Future of Work Advisory Council Final Report

FINAL
REPORT
2022
Future of Work
Advisory Council

Table of Contents
01
Foreword p 03
02
Meet the Advisory Council Members
p 04
03
Introduction
p 05
04
Talent Retention
p 06
05
Broadband Development
p 08
06
Housing and Cost of Living
p 10
07
Conclusion p 11

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Foreword
Foreword
For the past three years, the American economy has been challenged by a series of crises
that have left many Americans, and young Americans in particular, concerned over their
future prospects. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the challenges of inflation and cost-ofliving
that have come in the aftermath, the future of work in this country is rife with
uncertainty. It was for this reason that the Millennial Action Project, in partnership with
the Omidyar Network, called together its first Future of Work Advisory Council
(FOWAC) to bring together up-and-coming legislative policy leaders in this field and
counter the uncertainty of these past few years with new and dynamic economic
solutions.
If anything has been made clear in these challenging times, it is that many Americans
simply cannot afford to wait while politicians get bogged down in the same old partisan
debates over economic policy. This factionalism only works to increase cynicism and
distrust of the political process while ordinary people face either a rise in unemployment
or an inflation-induced decline in wage values. In order to bring an end to this destructive
cycle, elected officials need to make clear to their constituents how they will work
together to improve livelihoods and ensure economic opportunities.
The Future of Work Advisory Council (FOWAC) was brought together for this exact
purpose. Not only were these leaders selected for their perspectives as young legislators,
they were also selected for the determination and expertise they had demonstrated in
promoting the future of work in their most recent respective legislative sessions. As part
of this council, the FOWAC members shared with us at MAP their perspectives on talent
retention, broadband development, and housing and cost-of-living policies.
These policy areas, while far from the only major areas concerning the future of work,
represent the prime where these young legislative leaders have made their mark. This
report delves into some of the specifics of the proposals these legislators have made
within these issue areas. They also represent a firm baseline for the perspective these
legislators and others will be taking toward the future of work as preparations for the
2023 legislative session begins nationwide.
On behalf of the Millennial Action Project, I would like to thank
the members of the Future of Work Advisory Council for the time
they have taken to share their ideas with our organization and
their efforts to build a collaborative space for this important
conversation at a time when polarization seems intractable. It is
this leadership that offers a brighter picture for the future of not
just America’s economy, but our democracy as well.

Meet the Members
Meet the Future of Work
Advisory Council
The Future of Work Advisory Council assembled in August 2022 with the inaugural
meeting of the council on Tuesday, September 13th. The members of the FOWAC were
invited by MAP due to the bipartisan leadership they had shown in economic policy within
their states’ most recent legislative sessions. The legislators shared in the FOWAC’s
meetings their respective policy proposals and approaches to problem solving.
This report details approaches to economic policy identified by members of the Future
of Work Advisory Council in the areas of talent retention, broadband development,
and housing policy. State legislator’s participation from in MAP’s Future of Work
Advisory Council does not imply individual support for any or all of the methods
identified in this document.
Council Members
Rep. Jennifer Bacon (D-CO)
Co-Chair
Rep. Judd Strom (R-OK)
Co-Chair
Rep. Matthew Gambill (R-GA)
Rep. Shevrin Jones (D-FL) Rep. Jeremy Gray (D-AL) Rep. Nick Hoheisel (R-KS)

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Introduction
Introduction
The foundations for the Future of Work Advisory Council came from MAP’s Future of
Work Listening Tour which was conducted from late 2021-early 2022 with support from
the Omidyar Network. MAP staff spoke with legislators from 11 different states who each
offered their unique and insightful perspectives on the changing nature of America’s
economy, and where they felt there were the greatest opportunities for bipartisan
collaboration.
Over the course of the conversations, three distinct overarching topics emerged as key
focal points for legislators:
1. Retaining talent and employees within their jurisdictions;
2. Developing broadband technologies and infrastructure;
3. Finding ways to reduce and manage the costs of housing and other necessities despite
increasing inflation.
The FOWAC’s creation allowed for more intensive conversations on these policy areas,
the findings of which are reflected in this report.

