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Local Solutions Support Center (LSSC)

Location:

New York, NY
Status:

Project of New Venture Fund
Lead Consultant:

Katie Belanger

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Local Solutions Support Center (LSSC) is a left-of-center hub designed to respond to and oppose preemption laws, which allow higher levels of government to prevent lower levels of government from passing more restrictive legislation. 1 LSSC is fiscally sponsored by the left-of-center New Venture Fund, which is managed by Arabella Advisors. 2

LSSC has claimed that racism and white supremacy are “flourishing” in the United States. 3 The organization supports the critical race theory-influenced concept of racial justice, 4 local-level firearm and ammunition restrictions, 5 the instruction of the left-wing ideology of critical race theory in school curriculum, 6 and the establishment of sanctuary cities where United States immigration law is not enforced. 7

In 2022, the left-of-center Rockefeller Foundation gave $500,000 to New Venture Fund to support LSSC. 8

History and Leadership

Local Solutions Support Center was established in 2017 by several left-of-center organizations including the Kresge Foundation. 9

As of June 2023, LSSC is a project of the left-of-center New Venture Fund. 10 Previously, LSSC was housed inside of the left-of-center Rockefeller Family Fund. 11

Kim Haddow is the founder of LSSC. Prior to founding LSSC, she was a national communications director of the environmentalist Sierra Club and left-of-center GMBB Consulting. 12

As of June 2023, Katie Belanger is the lead consultant for LSSC. Prior to joining LSSC, Belanger worked for 20 years in the left-of-center social policy advocacy. In 2015, she launched her own consulting practice, Katie B. Strategies, LLC. 13

Activities and Funding

Local Solutions Support Center (LSSC) is a national hub designed to respond to the issue of preemption and promote the critical race theory-influenced concepts of economic, social, and public health equity and justice. 15

LSSC’s strategic priorities include campaign planning, peer-to-peer trainings, and functioning as a hub to work with its partners to oppose preemption laws and connect advocates who oppose preemption. 16

During the COVID-19 pandemic, LSSC and Act for Public Health opposed preemption laws that weakened local health authorities’ ability to use emergency orders. 17 LSSC also advocated for governments to use the critical race theory-influenced concept of structural racism to address issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. 18

LSSC has claimed that racism and white supremacy are “flourishing” in the United States. 19 As a result, LSSC supports the critical race theory-influenced concept of racial justice and the dismantling of what the group identifies as white supremacy. 20 The group is also committed to creating a critical race theory-influenced equitable and just society by dismantling what it identifies as historic and current systems of oppression that exclude and harm minority groups, LGBT people, women, immigrants, and low-wage workers. 21

LSSC has claimed that the criminal justice system disproportionately harms African American and Hispanic communities, 22 opposes state intervention on local policing budget decisions, and supports the concept of home rule, which grants local governments extensive autonomy. 23 LSSC also supports local-level firearm and ammunition restrictions, 24 left-of-center LGBT activism, 25 the instruction of the left-wing ideology of critical race theory in school curriculum, 26 and the establishment of sanctuary cities where United States immigration law is not enforced. 27

In 2023, LSSC claimed that conservative lawmakers have used every lever available to “strengthen their own grip on power and thumb their noses at the will of the people. 28

In 2020, LSSC produced the “Preempting Progress” report with the labor union-funded Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and EPI project Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN). The report claims that state legislatures in the Southern United States are being used to prevent minority groups and women from gaining economic power, perpetuating white supremacy. 29 That same year, LSSC published a resource to support local governments in decisions regarding disbanding, defunding, and reforming local law enforcement. 30

In 2018, LSSC partnered with the left-of-center Movement Advancement Project, A Better Balance, Equality Federation, and Family Values @ Work to publish a report claiming that preemption bills undermine democracy and threaten LGBT equality. 31

LSSC runs state campaigns in seven core states: Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. 32  The organization seeks to create intra- and inter-state coalitions, advocating, organizing trainings, briefing supporters, and connecting partners with stakeholders. 33

Funding

Local Solutions Support Center is fiscally sponsored by the left-of-center New Venture Fund. 34

In 2022, the left-of-center Rockefeller Foundation gave $500,000 to New Venture Fund to support LSSC. 35

In 2019, LSSC received $30,000 from the Rockefeller Family Fund via a grant to the Wallace Global Fund. 36 LSSC received a $150,000 grant from the Rockefeller Family Fund via the left-of-center Kresge Foundation in 2017. 37

LSSC has also received funding from the left-of-center Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 38

