The 191st legislative session in the MA State House has started. Join us in the fight for progressive policy.

STEP 1. Make sure you have YOUR state legislators' emails: http://progma.us/whosmylegislator-ma (put them in your contact list!)

STEP 2. Write an Email to Your State Rep and Your State Senator asking they Co-Sponsor the bills on the Progressive MA Legislative Agenda (sample email below) (click here for full list of bills, with descriptions, on our Legislative Agenda) 

OR

Call them and make sure to leave a message.

OR

Do both!

Step 2.

Yes -- on the whole it is usually better to call than email. But for this COSPONSORSHIP system, aides will prefer printing out your request list over hearing a 17 -item recitation on the phone. There is a way, though, to have the best of both worlds -- send your email (like below) and then call the next day to remind the office you're serious! 

SAMPLE EMAIL (with areas to fill in)

SUBJ: Co-Sponsorship of These Priorities

Dear Legislator,

I am writing to call your attention to the Progressive Mass Legislative Agenda for 2019-2020, which would put Massachusetts on the forefront of progressive policy, where it belongs.

The bills in the agenda would keeps Massachusetts moving forward in areas such as education, affordable housing, health care, civil rights, economic and racial equality, combating climate change, good government, voting access, while also fighting back against the troubling right-wing corporate agenda of President Trump and the Republican Congress.

Please show your commitment to this agenda by adding your name as a co-sponsor (I understand that the House deadline is February 1, while the Senate has no deadline).

Along with so many other voters (IN MY AREA/TOWN), I am concerned about what is coming from the Trump administration as well as [LONG-STANDING STATE/LOCAL ISSUES].

It is really important that my elected officials stand up and make a clear commitment to moving the Commonwealth forward, at a time when many Massachusetts residents are deeply anxious and concerned about the direction of their country, while also making a difference in the lives of everyday people.

The list of bills  is below, with further information available via Progressive Mass (progressivemass.com/legislativeagenda).

I would also be happy to find out more information if you require it.

• • Fair Share Amendment (SD.1709/HD.3300): Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution to provide resources for education and transportation through an additional tax on incomes in excess of one million dollars (Lewis - O’Day)
  • Fully Funding Our Public Schools / PROMISE Act (SD.101/HD.434): An Act providing rightful opportunities and meaningful investment for successful and equitable education (Chang-Diaz -- Keefe/Vega)
  • Debt-Free College (SD.1415/HD.3113): An Act to guarantee debt-free public higher education (Eldridge-Higgins)
  • Affordable Child Care & Early Ed (SD.1744 / HD.1879): An Act relative to affordable and accessible high quality early education and care (Friedman - Gordon)
  • Medicare for All (SD.2062/HD.2974): An Act establishing medicare for all in Massachusetts (Eldridge - Sabadosa/Garlick)
  • Real Estate Transfer Fee & Affordable Housing Funding (SD.334/HD.414): An Act supporting affordable housing with a local option for a fee to be applied to certain real estate transactions (Boncore - Connolly)
  • Safe Communities Act (SD.926/HD.1520): An Act to protect the civil rights and safety of all Massachusetts residents (Eldridge - Balser/Miranda)
  • Visitation Rights (SD.2137/HD.3011): An Act to strengthen inmate visitation (Chang-Diaz - Decker)
  • Eviction Sealing / HOMES Act (SD.526/HD.3815): An Act promoting Housing Opportunity and Mobility through Eviction Sealing (Boncore - Moran)
  • Comprehensive Reproductive Rights / ROE Act (SD.109/HD.2548): An Act to remove obstacles and expand abortion access (Chandler - Haddad/Livingstone)
  • Same Day Registration (SD.1695/HD.3608): An Act relative to election day registration  (Creem - Malia)
  • Ranked Choice Voting (SD.768/HD.815): An Act to use of ranked choice voting in elections (Lewis - Vargas/Madaro)
  • Changing State House Culture (SD.1412/HD.2713): An Act promoting equality and respect in the legislature (Rausch - Sabadosa)
  • Environmental Justice (SD.1824/HD.3523): An Act relative to environmental justice and toxics reduction in the Commonwealth (Eldridge - DuBois/Miranda)
  • 100% Renewable Energy (SD.1625 / HD.3092): An Act transitioning Massachusetts to 100 percent renewable energy (Eldridge - Decker/Garballey)
  • Carbon Pricing (SD.1817 / HD.2370): An Act to Combat Climate Change (Barret) / An Act to Promote Green Infrastructure and Reduce Carbon Emissions* (Benson) [* = preference]

