Take Action to Protect Democracy in MA

An outrageous undermining of democracy right here on Beacon Hill

Yesterday, on Wednesday, January 4, state legislators were sworn in for the beginning of the new legislative session in Massachusetts: the 193rd session of the General Court.

But rather than swear in 160 representatives, the MA House only swore in 158.

That’s because Speaker Ron Mariano has refused to seat two Democratic women who narrowly flipped Republican districts.

Margaret Scarsdale won the open race for the 1st Middlesex district by 7 votes. The election was certified after a thorough recount.

Kristin Kassner defeated incumbent Republican Lenny Mirra in the 2nd Essex district by 1 vote. The election was certified after a thorough recount.

Rather than seat Scarsdale and Kassner, Mariano chose to delay and appoint a three-member legislative commission to review pending Republican lawsuits. This committee is operating without a formal timeline, and the House has chosen to allow Republican Rep. Lenny Mirra to occupy the seat that he lost in the interim — undermining the will of the voters. Indeed, Mirra’s lawsuit has already been thrown out in court.

This is a dangerous precedent for our Legislature to set. Write to Speaker Mariano and his appointees that such a delay is not acceptable and that they should seat Kassner and Scarsdale promptly.

We Protected the Work & Family Mobility Act on the Ballot. Make Sure It Gets Implemented Right

Earlier this month, because of the work of supporters like you, we were able to protect the Work & Family Mobility Act on the ballot and ensure that all qualified drivers, regardless of immigration status, will be able to obtain a driver’s license.

But the work isn’t done. The bill has to be implemented properly.

The Registry of Motor Vehicles is currently accepting public comment on a set of draft regulations for implementing the bill. These regulations, which impose unnecessary restrictions to getting a license, are extremely concerning to those of us who advocated for this law.

Please email the RMV with the Driving Families Forward Coalition’s recommended changes.

So many years of organizing went into making this victory possible: we need to make sure it gets implemented properly.

A real Halloween fright…not knowing your voting plan.

Wouldn’t it be terrifying if you didn’t having a voting plan?! Don’t worry we have all the resources you need to get your vote out, and help get your community to the polls as well!

Upcoming Election Deadlines

  • Vote by mail:
    • We strongly encourage you to submit your mail in ballot by November 1st so it reaches your town clerk or local elections office by November 8th. Your ballot will be counted as long as it’s postmarked by November 8th and arrives by November 12, but please don’t wait until then!
    • If you haven’t sent in a vote-by-mail application yet and wish to do so, you can download a form here. The deadline to receive your application is November 1st at 5 pm.
    • If you’ve already received your ballot, you can send it back via mail or via a dropbox near you. And if you want to confirm receipt, you can track your ballot.
    • If you’re unsure if you applied for a mail-in ballot, use track your ballot to check
  • Vote early in person:
    • Early voting is available across the state, and each community has their own dates/deadlines. You can find locations in your community here.
  • Vote on Election Day:
    • The deadline for registering to vote has passed.
    • You can confirm your polling place at wheredoivotema.com.

Beyond voting, you can help ensure Progressive wins on Election day by helping advocate for Yes on 1 and Yes on 4.

  • Join the Progressive Mass Yes on 1 and 4 joint phonebank next week:
    • https://tinyurl.com/Yeson1and4Nov1
  • Find a canvass near you for Yes on 1:
    • https://www.mobilize.us/fairshareamendment2022/
  • Sign up for a YES on 1 phone bank:
    • https://www.mobilize.us/fairshareamendment2022/event/476323/
  • Volunteer for YES on 4:
    • https://saferroadsma.com/events/
  • Tell 10 friends or neighbors to be sure to vote for Yes on 1 and Yes on 4, and share the accurate information on Question 1.

The Legislature’s Grade for this Session? INCOMPLETE

Earlier this week, a coalition of 79 organizations and residents across the Commonwealth sent a letter asking the MA Legislature to come back and pass key policies that were left on the table at the end of the formal legislative session.

