The MA Senate Passed the VOTES Act 36 to 3. Here’s a Recap.

VOTE buttons

Earlier this evening, the MA Senate voted 36 to 3 to pass the VOTES Act (S.2545: An Act fostering voter opportunities, trust, equity and security), a vital election reform bill that would create a permanent option for vote-by-mail, expand early voting opportunities, and enact Same Day Registration and jail-based voting reforms. The 3 NO votes came from the chamber’s 3 Republicans.

Here’s a deeper dive on what the bill does:

Permanent No-Excuse Mail-In Voting

  • Requires the Secretary of the Commonwealth to send out mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters on July 15 of every even-numbered year.
  • Guarantees postage for mail-in ballot applications and ballots.
  • Ensures the counting of any ballots received by 5PM on the third day after the biennial state election.
  • Gives municipalities the option to set up secure drop boxes for mail-in ballots.
  • Allows election officials to pre-process mail-in and early voting ballots in advance of Election Day.

Same Day Registration

  • Enables individuals to register to vote during early voting periods and on Election Day.

Expanded Early Voting

  • Requires two weeks (including two weekends) of early voting in-person for biennial state elections and any municipal elections held on the same day.
  • Requires one week (including one weekend) of early voting in-person for a presidential or state primary and any municipal elections held on the same day.
  • Allows municipalities to opt-in to early voting in-person for all other municipal elections.

Jail-Based Voting Reforms

  • Ensures that individuals who are incarcerated who are currently eligible to vote are provided with voting information and materials to exercise their right to vote.
  • Requires correctional facilities to display and distribute information about voting rights and procedures, as prepared by the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
  • Requires facilities to assist individuals who are incarcerated in registering, applying for, and returning mail ballots.
  • Ensures that individuals who are incarcerated are properly notified of their right to vote upon release and given the opportunity fill out a voter registration form.

The bill would also allow a voter with disabilities to request accommodations from the Secretary of the Commonwealth to vote by mail (including electronic and accessible instructions, ballot application, ballot, and a voter affidavit that can be submitted electronically) and requires the Secretary of the Commonwealth to enroll Massachusetts in the the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), which helps states keep more accurate voting rolls, no later than July 1, 2022. States in ERIC received regular, securely generated reports on that show voters who have moved within their state, voters who have moved out of state, voters who have died, duplicate registrations in the same state, and individuals who are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. Galvin was required to join this by the Automatic Voter Registration bill passed in 2018 but has not yet done so.


Good Amendments That Passed

During floor debate, the Senate passed several amendments to strengthen the bill.

Amendment #1, filed by Adam Hinds (D-Hinds) and backed by the Democracy Behind Bars Coalition, strengthened the Jail-Based Voting language in the bill by being more clearly directive in instructions for houses of corrections (e.g., requiring that incarcerated individuals be provided access to sufficient writing instruments to fill out applications or ballots), prohibiting the opening of ballots or delaying of mailing them by correctional staff, requiring that incarcerated individuals be provided information about their voting rights and a (postage-paid) voter registration form upon release, and requiring quarterly reports from houses of correction to the Secretary of the Commonwealth about newly incarcerated individuals who would be eligible to vote and newly released individuals who had been incarcerated with felony convictions and would be now eligible to vote again.

Amendment #13, filed by Julian Cyr (D-Truro), which extended the deadline for submitting vote-by-mail applications from 7 business days before the election to 7 days before.

Amendments #18 & 19, filed by Becca Rausch (D-Needham), which clarified language in the underlying bill to ensure that vote-by-mail and Same Day Registration provisions apply to municipal elections as well.

Amendment #33, filed by Becca Rausch (D-Needham), which made police presence at the polls on Election Day optional as opposed to required for municipalities, reflecting a change made in the bill for early voting sites.

Amendment #35, filed by Becca Rausch (D-Needham), which would require a robust, multi-language public awareness campaign about the reforms in the bill.