I hope you will be cosponsoring and fighting for a wide variety of bills that address the concerns of all residents of Massachusetts, and appreciate your consideration of the bills I’ve asked you to cosponsor.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely

[YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND CONTACT INFO]

SAMPLE CALL

Hello Representative/Senator [Last name of Legislator]

My name is ___________ and I live at ______________ I’m calling as your constituent to let you know that I support the Progressive Mass Legislative Agenda, and I hope you can commit to cosponsor these 16 progressive bills, which you can find at progressivemass.com/agenda. This agenda makes sure that Massachusetts is investing in our future, upholding the civil rights of all, and being a leader again on issues from voting rights to climate action. MA needs to both resist the dangerous agenda of the Trump administration and set the bar for progressive state policy. Please call me back at ____[Your Number]__ to confirm that you are supporting this agenda.

QUICK LINKS/RESOURCES:

• OVERVIEW OF OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, 2019-2020: progressivemass.com/agenda or (for brief explanations): /agenda-handout
• MORE INFORMATION ON THESE BILLS: progressivemass.com/2019factsheets
• OUR PROGRESSIVE PLATFORM (Values/Goals): progressivemass.com/platform
• TAKE ACTION (sample script): 
  progressivemass.com/legislativeagenda_action2019-2020

2019-2020 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

In national rankings, Massachusetts often fares better than other states, but when it comes to issues from educational equity to climate mitigation (and countless more), we are nowhere near where we need to be. A regressive tax code hinders our ability to invest in our future. The ever-rising cost of health care and housing proves prohibitive for far too many, reinforcing existing inequities. Systemic racism leads to communities and families being ripped apart and civil rights being disrespected. And our democracy fails to live up to its potential as neither the administration of our elections nor the culture of our State House has truly entered the twenty-first century. 

When cherished values and policies are being attacked on the national level by the Trump administration, it's all the more important for Massachusetts to be a leader. We're ready to right to make it one.

[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION - CLICK HERE - BRING WITH YOU TO LEGISLATOR VISITS THROUGHOUT 2019-2020]

Our Shared Prosperity 

• Fair Share Amendment (S.16 / H.86): Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution to provide resources for education and transportation through an additional tax on incomes in excess of one million dollars (Lewis - O’Day) Creates a 4% surtax on income above $1 million to fund education and transportation reinvestment.

  • Passed first necessary constitutional convention to get on the 2022 ballot
    

• Fully Funding Our Public Schools / PROMISE Act (S.238 / H.586): An Act providing rightful opportunities and meaningful investment for successful and equitable education (Chang-Diaz -- Keefe/Vega) Fixes our outdated school funding formula to more accurately and equitably distribute resources – giving all schools the funding they need to deliver high-quality education.

  • 11/26/19 update: The Student Opportunity Act (which contains most provisions of the PROMISE Act) is signed into law. 

• Debt-Free College (S.744 / H.1221): An Act to guarantee debt-free public higher education (Eldridge - Higgins) Creates a higher education system where every Massachusetts resident has a right to attend any public college or university free of tuition and fees.

  • 4/23/2020: Deadline for reporting the bill out of committee extended to 11/20.
    

• Affordable Child Care & Early Ed (S.288 / H.470): An Act relative to affordable and accessible high quality early education and care (Friedman - Gordon) Makes high-quality early education and child care affordable and accessible to all Massachusetts families.

