A #FlashbackFriday about Disenfranchisement in MA and What You Can Do Today

Although we often think of the history of voting rights in the US as one of ever-forward motion, Massachusetts stands as an outlier. In the late 1990s, after incarcerated individuals in MCI-Norfolk started organizing for better conditions, Republican Governor Bill Cellucci and the MA Legislature responded with retaliation: a multi-step process of disenfranchisement. In 2000, Massachusetts voters approved a constitutional amendment to prohibit people incarcerated for felonies in state prison from voting in state elections; the subsequent year, Cellucci signed a law to extend this prohibition to federal and municipal elections. Our commonwealth did something rare in recent history: it took away the right to vote from a category of people who were formerly enfranchised.

But the tide is turning. On Wednesday, the Joint Committee on Election Laws took the significant step of giving a favorable report to S.8/H.26, constitutional amendments filed by Sen. Liz Miranda and Adam Gomez and Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven that would ensure that incarceration never leads to a loss of voting rights.

Urge your legislators to support the bill and advocate for its advancement in an upcoming constitutional convention.

And in upcoming events….

Wednesday, May 3: Higher Ed for All Speakout

Celebrate graduates and ensure that debt-free public higher ed is an option for future generations!

The Massachusetts State House will soon be considering the Cherish Act (S.816 / H.1260) and Debt-Free Bill (S.823 / H.1265). Collectively, these bills call for debt-free public higher education, increased student supports, better wages and working conditions, and green/healthy buildings.

Join the Higher Ed for All coalition on the State House steps and share your testimony alongside graduates, students, faculty, librarians, staff, and community from across the commonwealth!

  • 12:00-12:55 PM: Speak Out
  • 12:55 PM: Group Photo
Higher Ed for All

Thursday, May 4: Medicare for All Lobby Day

The Medicare for All Lobby Day will take place on Thursday, May 4, from 10AM to 3PM at the State House. RSVP here to let Mass-Care know you can join!

Show Some Love to These Bills

Today is Valentine’s Day, a great opportunity to give some love to the bills on our 2023-2024 Legislative Agenda.

These bills would…

  • help us invest in our future
  • strengthen our child care infrastructure
  • improve our public education systems
  • make our state more affordable to live in
  • shift our criminal legal system toward rehabilitation and community well-being
  • make our state more welcoming of all residents in their diverse identities and backgrounds
  • accelerate an equity-centered transition to renewable energy
  • increase participation in our democracy

What’s not to LOVE?

Please reach out to your state legislators about our new legislative agenda for the session!

Write to your legislators here!

Read more about all the bills we’re supporting.

Help Communicate About Common Start in Your Local Community

The Common Start Coalition is looking for volunteers to help communicate about the Common Start agenda (affordable, high-quality early education and child care for all Massachusetts families) in local newspapers, cable access TV programs, and radio stations across the state.

Are you interested in writing a letter to the editor about Common Start in your local newspaper and/or going on a local cable access TV or radio program in your community to talk about Common Start? Please fill out this formto express your interest in communicating about Common Start!

Higher Ed for All Advocacy Day: Tuesday, 2/28

Higher Ed for All

Affordable high-quality public higher education is essential to expand opportunity in all of our communities and create a more equitable and prosperous Commonwealth. Higher Ed For All is advocating for fully funded community colleges, state universities, and UMass campuses to knock down the barriers that too many potential college graduates’ encounter.

The Higher Ed for All coalition will be having an Advocacy Day at the State House on Tuesday, February 28. Never been to a lobby day before? There will be trainings in advance.

Follow-up to Last Week’s Prison Moratorium Lobby Day

Have a few minutes for a quick action? Call Governor Healey and leave a message about why it’s time to put a pause on new prisons and jails: bit.ly/massmoratoriumguide.

What’s Coming Up This Month

Last week, we rolled our legislative agenda, and events are already popping up to help fight for the bills in it.

Reminder: Our Legislative Agenda

Please reach out to your state legislators about our new legislative agenda for the session!

Thursday, 2/9: Prison Moratorium State House for a Day of Action

The Healey administration is advancing the new women’s prison project, and now is the time to come together to stop it once and for all. This Thursday at 3 pm, join Families for Justice as Healing at the Massachusetts State House to let Governor Healey and Legislature that we do not need to build new prisons. Meet at the front steps of the State House on Beacon St for a rally with speakers, signs, and music and then we will go inside the building. You will get materials to drop off at legislator’s offices about the urgency to pass the Prison Moratorium NOW and other legislation to reduce the number of people incarcerated in MA. RSVP HERE.

Prison Moratorium Rally on 2/9 at the State House

Have a few minutes today for a quick action? Call Governor Healey and leave a message about why it’s time to put a pause on new prisons and jails: bit.ly/massmoratoriumguide.

Higher Ed for All Advocacy Day: Tuesday, 2/28

Higher Ed for All

Affordable high-quality public higher education is essential to expand opportunity in all of our communities and create a more equitable and prosperous Commonwealth. Higher Ed For All is advocating for fully funded community colleges, state universities, and UMass campuses to knock down the barriers that too many potential college graduates’ encounter.

The Higher Ed for All coalition will be having an Advocacy Day at the State House on Tuesday, February 28. Never been to a lobby day before? There will be trainings in advance.

  • RSVP for the Advocacy Day at the State House on Tuesday, February 28.
  • RSVP for an Advocacy Day Training on February 16 or February 21.