Crediting One LA with the idea, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Congressman Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announced a broad congressional investigation into civil rights abuses, with the first field hearing to take place in Los Angeles.

On Sunday, October 12, 2025 at the Starlight Event Center, over 650 leaders from across institutions in El Paso gathered as delegations to launch their campaign -  "Reimagine El Paso." The action was hosted by EPISO/Border Interfaith, a long-standing grassroots community organization, dedicated to forming people to be active participants in the public arena. 

Co-Chair Cindy Ortega of St. Thomas Aquinas told the delegations, "There is a word I learned recently - 'plasticity.' It means that things are not set in stone, they can change. We do not have to be resigned to the way things are- we are moldable and so is the world - we can change things, we can have an impact."

While the restaurant industry has poured massive resources into national and state campaigns that pretend to help workers but really cut pay, New Yorker named Coloradans for the Common Good (CCG) as a key group that successfully protected tipped workers despite these deceptive practices.

Working hand in hand with workers, unions, and local businesses, CCG stopped every version of a dangerous bill that would have forced cities to slash wages for tipped workers or stripped towns of the right to set fair, local minimum wages. Introduced in March 2025, this bill targeted wage gains in Denver, Boulder, and Edgewater. CCG organized a press conference and gave legislative testimony with Towards Justice, CWA 7777 and the Colorado AFL‑CIO, making it clear: tipped workers deserve fair wages on top of their tips—not shrinking paychecks. As a result, lawmakers backed down and removed the worst parts, preserving both workers’ pay and local control.

After California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed to drop undocumented immigrants from the state health insurance rolls, 120 California IAF leaders and allies traveled to the capitol by bus and persuaded legislators to restore access to the program.

“Immigrants pay taxes. They work in our communities with no safety nets," said COPA (Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action) Leader Mary Litel Walsh. “We came hundreds of miles from all over the state...took time off of work and away from our families to be here today. Why?

Because we need our legislators to fight for us.

After nearly three years of organizing, EPISO-Border Interfaith leaders from Bauman Rd celebrated a major victory Wednesday: the City of Socorro revised its “Arterial 1” proposal, renouncing its initial plan to build a major road through the heart of their neighborhood. The move would have impacted over 100 families and displaced dozens of longtime residents—many elderly and living on fixed incomes—who had spent decades building their homes.

Dr. JC Richardson, Pastor of Wesley UMC and Together Baton Rouge/Together LA leader, speaks at press conference before the defeat of four proposed constitutional amendments, including Amendment 3 which would have tried more children as adults.

After Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry's failed attempt to rewrite the constitution to change state tax and budget laws in 2024, the legislature voted to put his four proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot.  Reports indicated that an election in March was chosen to take advantage of projected low turnout (only 12%). 

Leaders from Westside Sponsoring Committee, Pointe Coupee United Together, and their sister Together Louisiana (TLA) organizations opposed all four measures but targeted Amendment 3 which, if passed, would have given the legislature power to try children as young as 10 for unspecified adult crimes. When legislators were pressed on what those crimes would be, their response was "just trust us"!

It is with great sadness that we learned the news this Easter Monday morning about the death of Pope Francis.

Over the past three years, we, as representatives of the Industrial Areas Foundation, were privileged to meet him three times in his Santa Marta residence at the Vatican, each an encounter of 90 minutes or more. 

On March 20, 2025 the San Antonio City Council unanimously approved renaming the San Antonio Natatorium to Atanacio Garcia Natatorium, recognizing the determined COPS/Metro leader of Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine Catholic Church who organized his community to create the city’s first Olympic-sized public pool on the West Side.

On March 3, the Colorado State Legislature proposed a bill that would have cut base wages for tipped workers. Coloradans for the Common Good (CCG) fought back! In collaboration with CWA 7777 and the Colorado AFL-CIO, CCG organized a press conference and successfully blocked efforts to mandate that Denver, Boulder, and Edgewater reduce the local minimum wage for thousands of tipped workers. CCG also pushed for legislation to expand the right to collective bargaining as a part of their larger strategy to support workers in Colorado.

In a press statement, they assert: “Hardworking Coloradans deserve the opportunity to earn a good wage, especially as the cost of living continues to rise…The amended version of the bill importantly avoids an immediate wage cut for tipped employees and preserves some local control. However, the bill only gives local control to local governments if they want to vote to keep their tipped minimum wage low, but will not allow them to vote to end the subminimum wage for tipped workers. We will continue to work for fair and livable wages with tips on top for Coloradans at the state and local level.” 

Last week, CCG was back at the Capitol to support the Worker Protection Act and again the next day to stand with educators against cuts to education. CCG's work at the Capitol continues as the legislature considers the Worker Protection Act, the state budget, and other issues important to members.

(Photo Credit: Denver7)