  • Combined with other bills and reported out of committee as H.291: An Act ensuring high quality early education

• Medicare for All (S.683 / H.1194): An Act establishing medicare for all in Massachusetts (Eldridge - Sabadosa/Garlick) Establishes a single payer system, in which the state provides health care to all residents as a right.   

  • 4/29/2020: Received an extension from the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing to 6/19.
    

• Real Estate Transfer Fee & Affordable Housing Funding (S.773 / H.1769): An Act supporting affordable housing with a local option for a fee to be applied to certain real estate transactions (Boncore - Connolly) Enables cities and towns to assess a fee of 0.5-2% on residential and commercial real estate transactions, with the funds allocated to affordable housing trust funds.
  • 1/13/2020: Reported to a second reading by the House Committee on Steering & Policy

All Means All: Agenda for Racial and Social Justice

• Safe Communities Act (S.1401/H.3573): An Act to protect the civil rights and safety of all Massachusetts residents (Eldridge - Balser/Miranda) Limits local and state police collaboration with federal immigration agents, bars law enforcement and court personnel from inquiring about immigration status, and ensures due process protections.

  • 6/1/2020: Received an extension by the Joint Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety to 7/15.
    

• Visitation Rights (S.1379/H.2047): An Act to strengthen inmate visitation (Chang-Diaz - Decker) Strengthens and secures the rights of prisoners to receive visits and maintain relationships with their friends and loved ones without unnecessary interference from the state.

  • 4/27/2020: Reported out favorably from the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

• Eviction Sealing / HOMES Act (S.824/H.3566): An Act promoting housing opportunity and mobility through eviction sealing (Boncore - Moran) Requires the sealing of eviction records in order to combat housing discrimination.

  • 5/11/2020: Received an extension to 7/31/2020

• Comprehensive Reproductive Rights / ROE Act (S.1209/H.3320): An Act to remove obstacles and expand abortion access (Chandler - Haddad/Livingstone) Reforms our state’s abortion laws so that every person can control their own body, life, and future.

  • 5/11/2020: Received an extension to 7/31/2020

Good Government/Strong Democracy

• Election Day Registration (S.396 / H.685): An Act relative to election day registration  (Creem - Malia) Eliminates the arbitrary and discriminatory 20-day registration cutoff and allows eligible residents to register or re-register--and vote--at the polls on Election Day and during the early voting period.

  • 4/9/2020: Received an extension from the Joint Committee on Election Laws to 6/26.
    

• Ranked Choice Voting (S.414 / H.719): An Act to use of ranked choice voting in elections (Lewis - Vargas/Madaro) Adopts ranked choice voting for relevant elections, enabling voters to rank candidate preferences and ensuring that the ultimate winner commands a majority of support.
  • 2/5/2020: Received an extension from the Joint Committee on Election Laws to 6/26.

• Changing State House Culture (S.1898 / H.3572): An Act promoting equality and respect in the legislature (Rausch - Sabadosa) Creates an independent commission to investigate and report on complaints of workplace and sexual harassment in the Massachusetts Legislature.

Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment

• Environmental Justice (S.464 / H.761): An Act relative to environmental justice and toxics reduction in the Commonwealth (Eldridge - DuBois/Miranda) Codifies environmental justice into law and secures strong enforcement of the state’s current EJ policy.

  • 12/26/2019: Combined with other bills in H.4264
    

• 100% Renewable Energy (S.1958 / H.2836): An Act transitioning Massachusetts to 100 percent renewable energy (Eldridge - Decker/Garballey) Sets the goal of 100% renewable energy economy-wide by 2045 and 100% renewable electricity by 2035.

  • 2/5/2020: Received an extension from the Joint Committee on TUE to 6/4.

• Carbon Pricing (H.2810):  An Act to Promote Green Infrastructure and Reduce Carbon Emissions (Benson) Sets a price on carbon emissions to incentivize the transition to renewable energy, with parts of the resulting revenue allocated for green infrastructure

  • 2/5/2020: Received an extension from the Joint Committee on TUE to 6/4.

* take action!

