WBUR on Maura Healy’s Run for Governor — And What Progressives Think

Anthony Brooks, “Maura Healey could be the next governor. Her ties to Mass. begin with a surprising backstory,” WBUR, June 9, 2022.

But a number of progressives say Healey is too conservative on some issues, including criminal justice. For example, they point out that Healey pushed to expand the state’s wire tapping law; she supported no-knock warrants and facial recognition software in some circumstances.
Jonathan Cohn, policy director for the group Progressive Massachusetts, is among those critics. The group has endorsed Chang-Díaz for governor, and Cohn says Healey sides with law enforcement too often and is too comfortable working within the current criminal justice system — instead of fighting to reshape it.
“If inequities are baked into a system and you’re accepting the system as it is, you’ll never fully address them,” Cohn said. “Because she’s largely operating as a law enforcement official.”

Jonathan Cohn

MA House Votes 153-3 to Rein in Politically Motivated Book Bans

June 11, 2026 / Roll Call

Yesterday, the MA House voted 153 to 3 for a bill to protect school and public libraries and to rein in politically motivated book bans. The 3 NO votes were

Coalition Letter in Support of H.2554

June 5, 2026 / Testimony

June 1, 2026The Honorable Aaron MichlewitzChair, House Committee on Ways and MeansState House, Room 24324 Beacon St.Boston, MA 02133 Dear Chairman Michlewitz and Committee Members,We are writing to you in

MA House Unanimously Passes Data Privacy Bill

June 5, 2026 / Roll Call

On Thursday, the MA House unanimously passed the Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act, establishing important new data privacy protections. In particular, the bill would do the following: The MA Senate

TODAY: Tell Your State Rep: Pass a Strong Data Privacy Bill

June 4, 2026 / Action Alerts

The Massachusetts House of Representatives will be voting TODAY, on a data privacy bill. Your precise location data – showing which doctor’s office you visited last month, which NO KINGS rallies you’ve

Op-Ed: “An Abundance of Questions Coming to the November Ballot”

May 31, 2026 / OpEds & LTEs

Jonathan Cohn, “An Abundance of Questions Coming to the November Ballot,” Fenway News, June 2026. With the onset of spring weather in May came a biennial Massachusetts tradition: signature collectors

MA Could Have up to 11 Ballot Questions This Year, But This One Is Already on the Ballot.

May 30, 2026 / Elections

You’ve probably seen signature collectors out in force for the *10* campaigns currently collecting to get questions on the November ballot. But what you need to remember is that there

Rent Control and Same Day Registration Are in the Mass Dems Platform. Beacon Hill Should Pass Them.

May 26, 2026 / Action Alerts

It’s ballot question signature collection season. When going to the grocery store or the farmer’s market, you may have started seeing people collecting for various questions. Maybe you are even

My Top Five Favorite Songs about Data Privacy

May 18, 2026 / Action Alerts

Today, technology has far outpaced privacy law. Data brokers and Big Tech are free to do almost anything they want with our personal information, including selling our cellphone location data

50+ human rights groups sign letter opposing MA “age verification” bills, hold press conference at State House with Rep Mike Connolly

May 16, 2026 / Blog

BOSTON, MA—A growing coalition of human rights, LGBTQ+, civil liberties, racial justice, and environmental advocacy groups will release a letter signed by more than 50 organizations on Wednesday, May 13th,

Follow-up from webinar “The Tech Billionaires Are Coming for Fair Share. Here’s How to Fight Back.”

May 14, 2026 / Action Alerts, Events

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us last night for our webinar “The Tech Billionaires Are Coming for Fair Share. Here’s How to Fight Back.”! You can watch the