Talent Retention
Talent Retention
During the inaugural meeting of the FOWAC, the group focused on talent retention. Over the course of the Future of
Work Listening Tour, many legislators listed the negative impacts of “brain drain” – the process in which state talent is
drawn away from rural areas because of factors such as educational and economic opportunities elsewhere. The
legislators noted that this phenomenon is one of the largest economic challenges facing their respective communities.
Many further pointed out the importance of countering brain drain specifically because of its impact on young people.
Education Funding
Educational opportunities were also mentioned by the legislators as a marquee factor in
attracting talent to their jurisdictions. The importance of education funding was in
particular emphasized by Rep. Bacon of Colorado, who herself had previously been a
teacher. She discussed the important need for legislatures to match educational talent
with the resources needed for that talent to thrive.
These concerns were further echoed by legislators regarding the funding of career,
technical, and vocational education, as well as a growing tendency of states to offer merit
funds and scholarships to wealthy outside talent, divesting from homegrown talent.
Throughout these points, a common theme emerged among the legislators that while all
agreed funding education was of key importance, equally important was ensuring that the
resources dedicated to education were distributed in a fair and efficient manner.
Promoting Business Development
All legislators on the FOWAC agreed that finding avenues to support and promote the
development of businesses big and small would be another critical factor in the success of
talent retention in their communities. The legislators themselves came from communities
that had varying degrees of economic development, which led to differences in
perspective as to the best manner to go about ensuring business development.
Some major concerns brought up by legislators included inequality of resources,
particularly between rural or majority-minority communities against wealthier urban or
suburban jurisdictions. These included factors such as the “digital divide” in internet
access, slow development of remote work opportunities that could benefit regions outside
major metropolitan areas, and the ongoing challenges of workplace disruptions in the
aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Talent Retention
American Rescue Plan Act Funding
The severe economic damage of the COVID-19 pandemic saw the federal government
respond with an unprecedentedly rapid series of economic relief measures passed over
the course of two presidential administrations. Among the largest of these measures was
the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) which passed in early 2021 and signed into law by
President Joe Biden. The law sent relief money to state governments who subsequently
had the discretion to use large segments of it as they saw fit.
The legislators of the FOWAC discussed how their states had spent these ARPA funds in
their most recent sessions. In particular, efficiency concerns were frequently brought up.
Points were also made regarding whether or not it was truly helpful for some states to
spend ARPA funds on varying facilities such as prisons that did not provide for consistent
economic opportunities over the long term.
Family Development and Support
The final major discussion factor within the realm of talent retention was the role that
states could play in supporting and attracting family units given their increased economic
burdens. Challenges faced by young families, such as debt, work-life balance, and childcare
funding were all cited as major areas where states could improve their policies to make
their jurisdictions more inviting to new families.
The legislators of the FOWAC gave these concerns extra attention due to the ongoing
burdens of housing and cost-of-living among young people. Proposed solutions from the
legislators included tax credits for childcare, and addressing various sources of high debt
such as education and medical debt.

Broadband
Broadband Development
The promotion of internet and broadband development has been a major point of policy contention since the
popularization of the internet in the 1990s. In recent years, while internet access has become near-ubiquitous
nationwide, gaps have remained particularly in rural and tribal areas, and even some majority-minority communities in
various cities. On Tuesday, October 4th, the second meeting of the FOWAC’s legislators featured a discussion regarding
their views on broadband development policy, to address the state legislatures’ role and impact on this very issue.
Rural and Tribal Broadband
Closing the digital divide between rural and urban areas has attracted major attention
from both the federal and state-level governments in the past few years. In November
2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), that included major provisions specifically dedicated
to ensure universal access to broadband across the nation.
It was unanimously agreed by the legislators that reducing this digital divide should be a
major focus of their respective legislatures. This sentiment was echoed most strongly by
Oklahoma Rep. Logan Phillips, a guest of co-chair Rep. Strom, who was a major leader in
promoting rural broadband funding in the Sooner State. From Rep. Phillips’ experience, he
said in order to ensure broadband the legislature had to identify on the map where digital
infrastructure was located, and where the gaps remained. From there, the state consulted
extensively with community leaders, tribal leaders, academic experts, and other key
stakeholders to develop a comprehensive plan to expand access to every corner of the
state. His experience was an inspiration to many listening in the meeting.
Digital Infrastructure Development
Alongside the legislators’ focus to ensure access to broadband was a focus to develop the
necessary infrastructure and production capabilities needed to physically service their
constituents with digital access. A common sentiment expressed by the FOWAC members
was concern over the degree to which the production and supply chains of critical digital
infrastructure had been increasingly offshored in prior years.
Over the course of their conversation, many of the FOWAC’s legislators agreed that
finding methods to promote the development of this infrastructure was of vital
importance. Many of the legislators placed the greatest emphasis on the need for
domestic semiconductor production to counter potential geopolitical instability given that
most semiconductor manufacturing facilities are currently located in Taiwan. Rep. Bacon
summarized these thoughts with the perspective that legislatures should start treating
the importance of digital infrastructure “to the same degree as electricity, gas, and water.”