Legislators can show their support for a bold progressive agenda by co-sponsoring these bills. But they won't unless they hear from you.  CLICK HERE for step by step action plan. And don't worry about the fact that the deadline for House bill co-sponsorships passed on February 1st. Representatives and senators can co-sponsor a Senate bill at any time.

Other Endorsed Legislation

Although we have chosen to prioritize the 16 pieces of legislation listed above, we also endorsed a number of other bills (listed below). We, as an organization, will not be able to be as active on them, but we encourage our members and chapters to keep these bills on their radar and incorporate them into local advocacy as directed by your community.

Our Shared Prosperity 

• S.1082 / H.1617: An Act requiring one fair wage (Jehlen - Farley-Bouvier) Phases out the discriminatory subminimum wage for tipped workers.
  
  • 2/5/2020: Received an extension by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development to 6/5/2020

• S.1066 / H.1610: An Act to prevent wage theft, promote employer accountability, and enhance public enforcement (DiDomenico-Donahue) Provides AG's office with additional mechanisms for enforcing the Commonwealth's wage and hour laws and subjects lead contractors to joint and several civil liability if their subcontractors commit wage theft.
  
  • 2/5/2020: Received an extension by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development to 6/5/2020

• S.1043 / H.1596: An Act relative to collective bargaining dues (Boncore - Chan) Strengthens collective bargaining rights for public employees in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Janus ruling.

  • 9/19/2019: Became law with an override of the Governor's veto

• S.1072: An Act addressing workplace bullying, mobbing and harassment, without regard to protected class status / Healthy Workplace Act (Feeney) Creates a legal claim for bullying targets who can establish they were subjected to malicious, health-harming behavior in the workplace (Healthy Workplace Act).

  • 10/17/2019: Reported favorably out of committee to Senate Ways & Means
• S.1110 / HD.3884: An Act relative to the scheduling of employees (Pacheco - Garballey) Provides workers (a) the right to 14 days advance notice of hours, (b), the right to request specific hours without retaliation from the employer, (c) the right to rest for 11 hours between shifts, (d) the right to be offered any additional available hours before an employer can hire a new employee to fill them, and (e) the right to collect unemployment benefits when an employer’s failure to comply with Fair Scheduling practices is the worker’s reason for leaving a job.
  • 2/5/2020: Received an extension by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development to 6/5/2020

• H.1660:An Act promoting pay transparency and pipeline advancement (Malia) Requires companies with more than 100 employees to report the gender and race of employees holding management titles, and requires the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to collect and post the data.

• S.36 / H.102: An Act to reduce deep poverty among kids (DiDomenico - Decker) Increases monthly welfare benefits for children and families to reach 50% of the federal deep poverty level.
  • 12/2/2019: Reported favorably out of committee

• H.1609/S.1092: An Act Updating Overtime Protections to Protect the Commonwealth’s Middle Class Workers (Donahue – Lewis) Updates Massachusetts’ state overtime law to restore overtime pay protections to low and moderate income workers when they work more than 40 hours a week – and protects Massachusetts workers against the roll-back of overtime protections by the Trump Administration.
  
  • 8/5/2019: Reported favorably out of the Joint Committee on Labor & Workforce Development
• H.3294:An Act enabling local options for tenant protections (Connolly/Elugardo) Enables cities and towns to pass tenant protections such as rent stabilization laws, just cause eviction, limitations on condo conversions, etc.
  
  • 2/30/2020: Received an extension to 3/31/20 by the Joint Committee on Housing.

• S.741 / H.1214: An Act committing to higher education the resources to Insure a strong and healthy public higher education system / CHERISH Act (Comerford - Garballey/Mark) Commits the Commonwealth to funding public higher education at 2001 levels, adjusted for inflation.
  • 2/5/2020: Received an extension from the Joint Committee on Higher Education to 3/20.

• H.2424: An Act to strengthen the foundation of the Commonwealth (Connolly) Increases the capital gains tax, creates a corporate minimum tax, and enacts other progressive tax reforms to raise $2 billion in additional revenue.