Good Amendments That Were Voted Down

Unfortunately, the Senate voted down many other good amendments, often by voice vote, such as amendments from Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Jamaica Plain) about transliteration of ballots and pre-registration in houses of corrections; an amendment from Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) on automatic registration at houses of corrections; and amendments from Becca Rausch (D-Needham) to provide for enforcement of the language around ERIC, require polling locations near college campuses, move the state primary to June, and allow voters to return mail ballots at their regular polling place.

Three of Rausch’s amendments received recorded votes.

Paid Time Off for Voting: Amendment #4, filed by Rausch, would have required that all workers be able to take 2 hours of paid time off to vote, ensuring that a work schedule is not a barrier to participating in our democracy. The amendment failed 12 to 26. Barry Finegold (D-Andover) spoke for Senate Leadership against the amendment but did not make any substantive arguments against it.

Drop Box Accessibility: Amendment #17, filed by Rausch, would have required at least one secure, accessible drop box location per 25,000 registered voters in a municipality. It failed 13 to 25. Cindy Creem (D-Newton) argued for Senate Leadership against it, claiming that it would be too costly for cities and towns; if that was a real concern, then Senate Leadership could have decided to include the funds for it.

Permanent Vote-By-Mail Enrollment: Amendment #21, filed by Rausch, would have enabled voters to enroll in vote-by-mail on a permanent basis, rather than just election by election. It failed 7 to 31. Sen. Barry Finegold (D-Andover) argued against it for Senate Leadership, noting that people’s addresses change; however, the state’s enrollment in ERIC would address that issue.

Happy or disappointed with how your senator voted? Let them know.

Tackling Twin Crises of Climate Change and Inequality

Flooding

September 29, 2021

Chairman Barrett, Chairman Roy, and Members of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy:

I am submitting testimony in my capacity as Chair of the Issues Committee of Progressive Massachusetts. We urge a favorable report for S. 2226/H. 3365: An Act providing for building justice with jobs.

Progressive Massachusetts is a statewide grassroots advocacy group fighting for a Massachusetts that is more equitable, just, sustainable, and democratic. We are appreciative that the Legislature began the session by passing the Next Generation Roadmap bill. But if we are to meet the targets set out in the bill (and go even further), we must take additional action to address the emissions across sectors. These bills, filed by Sen. Marc Pacheco and Reps. Maria Robinson and David LeBoeuf, would be a powerful step toward doing so.

After the transportation sector, the residential sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state. However, many homes—notably in underserved communities—are older and must be retrofitted in order to achieve maximum energy efficiency. At the same time, many underserved communities where unemployment remains a significant problem would benefit greatly from programs that address retrofitting. 

The Building Justice with Jobs bill would do so by adopting housing regulations mandating minimum energy efficiency, energy performance, or related energy standards and by putting thousands of MA residents to work retrofitting 100,000 homes each year to improve energy efficiency and health outcomes, as well as reduce utility bills and carbon emissions.

We can address both the climate crisis and the inequality crisis at the same time; indeed, we have to. 

Sincerely,

Jonathan Cohn

Chair, Issues Committee

Progressive Massachusetts

Testimony in Support of Data Equity & Indigenous Peoples Day

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Dear Chairman Pacheco, Chairman Cabral, and Members of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight:

My name is Jonathan Cohn, and I am the chair of the Issues Committee at Progressive Massachusetts, a statewide grassroots advocacy group working to advance progressive policy here in the Commonwealth.

We would like to go on record in support of two bills being heard today: H.3115 (An Act Ensuring Equitable Representation in the Commonwealth) and H.3191/S.2027 (An Act establishing an Indigenous Peoples Day).

The diversity in our Commonwealth is a source of our strength, and we are continuing to get more diverse. Our state programs, policies, and investments need to understand that diversity in its entirety, and that cannot happen without accurate data. The demographic groups in the Commonwealth are not monoliths, and without disaggregating the data, we risk erasing persistent social, economic, or educational inequalities.