  • Can you call your legislator today to demand they reconvene for a special session?
  • Will you join us and allies for a rally outside the State House on Friday, October 28, from 4-5pm?
Special Session Rally Outside the State House: Friday, October 28, 4 pm to 5 pm

(graphic credit: Families for Justice as Healing)

Although the formal legislative session ended on July 31, the current Legislative session does not actually end until the beginning of January.

That’s right: the Legislature has more than two months in which they could come back and finish their work, rather than let Baker’s vetoes or intra-chamber bickering doom key policies like

  • The Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium, which would enact a five year pause on jail and prison construction and expansion
  • No cost calls for incarcerated people without amendments that would increase pretrial detention
  • Funding for hybrid meetings so towns can make local government accessible to residents by offering virtual attendance options
  • The HOMES Act, which would allow people to seal their eviction records so they can access housing
  • Funding for VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) to prevent cuts to services for sexual and domestic violence survivors

All of these policies have broad support in the Legislature, but they didn’t make it across the finish line on July 31st because of Baker’s late-breaking vetoes or the inability of our State Senate and State House to come to an agreement on how to respond.

Let’s be clear: those are not good excuses when the need for all of these policies is so great. So let’s take action.

  • Can you call your legislator today to demand they reconvene for a special session?
  • Will you join us for a rally outside the State House on Friday October 28 from 4-5pm?

Wanted: Reliable Funding for Transportation in Mass

Today marked the first day of the month-long shutdown of the Orange Line, which will cause disruption across the entire Boston metro area (lots of lateness, lots of traffic, lots more pollution, and the list goes on). But this was a long time coming.

The shutdown of the Orange Line shows what happens when we fail to properly maintain our transportation infrastructure: hundreds of thousands of people’s lives are affected, with more difficult commutes to work and to school whether by bus, by train, by car, by bike, or by foot. When a bridge, road, or transit line anywhere in Massachusetts is forced to close abruptly due to safety issues, our entire economy suffers.

That’s why we’re fighting for the Fair Share Amendment: Yes on Question 1. Question 1 will provide significant new resources to maintain our transportation infrastructure across the state before another crisis occurs, and only those who earn more than $1 million a year will pay more.

With Question 1, we’ll have more money to invest in the MBTA, as well as in roads, bridges, highways, and rail and bus service across the state.

But that victory won’t come without your help.

Can you sign up to phone bank or canvass for the Fair Share campaign?

TOMORROW—Saturday, August 20

Roxbury

Worcester

South End

Leominster

SUNDAY, August 21

Acton/Boxborough Farmers Market

Brookline

Cambridge

Dorchester

Lynn

MONDAY, August 22

Virtual Statewide Phonebank

Belmont

TUESDAY, August 23

Needham

Somerville

WEDNESDAY, August 24

Chicopee

Clinton

Quincy

Newton

THURSDAY, August 25

Andover

Quincy

Salem

Woburn

Worcester

Take Action: The Work from the Legislative Session Remains Unfinished

Last Sunday, the last day of the formal Legislative Session, the MA Legislature sent a lightly amended climate bill back to Governor Charlie Baker, accepting a few of his amendments but rejecting others. (See the changes here.)

The next step is simple: Charlie Baker needs to sign it.

If he signs it or even if he takes no action, it becomes law. If he vetoes it, it is dead until next year unless the Legislature comes back into session.

Call Baker’s office at 617-725-4005 and urge him to sign the climate bill.

Here’s a sample script you can use:

“I urge you to quickly sign H5050: An Act driving clean energy and offshore wind into law. This bill will support much needed progress to reduce our state emissions 50% by 2030 as required by law. It will expand clean energy, transportation electrification, and building decarbonization measures while creating jobs and helping reach statewide emissions reduction targets.”