• H.3999:An Act relative to vaccinations and public health (Vargas) Removes the religious exemption for vaccination.
  
  • 2/3/2020: Received an extension from the Joint Committee on Public Health to 4/1.

All Means All: Agenda for Racial and Social Justice

• S.857/H.1520: An Act repealing mandatory life without parole (Brownsberger-Miranda) Repeals mandatory sentences of life without parole, which have strong racial biases and have been deemed human rights violations by international courts.

  • 2/3/2020: Sent to study (euphemism for voting down legislation) by the Joint Committee on the Judiciary
• S.826/H.3358: An Act to reduce mass incarceration (Boncore/Livingstone) Repeals mandatory sentences of life without parole, which have strong racial biases and have been deemed human rights violations by international courts.
  
  • 2/3/2020: Sent to study (euphemism for voting down legislation) by the Joint Committee on the Judiciary
    

• S.897: An Act to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences related to drug offenses (Creem) Repeals mandatory minimum sentences for opioid-related offenses, which were left in or newly created by the 2018 criminal justice reform bill.

  • 2/3/2020: Sent to study (euphemism for voting down legislation) by the Joint Committee on the Judiciary
    

• S.825 / H.1486: An Act to promote public safety and better outcomes for young adults (Boncore-O’Day/Khan) Raises the age of criminal majority to 21, allowing offending youth to have better access to treatment and educational services and thereby reducing recidivism.

• S.1052/H.1651: An Act to reinvest justice and opportunity in communities affected by incarceration (Chang-Diaz/Keefe) Establishes a training and workforce fund that would reinvest the savings from lower incarceration into neighborhoods most affected by the criminal justice system. 
  • 1/30/2019: Received an extension to 4/30 by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development
    

• H.2092: An Act Relative to Universal Background Checks for Private Sales (Linsky) Requires all private gun sales in MA take place at a gun shop so that a federal background check can be run prior to sale.

• H.2045/S.1388: An Act relative to crime gun data reporting and analysis (Decker - Creem) Requires a detailed analysis of MA crime gun trace data to better understand the origins of crime guns.

• S.2061 / H.3012: An Act relative to work and family mobility (Crighton - Farley-Bouvier/Barber) Removes immigration status as a barrier for attaining a driver’s license.

  • 2/5/2020: Reported favorably out of committee

• S.263/H.410: An Act relative to healthy youth (DiDomenico - O’Day/Brodeur) Requires school districts that provide sex education to ensure that it is comprehensive, age-appropriate, and LGBTQ-inclusive, with an emphasis on informed consent to prevent sexual violence.

  • 1/16/2020: Passed by Senate

• H.140: An Act relative to abusive practices to change sexual orientation and gender identity in minors (Khan) Bans the harmful of practice of sexual orientation and gender identity conversion therapy by mental health professionals. ✅Signed into law 4/8/2019

• S.247/H.443: An Act prohibiting the use of Native American mascots by public schools in the Commonwealth (Comerford - Elugardo/Gouveia) Prohibits the use of Native American mascots in Massachusetts public schools.

• HD.3746: An Act establishing an Indigenous People's Day (Lewis) Recognizes the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day and recommends appropriate incorporation into school curricula. 
  

Good Government/Strong Democracy

• S.390 / H.681: An Act to extend early voting for all elections (Chandler - Vargas) Expands early voting to include municipal and primary elections.

• S.12: Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution relative to voting rights (Hinds)  / S.405: An Act Relative to Voting Rights (Hinds) Restores the franchise to prisoners incarcerated with felony convictions. ❌ 4/29/2019: S12 reported adversely out of committee.
  

• S.392 / H.669: An Act to increase voter registration, participation, and to help prevent recidivism (Chang-Diaz - Holmes) Ensures that the voting rights of prisoners who still have the right to vote, and prisoners with felony convictions who are returning to the community, are respected and facilitated.
  

• S.389 / H.720: An Act ensuring municipal participation of the widest eligible range (Chandler - Vargas/Fernandes) Enables cities and towns in Massachusetts to lower the voting age for municipal elections to 16 to encourage good voting habits early.

