In virtually every state in the nation, progressives enter the 2007 legislative cycle in a better position than they did two years ago. That means that they can pass more good bills and defeat more bad ones than has been possible for a very long time. Fortunately, progressives also have an agenda to put in place in the states.

A WINNING AGENDA—The minimum wage won big in every state where it was on the ballot. America wants a raise. But the minimum wage is just a beginning. A real progressive agenda will increase democracy, strengthen communities and families, ensure that work is rewarded, and find new economic-growth strategies. By cutting across single-issue divides, a progressive agenda can inspire the country and unite people who would not otherwise find common ground.

1. Clean and Fair Elections: In the early hours of Election Day, news stories were already hitting the wires about voting problems. Long lines and machine problems marked the day for too many voters in polling locations across the country. But as basic as it is, fixing voting problems is not the only step to be taken toward getting America's government back on track. Americans are also concerned that their elected officials, once in office, put lobbyists and special interests first.

As grim as the voting situation appears now, solutions do exist. Early-voting and vote-by-mail plans can address the long lines and the lack of a paper trail, while freeing people with busy schedules to vote at a convenient time. Oregon has shown that universal vote-by-mail can be enacted while avoiding problems and has actually saved money. Washington is following suit. A number of other states now have early-voting laws that allow voters to cast their ballots early at designated polling locations.

In order to avoid problems that can tangle voter registrations and to ensure that people can vote even if they forget to register or re-register, states should enact Election Day registration laws. Already in place in Minnesota, Montana and several other states, such laws have proven effective at increasing turnout, especially among young voters.

Restoring confidence that politicians answer to their constituents instead of to powerful interests should lead to proposals for clean elections. At the corporate level there is the potential to ban "pay to play" campaign contributions from companies bidding on government contracts. At the community—or even state—level, candidates can run voter-owned campaigns through public financing, once a candidate demonstrates enough support. Such campaigns are fully publicly financed, removing even the possibility of corruption. Public financing schemes are already in place in Arizona, Connecticut and Maine, where they have proven popular with both candidates and voters.

2. Health Care for All: No domestic issue is more front-and-center in the minds of voters than health care. With a system that is basically broken, in which care is rationed by ability to pay, inflation occurs every year and often hits double digits, the number of uninsured rises continually, and the federal government is failing to act, states simply must take the lead.

In the system that is in place, employers remain responsible for health care. Too many irresponsible large employers are simply refusing to provide coverage, passing costs on to individuals and taxpayers. States can implement measures to assure employers responsibility. Strong requirements, like those instituted in Maryland and New York City, or broad-based fees like those in effect in Vermont, are ways that states can compel sufficient employer contributions.

Ending much of the cost-shifting by extending coverage to more Americans is a noble goal. States can build on the federal State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to insure more of the nation's children. Changing eligibility rules for Medicaid would allow more people in. And a small handful of states, including Oregon and Wisconsin, are even looking into truly comprehensive solutions.

Finally, states can help fight health-care inflation through innovative programs to control the cost of prescription drugs through bargaining, purchasing pools, and performance testing. Medicaid rules can be reformed to prevent overcharges. Pay-for-Performance standards will increase quality while cutting costs, as will the expansion of information technology.

3. Wage Standards and Workplace Freedom: The past three decades have witnessed stagnating wages, even with productivity levels high. Young Americans just entering the workforce need motivation in the face of this pressure. State and local governments are a fine arena for progressives to approach the problem of raise wages. Prevailing-wage and living-wage laws can ensure that taxpayer money is not used to support poor wages that hurt the labor economy. Economic development funds can be leveraged, as they now are in Idaho, into better-paying jobs as a stipulation of government assistance for business ventures. Specific industries can also simply be singled out for higher wage rates. Various cities have targeted large employers, hotels, retail stores, and tourist zones.

In addition to new wage policies, progressives should embrace mechanisms to better enforce existing labor standards. Companies should be held accountable for the actions of subcontractors. Standards for independent contractors and day laborers can be raised. Penalties can be raised. And private citizens and legal services can be given additional resources and authority to blow the whistle on corporate malfeasance.