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Broadband
Telehealth and Remote Work
The FOWAC also emphasized the need to promote the use of these technological
capabilities. Particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, important new internet services
such as telehealth and remote work grew in popularity. These are now key services that
may not be available for many Americans in urban and rural communities.
There was widespread agreement among the FOWAC’s legislators that telehealth was a
vital new service that needs support from policymakers. Rep. Hoheisel (R-KS) was
particularly emphatic on the assistance that this service could provide in rural areas. The
legislators were also optimistic over the possibilities offered by remote work, but
questions remained as to the degree or capability that state governments had in
addressing the growth of that field.

Housing
Housing and Cost of Living
Across the nation, many Americans have faced rising housing costs and costs in other fields due to the growing impact of
inflation. This predicament has led to major concerns, especially among young Americans. Finding ways in which
legislatures may work to provide assistance in this field was the focus of the third and final FOWAC meeting on Tuesday,
October 18th.
Combatting Housing Costs
As a result of the rapid growth in housing costs, there has been a corresponding increase
in homelessness rates. A point that resonated the legislators was how homelessness was
an issue that transcended community lines, and yet was still being discussed as if it were
only a local issue. Many legislators pointed out that it was not only single-family housing
that was rapidly growing in cost, but that rental costs in apartments were dramatically
increased as well in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To combat the growing impact of housing costs, some legislators noted efforts simply to
ramp up subsidies for housing in order to promote more immediate cost reductions, while
others cautioned that these policies could simply pad developer profits and that
alternatives existed in direct government intervention through policies such as limited
rent control.
Impact of Interest Rate Increases
To combat inflation, the Federal Reserve has adopted a policy of aggressively increasing
national interest rates with the goal of bringing down consumer spending levels, and with
those the level of inflation. One major effect of this aggressive policy has been an increase
of costs to homeowners as well as those with rent or mortgages who have born the brunt
of this increase in rates.
Many legislators in the meeting expressed concern over the degree to which the interest
rate increases would have on ordinary Americans’ finances. Some optimism was expressed
in the meeting that higher rates would in-turn increase housing options that people
qualify for, particularly mortgages, but the policymakers will have to wait and see if that
really is the case.

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Housing
Other Ways to Fight Inflation
Outside of housing costs, inflation has also made a major impact on a number of fields
from energy costs to grocery costs. In August 2022, more federal aid to help bring
inflation under control was passed through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA),
which contained major provisions to help increase federal revenue as well as new policies
with the goal of bringing down other economic costs, particularly in the energy sector.
Given the recency with which this bill was passed into law, many legislators on the call
were taking a wait-and-see approach to its provisions, especially since several needed to
familiarize themselves with the bill’s provisions relating to state funding. Major hopes
centered on possible efforts to bring down energy costs, as well as the finding ways to
reduce the costs that states have had to pay out of their own coffers in the past two years.
Conclusion
The future of work in the United States is filled with exciting possibilities, but also many
challenges. As both millennials and generation Z determine how to ensure a sound and
secure economic future, the time is more critical than ever for America’s elected officials
to consider America’s future generations as they consider new economic policies.
In this regard, leaders such as MAP’s Future of Work Advisory Council are all the more
critical. Together, them and rising generations can ensure they have a place at the table,
not just with the economy, but within the American Dream as well.

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