• S.420 / H.635: An Act providing a local option for ranked choice voting in municipal elections (Rausch - Benson) Enables cities and towns in Massachusetts to adopt ranked choice voting for municipal elections.
  • 2/5/2020: Received an extension from the Joint Committee on Election Laws to 4/30.

• S.2163 / H.3208: Resolutions for a United States Constitutional Amendment and a limited amendment proposing convention  (Eldridge - Gentile) Calls for an Article V convention to propose an amendment to undo Citizens United and authorize campaign finance regulation.
  

• S.404 / H.646: An Act promoting political participation (Friedman - Donahue) Enables residents of Massachusetts to authorize small, regular deductions from pay, at levels they can afford, to contribute to political and advocacy organizations.

  • 2/5/2020: Received an extension from the Joint Committee on Election Laws to 4/30.

• S.408 / H.639: An Act supporting parents running for public office (Jehlen - Connolly/Meschino) Allows parents running for elected office to expense child care to their campaign accounts.

• H.2711:An Act to ensure gender parity on public boards and commissions (Haddad): Requires appointed public boards and commissions to be at least 50 percent female and, to the extent practicable, reflect the demographic diversity of the state
  • 10/28/2019: Reported favorably out of committee.

Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment

• S.2005 / H.2802: An Act to secure a clean energy future (Pacheco - Balser) Enacts a comprehensive range of measures to transition Massachusetts away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy.

• S.2106 / H.3008: An Act to Advance Modern and Sustainable Solutions for Transportation (Lesser-Ehrlich) Implements the proposed regional transportation climate policy (a carbon pricing mechanism for transportation emissions) in an equitable and clean manner, with 100% reinvestment of proceeds in clean transportation.

• S.1931 / H.2877: An Act relative to solar power in environmental justice and urban communities (Chang-Diaz - Holmes) Eliminates barriers to the development of community and low-moderate income solar and assures meaningful savings for low-moderate income solar customers and renters.

• S.1957 / H.2825: An Act Increasing Solar Rooftop Energy (Eldridge - Connolly/Lewis) Requires that all new construction be built to accommodate solar energy installations.

  • 1/30/2020: Rolled into the Senate's climate bill.
• S.1933 / H.1609: An Act to Protect Ratepayers (Comerford - Benson) Prevents the Department of Public Utilities from approving utility profit margins, known as “return on equity,” higher than the average of neighboring states and lowers utility incentives to invest in traditional infrastructure at the expense of renewable energy.
  

• S.462 / H.771: An Act relative to plastic bag pollution (Eldridge - Ehrlich) Bans single-use plastic shopping bags statewide and requires sustainable alternatives.

  • 7/1/2019: Weakened version reported out of committee

• S.579 / H.935:An Act establishing the Massachusetts infrastructure bank (Eldridge - Connolly) Creates a public bank, capitalized by the Commonwealth and offering financing at lower cost to Mass cities and towns, increasing municipal capacity for making infrastructure improvements.

• S.1694 / H.2653: An Act relative to transportation ballot initiatives (Lesser - Vargas) Allows municipalities to use ballot initiatives to raise revenue (increase a tax of their choice, sales, hotel, gas, etc.) that would be used specifically for identified regional transportation projects, something many other states already allow.
  

  • 2/6/2020: Received an extension to 3/16/2020 by the Joint Committee on Revenue

Opposed Legislation

The Progressive Mass Issues Committee has also chosen to highlight several bills that legislators should reject. Although there are hundreds (possibly thousands) of bills filed that do not merit passage, we are highlighting ones that could gain momentum due to their support by allies, backing by powerful figures in the state, or their superficial appearance to back progressive goals that they, upon further inspection, would undermine.

• H.1163: An Act establishing a special commission to study the implementation of single payer health care in the Commonwealth (Hogan) The commission created by this bill would include the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans (MAHPs) and the Massachusetts Hospital Association, both groups which vigorously oppose making healthcare a right in Massachusetts, because it would cut into their profit margin. 