Sign the Climate Bill, Charlie

Tell the Legislature: Finish Your Job!
A few weeks ago, the Legislature was on track to end the Legislative Session with important victories of passing a five-year prison moratorium and No Cost Calls legislation.
The five-year prison moratorium, passed in a bond bill, would have put a pause on new prison construction in order to allow time for communities to focus on building alternatives. Prisons and jails cannot guarantee public safety; only investing in community well-being and stability can. Even more, no one builds new prison capacity without a desire to use it: every new prison built is a commitment to lock up individuals for decades into the future.
Moreover, right now, families are charged exorbitant fees to maintain vital connections with incarcerated loved ones (sometimes $5 or $6 for a 15-minute call). This is a regressive tax on the most vulnerable populations of the Commonwealth that also harms public safety by limiting communication and weakening community bonds. The No Cost Calls legislation, passed via the budget, would have ended this predatory practice and provided such calls for free.
But both victories are now at risk due to Charlie Baker’s malice and the Legislature’s delays.

Yesterday, Charlie Baker shamefully vetoed the prison moratorium language. With the Legislature not in session, they are unable to override him.

Last week, Baker also tried to hold the No Cost Calls language hostage to his effort to expand pre-trial detention and take away due process rights. While the House rightly rejected Baker’s push, the Senate insisted on passing a still harmful, narrower version of Baker’s bill, dooming No Cost Calls for the session. (Read our write-up of what went down — and how your legislators voted — here.)

We are joining our allies at Families for Justice as Healing and the #KeepFamiliesConnected coalition to demand a special session in September to 1) override Baker’s veto of the Prison Moratorium and 2) pass No Cost Calls with no amendments.

Call and email you State Rep and Senator (a helpful guide from Families for Justice as Healing)
Find your legislator: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

Script: “Hello my name is _________________ and I’m your constituent. The legislature left too much business unfinished this session. I am asking you to call for a special session in September and stay in session until you 1) override Governor Baker’s veto of the Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium and 2) pass no cost calls with no amendments that will expand criminalization or pretrial incarceration. We already know incarceration has failed to create safety and well-being. There is an active contract to study and design the new women’s prison- so we can’t wait for next session. Please do everything in your power to ensure the Prison Moratorium and No Cost Calls are passed into law.”

**You can also check how your Senator voted on no cost calls/pretrial detentionand either…


*Express disappointment and frustration that they would ignore the demands of organizations led by survivors and formerly incarcerated women who opposed the amendment and vote for expanding criminalization and pre-trial detention which will disproportionately impact people of color. The Senators who voted “yea” knew their vote would derail No Cost Calls.

*Thank your Senator for supporting No Cost Calls and opposing the regressive, reactionary amendment that will only increase racial disparities.

Urgent: Email Your State Senator to Protect No Cost Calls

This past week, Charlie Baker did something shameful.

The Legislature, much to their credit, had passed language in the budget to guarantee free phone calls for incarcerated individuals, ending the predatory practice of prisons and jails charging incarcerated individuals and their families exorbitant costs to stay connected.

All Charlie Baker had to do was sign it. Instead, he is trying to hold the No Cost Calls language hostage as a way to pass one of his own legislative priorities: a bill to weaken due process protections and expand pre-trial detention. Black and Latino electeds in the MA House rightly condemned this move as abhorrent.

Yesterday, the House voted overwhelmingly to reject Baker’s ploy. (If your state rep is among the 122 NAY votes here, you should thank them. NAY = against Baker’s amendment)

House Vote Rejecting Baker Dangerousness Amendment

But the Legislative session is about to end, and the State Senate has not yet voted to reject Baker’s amendment and to protect No Cost Calls and due process.

If you have time TONIGHT, email your State Senator to tell them to reject Charlie Baker’s amendment and to extend the Legislative session if they have to in order to preserve their own legislative victories.

