising their state minimum wage, three million working Americans just got a raise this year. While Trump considers a budget focused on giving tax breaks to billionaires, legislative Democrats in five more states, including DLCC Battleground Wisconsin, are currently fighting for legislation for better wages that could benefit 26 million more Americans. At a time when many households are struggling to afford necessities, Democrats are stepping up to bring their state’s wages in line with the real cost of living, while states with a Republican-majority legislature have prioritized culture wars over expanding opportunity for everyday families.
Trump’s insistence on policies that drive up inflation and impose a tariff tax on all Americans has led to a drop in confidence in America’s financial future. Meanwhile, state level Democrats are putting measures in place to protect their constituents from the GOP’s financial mismanagement. Democrats in Illinois have eliminated their state’s grocery tax, while Maryland and Virginia are working to address the rising costs of health care. Housing is another key area where Democratic legislatures nationwide are keeping hard-earned wages in the pockets of working families. Oregon is enacting legislation this year to address their state’s housing crisis, Massachusetts recently passed a $5 billion housing investment plan, and New York just outlawed the use of algorithmic software which could raise rent prices.
Unlike MAGA Republicans, state Democrats understand that a good economy starts with support for working families. Minnesota implemented a sweeping initiative signed by Gov. Walz to provide free meals to all public school students in the state, which has saved families nearly a thousand dollars per child each year. More and more states are working to improve access to high-quality education. Colorado Democrats are pushing legislation to expand technical education programs and offer residents free instate college tuition, while New Mexico passed a first-of-its-kind bill to guarantee tuition-free public schooling from early childhood through college via a state education trust fund. Michigan has also taken an unprecedented step to adopt a state budget that expands universal pre-k, increased K-12 spending per pupil, and free community college and skills training, a move that will save families $25,000 on a four-year degree.
The DLCC leads the fight to elect local Democrats, build majorities in our statehouses, and put a stop to the spread of right-wing extremism in the states. Democratic majorities in our state legislatures are protecting nearly half of all Americans from the worst of the MAGA agenda. Donald Trump and his allies have created a leadership vacuum in Washington DC, while making it clear that they only care about enriching themselves. As Republicans recklessly push forward on an agenda that hurts working families and the middle class, Democrats in the states will continue to fight for their communities. It’s up to us to ensure that Democratic candidates with a commitment to uplift the people they represent win seats in every state legislative chamber in the country.