• H.70: An Act to promote equity and excellence in education (Baker) This bill fails to fully implement the recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Commission and, instead, imposes draconian measures for underperforming schools and incentivizes the expansion of charter schools.

• H.1422: An Act relative to shared parenting (Garry) & H.1399: Act Act relative to parenting time (Dooley) These bills would change the legal presumption in custody battles from "in the best interest of the child" to a rigid 50-50 split between parents, with potentially destabilizing effects on a child's development.

• H.2863: An Act relative to greenhouse gas emissions standards for municipal lighting plants, for the purpose of promoting the Commonwealth’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while acknowledging and preserving the statutory scheme of chapter 164 which places municipal lighting plant operations, finances, and rates under local control (Golden-Gobi) Despite the worthy goal in the bill's title ("reducing greenhouse gas emissions"), the timeline set under the bill would allow for municipal plants to still be using a significant amount of natural gas in 2050.

• S.1029: An Act relative to wiretapping for drug trafficking offenses (Tarr) This bill expands state wiretapping to enable prosecutors to use wiretapping to investigate low-level drug offenses not connected to organized crime or other conspiracies, in what the ACLU has called the largest surveillance power grab in decades.
  

• H.2419:  An Act to remove the film tax credit expiration date (Chan) This bill removes the sunset date for the film tax credit without creating any new accountability measures.
  

• S.1851: Resolve establishing a special commission to identify a suitable location for a justice complex in Southern Middlesex County (Friedman) This bill would would establish a commission to evaluate building a new jail for women in Middlesex County, but we need to be investing our money in the life-affirming resources of housing, education, healthcare, and social services, not more jails.

In January of 2017, Progressive Massachusetts unveiled our legislative agenda for the 190th legislative session -- 17 items for 2017 (and 2018). As we near the end of the year -- and the start of the next legislative session, it’s the perfect time to take stock of how the various bills fared.

Clear Victories

Reproductive Rights

The ACCESS bill, which updates MA’s contraceptive coverage equity law to require insurance carriers to provide all contraceptive methods without a copay, passed overwhelmingly in the Legislature and was signed by the Governor.

Democracy

Massachusetts became the 13th state to adopt Automatic Voter Registration. In this reform pioneered by Oregon in 2015, eligible voters who interface with select government agencies (here, the RMV or MassHealth) are automatically registered to vote unless they decline. With more than 700,000 eligible citizens in MA unregistered, AVR will increase the accuracy, security, and comprehensiveness of voter rolls.

The bill also enrolls Massachusetts in Electronic Registration Information Center, a coalition of states founded by the Pew Research Center that enable states to synchronize their voter rolls. ERIC has increased the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the voter rolls in participating states.

[Note: The original bill included smaller social services government agencies as well. The final bill allows for their later inclusion but focuses on the two largest sources of possible new registrants.]

If you're like us, your inbox has been swamped over the past few months with rallies and action alerts about how to fight the reactionary Trump-McConnell-Ryan agenda coming out of Washington.

Massachusetts is in position to be a leader in the resistance against Trump's agenda--and a beacon of progressive policy for the rest of the country.

Although our Republican governor, Charlie Baker, is not going to stand up to Trump as much as he should, Attorney General Maura Healey has been at the forefront of fighting for civil rights and environmental protection, among other issues, in the Age of Trump.

And Massachusetts has the third largest Democratic supermajorities in the country, with 34 out of 40 senators and 126 out of 160 representatives. In theory, then, whether or not Baker is willing to fight Trump, the Legislature has the votes to do so.

But...

The Legislature, as our scorecards (and brand new scorecard page) show, routinely fails to live up to the ideal of what one might hope for from a Legislature this overwhelmingly blue.

Trump has created a sense of urgency among progressive voters. But, based on statements on policy and priorities, we have yet to see that same urgency from the State House.

