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
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
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.”