2 am update: Unfortunately, the MA Senate chose not to listen to advocates like Jane Doe Inc. and Families for Justice as Healing and still passed a version of Baker’s dangerousness bill, which will expand incarceration and put No Cost Calls at risk. Thank you to the 8 senators who voted no.

Take Action: What Your State Legislators Need to Do Before Sunday

The formal legislative session for the MA State House ends Sunday, July 31. That means the Legislature has to act fast on a number of key priorities.

An End of Session TO DO LIST for the MA Senate!

Your state senator needs to hear from YOU about the following:

  • Protecting tenants by ensuring that Section 135C (HOMES Act) from the Senate economic development bill, which would create a process for sealing eviction records, remains in the final conference committee report
  • Upholding No Cost Calls language from the budget that would end the predatory practice of charging incarcerated individuals and their loved ones for phone calls, and rejecting Governor Baker’s attempt to block this important victory and force the Legislature to pass his proposal to weaken due process protections
  • Passing the Recommendations of the Special Commission on Facial Recognition Technology, because Massachusetts needs tighter rules around the use of face surveillance technology in order to protect our civil liberties and community safety
  • Safeguarding MA’s gun laws in the wake of recent Supreme Court ruling
  • Speaking up for the State House Employee Union and calling for the necessary steps to ensure that they are duly recognized as a union and able to collectively bargain
  • Not giving the final word on any legislation to Governor Baker and calling for a special session if need be to do right by the Legislature’s accomplishments

Write to them here!

An End of Session TO DO LIST for the MA House!

Your state representative needs to hear from YOU about the following:

  • Strengthening our child care infrastructure by passing H.4795: An Act to Expand Access to High-Quality, Affordable Early Education and Care, which would increase the affordability of child care for families, raises for early educators, and stability for child care providers
  • Protecting tenants by ensuring that Section 135C (HOMES Act) from the Senate economic development bill, which would create a process for sealing eviction records, remains in the final conference committee report
  • Upholding No Cost Calls language from the budget that would end the predatory practice of charging incarcerated individuals and their loved ones for phone calls, and rejecting Governor Baker’s attempt to block this important victory and force the Legislature to pass his proposal to weaken due process protections
  • Speaking up for the State House Employee Union and calling for the necessary steps to ensure that they are duly recognized as a union and able to collectively bargain
  • Not giving the final word on any legislation to Governor Baker and calling for a special session if need be to do right by the Legislature’s accomplishments

Write to them here!

And Lastly, A Quick Call to Governor Baker

The Legislature’s Infrastructure Bond Bill contains language for a 5-year pause on prison construction. Although the final version falls short of what advocates pushed for, it sets a precedent and provides a baseline of protection against brand new jail and prison construction and some limitations on expansion.

Call Charlie Baker at (617) 725-4005 to urge him to sign it, and find additional resources from this toolkit from Families for Justice as Healing (from where the script below comes):

“Hello, my name is _______________ and I’m calling to ask you to sign the Infrastructure Bond Bill including the Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium. Massachusetts needs a 5 year pause on new jail and prison construction so we can focus on implementing alternatives and investing in community-led solutions for real safety and well-being. I am also asking you to use your last months in service of racial and gender justice by granting clemency for women who are older than 50, who are sick, who are survivors of violence, and who have served longer than 10 years. We should empty Framingham prison – not rebuild it. Thank you.”

What to Do Before the Legislative Session Ends on Sunday

The legislative session in the MA State House ends this Sunday. That’s right: whatever doesn’t happen between now and Sunday will have to wait until next year.

But we know that so many things can’t wait.

Email Your State Legislators: MA Needs the HOMES Act

Last week, the Senate passed the HOMES Act as part of its economic development bill.

The moment that an eviction case is filed, a tenant has an eviction record for life. These eviction records are unfairly held against people when they try to rent a new place. Tenants should be able to seal their eviction record when they have done nothing wrong, when they pay what they owe, or when their case is dismissed or resolved.