Many of our activist member volunteers work with the Democratic party, a fundamental principle of our point of view is that the Democratic party—especially in Massachusetts—needs to be pulled, and sometimes pushed, to the left. While  the Democratic ideals are on the whole worthwhile, the actual practice of governing has not yielded progressive policy:

H.2987 / S619: An Act establishing Medicare for All in Massachusetts 

Establishes a single payer system, in which the state provides health care to all residents as a right.

IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO PLAY DEFENSE

Activists in Massachusetts and around the country continue the work of preserving the Affordable Care Act. However, defending Obamacare from irresponsible raids by the GOP doesn't address the shortcomings of the still historic health care law. Medical care is still unaffordable for many, and we still pay more than any other nation for medical care - with worse results!

TIME FOR BLUE STATES TO LEAD: PASS SINGLE PAYER IN MASSACHUSETTS

We will keep saying it: the best way to fight the appalling, dangerous Republican agenda (and it's not just Trump!) is to advance positive, progressive alternatives in the blue states. Not only to protect people from losing more under their immoral agenda, but also to provide a model for the rest of the nation to follow. 

OUR DEMOCRATIC MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE CAN PASS "SINGLE PAYER", RIGHT HERE

But, conventional, conservative thinking is still the status quo under the Golden Dome. This kind of bold progressive action is what our dangerous political times call for--and it is everyday citizens that have to make that happen. 

Check the list below. If your State Rep and State Senator have not cosponsored the "Medicare for All" bill, give them a call, and say, "This is important. THIS is fighting Trump. Will you be a leader in this fight, and advocate to Leadership to bring H2987/S619 to the floor?"

If they have cosponsored, call up and say, "I want to thank my legislator for cosponsoring Medicare for All, H2987/S619, and I urge her/him to push for it to come to a vote on the floor." 

Check the list below for your Rep and Senator, send the message today with a call or email, and better yet, organize your community to do the same! (want to join a chapter or start one? check here: progressivemass.com/chapters)

Progressive Massachusetts proudly announces our 2017-2018 Legislative Agenda for the 190th session of the Mass General Court.

The Moral Urgency of Now: Massachusetts Must Lead.

We are watching the federal government under President Donald Trump, with little braking from the Republican Congress, move us rapidly in a fascist direction that deeply contradicts Massachusetts values and liberties. Resistance is imperative.

What are the ways we can resist? Where can we effect the most dramatic changes, shape a progressive alternative and protect the most people vulnerable under this regime?

Our efforts on the national scene are important--but our impact, as liberals served by Democrats in a majority Republican Congress, is unfortunately, realistically, quite limited.

But, we can make Massachusetts a blue, progressive fortress against Trumpism. There is no excuse for not passing a vigorous progressive agenda in one of the bluest states in the country.

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_{Tl;dr: We have released our progressive legislative agenda (progressivemass.com/legislativeagenda). There is a short, short window to take significant action. Before Feb. 2 (how about now?), send an email asking legislators to co-sponsor the Progressive Priority bills. For ACTION STEPS and SAMPLE EMAIL, go here: progressivemass.com/takeaction.}

Massachusetts is blessed with the third largest Democratic legislative majorities in the country. But majorities only matter if they are put to work.

In the Age of Trump, it’s more important than ever for Massachusetts legislators to start stepping up their game.

Over the weeks since the election, we’ve been hard at work talking with coalition partners, conversing with legislators, and hearing from our chapters and members about how we can best advance our Progressive Platform in the new legislative session.

We want Massachusetts to be the progressive beacon to other states that we know it can be.

Legislators often say that they can only take up a handful of issues in one 2-year session (with the biggest priorities often hashed out behind closed doors).

But given the crises we face now (and were facing already, frankly), it’s time to think big. And it’s past time to make grassroots priorities our electeds’ priorities.

And, so, at the end of all of those conversations and meetings--and a lot of research and reading--we have zeroed in on 17 Priorities for 2017. Click here to read about the bills and why they matter.

And, as a complement to our primary legislative agenda, we have identified an additional 20 Bills to Watch, which we will also follow this session.

LEGISLATORS ARE MAKING CHOICES RIGHT NOW