References

  1. “Request for Proposal | State Campaign Consultant.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ce4377caeb1ce00013a02fd/t/61929c814f80bf28eed39c3b/1636998273660/LSSC+2022+RFP+_+State+Campaign+Consultant.pdf.
  2. “Request for Proposal | State Campaign Consultant.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ce4377caeb1ce00013a02fd/t/61929c814f80bf28eed39c3b/1636998273660/LSSC+2022+RFP+_+State+Campaign+Consultant.pdf.
  3. “Preemption of Local Police Budgets.” Local Solutions Support Center. April 4, 2022. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/issuespecific-preemption-guides/preemption-of-local-police-budgets.
  4. “Resources About Racial Justice.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/view-resources-by-topic#racialjustice.
  5. “Resources About Firearms Regulation.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/view-resources-by-topic#firearms.
  6. [1] “Preemption of Critical Race Theory and Other Curriculum Decisions.” Local Solutions Support Center. April 6, 2022. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/issuespecific-preemption-guides/preemption-of-critical-race-theory-amp-other-curriculum-decisions.
  7. “Preemption of Sanctuary Cities & Immigration.” Local Solutions Support Center. April 4, 2022. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/issuespecific-preemption-guides/preemption-of-sanctuary-cities-amp-immigration.
  8. “New Venture Fund.” The Rockefeller Foundation. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/grant/new-venture-fund-2022/.
  9. “Kresge Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2017. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/381359217/201823169349101227/IRS990PF.
  10. “New Venture Fund.” The Rockefeller Foundation. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/grant/new-venture-fund-2022/.
  11. Katie Belanger.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-belanger/.
  12. “Preemption & Policymaking in Public Health Law: From Local to Global.” Change Lab Solutions Webinar. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.changelabsolutions.org/product/preemption-policymaking-public-health-law-local-global.
  13. “The Team.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/our-team.
  15. “Katie Belanger.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-belanger/.LSSC is fiscally sponsored by the left-of-center New Venture Fund. 14 “Request for Proposal | State Campaign Consultant.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ce4377caeb1ce00013a02fd/t/61929c814f80bf28eed39c3b/1636998273660/LSSC+2022+RFP+_+State+Campaign+Consultant.pdf.
  16. “Priorities.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/mission#priorities.
  17. Mallya, Giridhar. “How to Counter Preemption Laws That Can Undermine Health Equity.” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. December 8, 2022. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/blog/2022/12/how-to-counter-preemption-laws-that-can-undermine-health-equity.html.
  18. “Untapped Potential: Public Health Department Authority to Address the Fallout from the Pandemic, Structural Racism, and Other Public Health Crises.” Local Solutions Support Center. October 2020. Accessed June 01, 2023. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ce4377caeb1ce00013a02fd/t/5f923662f2a66f3ab4538b6b/1603417700646/Public+Health+Authority+Backgrounder+10.21.20.pdf.
  19. “Preemption of Local Police Budgets.” Local Solutions Support Center. April 4, 2022. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/issuespecific-preemption-guides/preemption-of-local-police-budgets.
  20. “Resources About Racial Justice.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/view-resources-by-topic#racialjustice.
  21. “Our Vision, Values, and Strategic Priorities.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/about-us#vision.
  22. “Preemption of Local Police Budgets.” Local Solutions Support Center. April 4, 2022. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/issuespecific-preemption-guides/preemption-of-local-police-budgets.
  23. “Katie Belanger.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed June 12, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-belanger/.
  24. “Resources About Firearms Regulation.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/view-resources-by-topic#firearms.
  25. “Resources About LGBTQ+ Rights.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/lgbtq.
  26. “Preemption of Critical Race Theory and Other Curriculum Decisions.” Local Solutions Support Center. April 6, 2022. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/issuespecific-preemption-guides/preemption-of-critical-race-theory-amp-other-curriculum-decisions.
  27. “Preemption of Sanctuary Cities & Immigration.” Local Solutions Support Center. April 4, 2022. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/issuespecific-preemption-guides/preemption-of-sanctuary-cities-amp-immigration.
  28. “Facebook Post.” Local Solutions Support Center Facebook. Posted May 5, 2023. Accessed via Web Archive June 10, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/LocalSolutionsSupportCenter/posts/pfbid0CbnuwTkhUDMS86qtk2gMRhxTdTYgh143qv5ygJNpedRrtEjSCvgiGKELre8bJ4Sml?__cft__[0]=AZWvxN3klSaHeqjzHd2XPUbpzf9xAmwrzqGjDa06WJi4BSgxgQmmNioUx0b7Fhjdua0IGBOgCGcyv5oL9Fon7Vs8xxrOSMtBMbC7rztNX618iNWQ7ldFaPvnBcKGEG4uRgH-V-BWXH7V5-LhG5CA-2IVbh-yqK-RvzgsFJm8v3hyL2uV9E2_P7frtRQDqBoFm5DOAkmjnTqfKZjFuWEUTwS4&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R.
  29. “’Preempting Progress’ Report Examines How Southern Legislatures Use Preemption as a Tool of oppression.” Local Solutions Support Center. September 30, 2020. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/the-latest/preempting-progress-report-examines-how-southern-legislatures-use-preemption-as-a-tool-of-oppression.
  30. Su, Rick. “Disbanding, Defunding, or Reforming Local Law Enforcement.” Local Solutions Support Center. June 2020. Accessed June 10, 2023. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ce4377caeb1ce00013a02fd/t/5ee7c535f4ba336b550516e6/1592247607393/LSSC-LawEnforcement-Final.pdf.
  31.  “Recent Preemption Bills Undermine Democracy and Threaten LGBT Equality.” Movement Advancement Project. May 8, 2018. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.lgbtmap.org/power-of-preemption-report-release.
  32. “Priorities.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/mission#priorities.
  33. “Priorities.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.supportdemocracy.org/mission#priorities.
  34. “Request for Proposal | State Campaign Consultant.” Local Solutions Support Center. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ce4377caeb1ce00013a02fd/t/61929c814f80bf28eed39c3b/1636998273660/LSSC+2022+RFP+_+State+Campaign+Consultant.pdf
  35. “New Venture Fund.” The Rockefeller Foundation. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/grant/new-venture-fund-2022/.
  36. [1] “Wallace Global Fund II.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2019. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/800424607/202023189349100432/full.
  37. “Kresge Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2017. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/381359217/201823169349101227/IRS990PF.
  38. Drew Koleros, Lisa Schottenfeld, Lello Gulluma, Michelle Sou, and So O’Neil. “What Do Coalitions Need to Counter Preemption: A Strategic Assessment of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Preemption Work.” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Mathematica. May 2021. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.mathematica.org/download-media?MediaItemId=%7BF36D95AC-A948-49E9-9B70-A3870F88F910%7D.
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Local Solutions Support Center (LSSC)


New York, NY