John Kirk from Progressive Needham reminds us at least week's #WednesdayWitness that the legislature already has the votes to pass #SafeCommunitiesAct but they lack the will and the leadership to have done so.

For the sake of the children separated from families and for the safety of undocumented citizens who are our neighbors,in order to #KeepFamiliesTogether let's demand from our representatives that they make this the first order of business when they re-convene in January 2019.

#nohatenofear #immigrantsarewelcomehere #NoExcuses

We bet we've heard a lot of them before. Share what you're hearing when you ask your Legislators, WTF happened and why did you fail to pass (sooooomuch)? 

The Legislative session here in Massachusetts ends one week from today, and there's still a lot to get done.

Find your state representative's contact info here, and then give them a call on these key issues. .

The Legislative session here in Massachusetts ends one week from tomorrow, and there's still a lot to get done.

Find your state representative's contact info here, and then give them a call on these key issues. .

Summer is a season of action and a season of joy. So as the summer approaches, we need to double down on the work of passing our bold policy agenda, as well as celebrate the successes we’ve had.

TL;DR:

1. Call your state rep about fully funding our schools.
2. Call your state senator about common sense gun regulations.
3. Let your state senator and state rep know that it’s time to act on the Safe Communities Act.
4. Email your state rep in support of voting rights.

Saturday’s convention was exciting, as we saw all three of our endorsed candidates--Jay Gonzalez, Quentin Palfrey, and Josh Zakim--win the party’s endorsement.

But the convention also reminded us of all the work we still have cut out for ourselves this legislative session. The speakers highlighted how Massachusetts needs to do more to set a good example for other states and to fight back against Trump.

And that can’t wait.

Here are a few things that you can do this week.

Two weeks ago, the House passed the Extreme Risk Protection Order (“ERPO”) bill, also called the "red flag" bill, by an overwhelming 139-14 (Two Democrats--Colleen Garry and Jonathan Zlotnik--and 12 Republicans voted against it). Groups like Moms Demand Action and the Mass Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence and the bill's lead sponsor Rep. Marjorie Decker put in a lot of work to make that happen.

What does the bill do? It creates a kind of court order that family members and law enforcement can request to temporarily restrict a person's access to guns because they pose a significant danger to themselves or others. When family members are empowered to act, they can prevent warning signs from turning into a mass shooting or gun suicide. Research has demonstrated that Connecticut’s Extreme Risk law has saved between 38 and 76 suicides.

Before the final vote, Democrats beat back a number of amendments that sought to deflect from the issue at hand (Republicans would like to talk about anything other than guns) or set higher standards than exist elsewhere in the judicial system.

The State Senate will be voting on amendments to its FY 2019 budget next week. The budget makes some modest improvements to education and transit funding, but without new revenue sources, it remains in the same paradigm of underinvestment that has dominated for the past decade and a half (Take it away, MassBudget). 

Passing the Fair Share amendment on the ballot this fall will be a first step toward changing that.

But back to the budget…..

If you have only five minutes this week:

Call your state senator, as well as Senate President Harriette Chandler (617-722-1500) and Senate Ways & Means Chairwoman Karen Spilka (617-722-1640), in support of Amendment 1147 (Eldridge): Civil Rights and Safety.

The Legislature has so far punted and stalled when it comes to their responsibility to protect MA’s immigrant families from Trump’s xenophobic mass deportation agenda. The Safe Communities Act, which Progressive Mass and allies around the state have been fighting for over the past year, has remained stuck in committee.

This amendment contains key provisions of the Safe Communities Act:

1. No Police Inquiries about Immigration Status
2. Stop Collaborating with ICE
3. Provide Basic Due Process Protections

Let your senator know that you support taking action now in support of MA's immigrant families.

The #MeToo movement underscored the myriad ways that power imbalances and a toxic culture increase the likelihood of sexual harassment and assault, across industries and across states. According to the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey data for Massachusetts, nearly 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men in Massachusetts have ever experienced sexual violence victimization other than rape. Nearly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men in MA have experienced rape, and more than 1 in 7 women have experienced rape.

The Massachusetts Legislature has the opportunity to take action this session by promoting healthy relationships and protecting the rights of those who seek to speak out. But time is short.

This year, Massachusetts voters will have the opportunity to make sure that strong progressive candidates get elected up and down the ballot. And that requires important decisions.

At Progressive Massachusetts, we are committed to a vision of shared prosperity, racial and social justice, good governance and strong democracy, and sustainable infrastructure and environmental protection. And we translate that vision into a Legislative Agenda each session. We need allies in elected office who will help us fight for that vision.

Three statewide races will be voted on at the Massachusetts Democratic Party convention on Saturday, June 2nd (one month from today). Earlier this year, we asked candidates to fill out our comprehensive policy questionnaire, and our chapters around the state held forums to get to know the candidates better. Over the past two weeks, we asked our members for their recommendation in each of the three races, and we set a high threshold of 60% to make sure that we have a strong consensus before getting involved in a race.

The results are in……