All ethnic subgroups have different histories, background, needs, and challenges. Without accurate data broken down by detailed sub-ethnic groups, critical needs of some communities in areas such as language, economic status, education, and health could be left unmet. Indeed, they already are. We cannot correct the inequities that we cannot see, and we cannot see them without comprehensive data.

Government agencies that currently collect voluntary demographic data based on race or ethnicity of residents should include voluntary subgroup options for Asian, Pacific Islander, Latino, Black and African American, and White. This would highlight and uplift data representing communities including but not limited to Vietnamese, Cambodian, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Haitian, Cape Verdean, Ethiopian, Somalian, Puerto Rican, Salvadoran, Dominicans, and Colombians. We must also recognize the diversity within the Native American, Middle Eastern, and North African communities in Massachusetts, which currently have limited recognition by the Census Bureau.

According to a famous saying, we measure what we value. If we value the diversity of our state, and the importance of correcting systemic inequities, then we need to pass H.3115 as swiftly as possible.  

For decades, Christopher Columbus has been celebrated as a “hero” who “discovered America.” Indigenous people have made it clear that, to the contrary, these lands were invaded, not “discovered,” and that Columbus and his men were responsible for the enslavement, rape, and murder of countless Indigenous peoples in the Caribbean. Since the 1970s, Indigenous people have asked that Indigenous Peoples Day should instead be celebrated on the second Monday in October as a positive day to learn about and honor Indigenous history and peoples.

Our neighbors in Maine and Vermont already celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, as do an increasing number of cities and towns in Massachusetts. The Commonwealth should join them, and H.3191/S.2027: An Act establishing an Indigenous Peoples Day will make that happen.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Cohn

Chair, Issues Committee

Progressive Massachusetts

Celebrate National Voter Registration Day by Advocating for Democracy

VOTE buttons

Today (Tuesday, September 28) is National Voter Registration Day, and there couldn’t be a better day to reflect on how we can eliminate the unnecessary barriers people face to participating in our democracy.

This fall, the MA Legislature will likely pass an election reform package that makes permanent the popular voting reforms from the past two years like expanded early voting and vote-by-mail. However, just passing those alone is not enough. We have an opportunity to pass an ambitious bill that finally tackles some of the enduring obstacles to participation.

Tell your legislators that we need the strongest possible voting rights package this fall.

What does that mean?

It means passing Same Day Registration so that all eligible voters can register to vote or update their registration at the polls.

And that means passing strong language around Jail-Based Voting to end the de facto disenfranchisement that too often happens behind the wall and leaves returning citizens unsure about their rights.

We can pass a strong bill that includes such reforms, but for that to happen, your legislators need to be hearing from you.

Upcoming Events

Drawing Democracy Coalition to Release Unity Maps

The Drawing Democracy Coalition will be revealing its unity maps for state legislative redistricting @ 1 pm. Tune in on Facebook to learn more about our proposal for fair districts and how we can build political power for BIPOC, immigrant & low-income communities.

Drawing Democracy Coalition Unity Map Reveal

Rally to Defend Abortion: Saturday, 10/2

This Saturday, October 2, please join allies NARAL MA, ACLU of Massachusetts, and Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts for the Boston Rally to Defend Abortion.

Abortion access and reproductive freedom are under attack across the country. Texas’ SB8 has emboldened anti-abortion politicians to propose copycat laws in their states. To make matters worse, the United States Supreme Court, which allowed this blatantly unconstitutional law to stand, is set to hear the most consequential challenge to abortion rights in thirty years, on December 1.

As a national model for reproductive freedom, Massachusetts must lead the fight to defend abortion.

Boston Rally to Defend Abortion!

