Dear ,
As we head into this week's celebration of the USA's 250th birthday, it's worth taking stock of where things stand here at home. Several new laws take effect on July 1, 2026, touching on housing, education, workplace fairness, and public safety:
- Expediting Affordable Housing – Localities can now pass ordinances to streamline the zoning process for affordable housing. (VICPP led efforts on this bill!)
- School Nurses Funding – School districts can use at-risk add-on funding to support school nurse positions. (VICPP led efforts on this bill!)
- Clean Slate – To help people re-entering society secure housing and employment, this law seals the records of individuals with certain misdemeanors and felonies. (VICPP participated in coalition efforts on this bill!)
- Styrofoam Containers – The statewide ban on Styrofoam containers in schools and restaurants goes into effect.
- Seatbelt Law – Adult passengers must now wear seatbelts in both the front and back seats of a vehicle.
- Salary History – Employers can no longer ask job applicants about their past pay and must post good-faith salary ranges with job listings.
- Landlord/Tenant Protections – Landlords must accept rent and security deposits by check or money order, limit processing fees to actual third-party costs, and provide 14-day notice for nonpayment before terminating a lease. (VICPP participated in coalition efforts on this bill!)
Beyond these new laws, we also want to recognize everyone who raised their voice in advocating our values in this year's state budget. While we didn't secure everything we hoped for, we're grateful for the work our state legislature and governor put in to pass the budget before the June 30th deadline.
Even as we pause to celebrate this weekend, though, we can't look away from a harder truth: last week's Supreme Court rulings, which limited access for asylum seekers at the US border, and stripped Temporary Protected Status from 6,100 Syrians and 350,000 Haitians. Even though we are glad to see the courts defend birthright citizenship, this leaves many families facing fear and danger. As we mark 250 years of this nation's founding, that's a reminder that the work of living up to our ideals is far from finished.
In Solidarity,
Keisha
Rev. Dr. LaKeisha Cook
Executive Director | 