The HOMES Act language will protect many tenants from being unfairly marked with an eviction record and would establish a fair process for tenants to petition the court on a case-by-case basis.

The Senate and House are right now working on reconciling the differences between the House and Senate bills.

The House did not include this essential tenant protection in their bill, and it’s vital that the HOMES Act remains in the final package.

Can you email your state legislators about the importance of keeping the HOMES Act in the final economic development bill?

Tell Charlie Baker: Sign the Climate Bill!

Last Thursday, the House and Senate passed climate legislation that, among other things, invests in off-shore wind and solar energy, accelerates the transition to electric vehicles, and ends renewable energy credits for wood-burning power plants (read our write-up here).

Please get this important legislation over the finish line! Urge Governor Baker to sign the bill ASAP with no changes.

Call Governor Baker at 617-725-4005 or (toll-free) 888-870-7770

Sample message:

“Hi, my name is ________ and I live in _____________. I urge the Governor to sign the climate bill into law as soon as possible, with no changes. I support ending clean energy subsidies for woody biomass. It’s crazy to burn wood for electricity.”

An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind

Two Emails You Can Send Today in Support of Gender Equity

The end of the legislative session is coming up fast, and today we wanted to highlight one email that you can send to your state senator and one to your state rep to advance a more equitable commonwealth.

One Email to Your Senator

Your senator needs to hear from you about two simple but transformative steps MA can take to advance gender equity.

(1) We Need Wage Equity Now

In 2016, the Massachusetts Legislature passed an equal pay law, aimed at closing the gender wage gap. But without good data and tracking, the law is hard to implement: indeed, some numbers point to a widening of the gap since then.

That’s why passing the Wage Equity Now bill (S.2721) is so important. The bill would require all employers — private, non-profit, and governmental — with 100 or more employees to report the average wages by gender, race, and ethnicity for the entire organization, and to publish wage ranges in job applications and postings. This data would offer a vital tool for creating accountability and measuring progress.

The bill is currently sitting in the Senate Ways & Means Committee, and your senator needs to hear from you about the importance of bringing it to the floor.

(2) Gender Justice & Housing Justice

The Senate is taking up an economic development bill later this week. Last session, the Legislature passed a version of the HOMES Act, which would create a process for sealing eviction records. Governor Baker vetoed it, and the Legislature didn’t have the time to override him.

The housing crisis is a gender equity issue. Studies have shown that women, and especially women of color, face higher rates of eviction than men, and households headed by single mothers have some of the highest eviction rates.

Currently, in Massachusetts, even if a tenant wins in eviction court, their eviction record is public and permanent, creating a lasting impact on their ability to find housing and jobs.

That’s why State Senator Lydia Edwards filed Amendment #18 to the Senate’s economic development bill. Amendment #18 will protect tenants from being unfairly marked with an eviction record and establish a fair process for tenants to petition the court on a case-by-case basis and provide that:

  • Tenants can petition to seal immediately after a case is dismissed or there is a judgment in their favor.
  • Tenants facing a no-fault eviction can seal their records after the conclusion of the case.
  • Tenants facing a non-payment eviction can seal their record within 14 days of satisfying a judgment.
  • Tenants facing a fault eviction can seal their records after 3 years.
  • Tenant screening companies cannot report and landlords cannot use a sealed court record to screen tenants.

Can you email your state senator in support of both of these measures?

One Email to Your State Rep

On July 7th, the Senate voted unanimously to pass bill S.2973, An Act to Expand Access to High-Quality, Affordable Early Education and Care. This bill is a significant step forward in transforming the child care system in MA, including more affordability for families, early educator raises, and stability for child care providers.

Join the Common Start Coalition in calling on the House to advance their version of the bill, H.4795, and to bring it to the floor for a vote by the end of the legislative session on July 31st.

Can you email your state rep about the need for action on affordable child care?