Saturday, October 2, 12-1:30pm

Franklin Park Playstead

Pierpont Road, Boston MA

VOTES Act Lobby Day

On Wednesday, October 6, the Election Modernization Coalition is hosting a Lobby Day for the VOTES Act Lobby from 12 Noon to 1:30 PM via Zoom.

As a reminder, the VOTES Act (S.459) would implement many of the reforms that Massachusetts voters have grown used to, like voting by mail and early in-person voting, along with new reforms like Same Day Registration (SDR) and risk-limiting audits.

RSVP for the Lobby Day here.

Support Indigenous Peoples Day

The Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight is hearing testimony today in support of honoring Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday of October.

You can write to your legislators in support here.

The Next Step for Police Accountability: Tackling QI

Qualified Immunity

September 23, 2021

Chairman Eldridge, Chairman Day, and Members of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary:

I am submitting testimony in my capacity as Chair of the Issues Committee of Progressive Massachusetts. We urge a favorable report for S.945, An Act to allow restitution for civil rights violations, and S. 946, An Act to Secure Civil Rights Through the Courts of the Commonwealth.

Progressive Massachusetts is a statewide grassroots advocacy group fighting for a Massachusetts that is more equitable, just, sustainable, and democratic. We are appreciative of the work that the Legislature did last session in passing police accountability legislation that created better standards for police professionalization as well as stronger limitations on the use of force. But there is more work to be done. 

One area that was insufficiently addressed last session was qualified immunity (QI). QI is a court-made doctrine that shields police from accountability and prevents victims of police brutality from having their fair day in court. The QI doctrine holds that, unless a perfectly matched precedent can be found in which an officer was held accountable for violating someone’s constitutional rights, then the officer cannot be held accountable, even in cases where the victim has to incur significant medical expenses.

This creates a perverse Catch-22: if a case of misconduct has not previously been found to be a “clearly established” violation of the law, then a case can’t proceed, but if it can’t proceed, then new precedent can’t be established.

If that sounds nonsensical to you, that is because it is, and we need to change it by reforming QI. These bills would rebalance the scales of justice in support of accountability. Under these bills, QI would apply only when the law is clear that the police did not violate the law. If an officer has doubt about whether an action is lawful, they should refrain from shooting first and justifying later.

The current doctrine of qualified immunity denies justice and reinforces the systemic racism of our criminal legal system. Since last summer, people around the state have been taking to the streets in support of bolder action on racial justice and police accountability. By passing S.945 and S.946, the Legislature can show that they are listening.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Cohn

Chair, Issues Committee

Progressive Massachusetts

Progressive Mass Trivia Night 2021

Missing the in-person parties of the weekend of the Democratic Party convention? Missing in-person parties in general?

Well, don’t let that deter you from having a good time! Join us for a trivia night and fundraiser.

Show off your knowledge of Massachusetts as well as MA pop culture and politics with fun questions — and even more fun prizes.

Reserve a ticket today!

Progressive Mass Trivia Night 2021

Friday, September 24, 7:30 pm to 9 pm

Zoom (link upon RSVP)

$25 per person

$100 per a group of 5 tickets

$100 to sponsor a question

Our Students Deserve an Inclusive Curriculum

Classroom

Monday, September 13, 2021

Chairman Lewis, Chairwoman Peisch, and Members of the Joint Committee on Education:

My name is Jonathan Cohn, and I am the chair of the Issues Committee at Progressive Massachusetts, a statewide grassroots advocacy group committed to a more equitable, just, democratic, and sustainable vision for Massachusetts.

We urge you to give a favorable report to S.365/H.584: An Act relative to anti-racism, equity and justice in education (Lewis – Elugardo / Uyterhoeven).

The events of the past year and a half have put a spotlight on the racial inequities in US society: the COVID-19 pandemic, the growing attention to police brutality since the George Floyd murder, and the rise of anti-Asian racism—not to mention how the January 6th attack on the US Capitol manifested the dark legacy of racism and white supremacy in our country’s past and present.

Our schools need to be equipping students with the tools and knowledge to understand the totality of our country’s history, to critically engage with current events, and to be agents of change in their communities. And we need to ensure that all students can see the contributions that people who look like them made to our nation’s history by teaching history in its fullest.

These bills would do so by creating a Commission for Anti-Racism and Equity in Education, with members chosen from advocacy groups, teacher and superintendent unions and associations, and parent groups, to develop curriculum materials with a social justice perspective and to ensure that ethnic studies and racial justice are taught at all grade levels using an analytical and age-appropriate approach. The Commission would also be tasked with advising the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on how best to support and retain teachers and school counselors of color and with ensuring that teachers and counselors have access to professional development that fosters an equitable and inclusive pedagogy.

Thank you for your work on this important legislation.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Cohn

Chair, Issues Committee

Progressive Mass

MA Can Do More to Protect Tenants from Eviction. Here’s How.

Last week, the right-wing Supreme Court ruled against the extension of the CDC’s federal eviction moratorium, putting millions of tenants at risk across the country.

While we wait for Congress to take action, we can take action here in Massachusetts by passing the COVID Housing Equity Bill.

Massachusetts has hundreds of millions of dollars in federal rental assistance, but the application process is complex and resources are not reaching tenants in time to prevent unnecessary evictions.

The COVID Housing Equity Bill complements and strengthens the work of these existing programs by (1) ensuring that landlords pursue and cooperate with rental assistance programs before evicting, (2) pausing no-fault evictions through March 2022, and (3) pausing residential foreclosures, among other steps.

Housing is a human right, and never has that been more clear than during a pandemic.

Can you contact your legislators in support of the COVID Housing Equity Bill?

Fair Share Amendment Advocate Training!

Next Thursday, at 6 pm, Raise Up Massachusetts will be holding a training call for the pledge card program for the Fair Share Amendment this fall.

Sign up to learn more about the plan for our campaign for the rest of 2021 and how you can most effectively advocate for the Fair Share Amendment!

There shouldn’t be a voter registration deadline.

If you live in Boston, Brockton, Framingham, Gloucester, Haverhill, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Newton, Peabody, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Somerville, or Worcester, then today is the last day to register to vote or update your registration before the September 14th preliminary. You can do that online here.

That, however, raises a key question: Why do we even have such a 20-day cutoff at all?

Our neighbors in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Connecticut all allow eligible voters to register or update their registration at the polls. In total, 20 states and DC have Same Day Registration.

So we know it’s possible. And we know it works: studies have shown that Same Day Registration is one of the best reforms for increasing voter participation.

When the MA House and MA Senate consider a voting reform package this fall to make some of last year’s changes permanent, it’s vital that Same Day Registration be a part of it.


Can you email your state legislators today in support of Same Day Registration?


Your Legislators Should Hear Your Story.

The pandemic has made many things clear, not least of which is how weak our child care infrastructure is.

And we can change that.

The Common Start Coalition is collecting a set of 1-2 minute videos to send to legislators to make the case for significant investment in the early education and care system, in anticipation of a bill later this legislative session. The Coalition plans to send legislators videos from parents, early educators, and advocates across the Commonwealth about the need for investment.

Please see the instructions below and contribute a video — or share your story via the online form here.

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VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS

Videos should be under 2 minutes long and can be shot from your cell phone. Please email videos to james@field-first.com and include the spelling of your full name and the city where you live in the email. This will help us determine the legislator for your district.

Outline for Video Testimony

Hi, I’m [name] from [city or town].
If it applies: I’m a [parent/family member/guardian.
I’m also [an essential worker, a childcare provider, a family care worker, working from home, unemployed, a business owner, an early educator, etc]. Child care is important to me because [fill in the blank].
When you have the opportunity to fund early education and childcare in Massachusetts, please remember my story because there are many others like me. Please invest in access to safe, high-quality, affordable child care.