Three Quick Actions to Take This Weekend

Here are three quick actions that you can take this weekend.

Ask of Gov. Healey: Pause New Gas Infrastructure

Happy Earth Day! The science has long been clear: we need to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy. If we know that there can be no long-term future for fossil fuel infrastructure, then we need to stop expanding it and creating a lock-in effect for decades to come, with negative health and environmental impacts on surrounding communities.

Governor Healey has spoken of climate as a top priority, so she should show that commitment by pledging to halt new gas system expansions until the state has a concrete plan for a just transition to a clean — and green — energy future.

Can you join Mass Power Forward in calling on her to do so?

Ask of Your State Senator: Protect Fair Share

The tax plans proposed by the Governor and the House include hundreds of millions of dollars in unnecessary giveaways to the ultra-rich and large corporations.

House Tax Proposal vs. Fair Share

But the Senate can take a different path.

Call your State Senator and ask them to:

✅ REJECT the proposed cut to the short-term capital gains tax that would overwhelmingly benefit wealthy investors;
✅REJECT expanding the ‘single sales factor apportionment’ that would give a massive tax break to large, profitable multi-state corporations;
✅TARGET any estate tax reform exclusively to moderate estates, with no tax breaks to large multi-million-dollar estates; AND
✅USE THOSE SAVINGS to invest in affordable housing, childcare, and reliable transportation.

Don’t know your State Senator’s phone number? Find it here, and then save it in your phone for next time.

And then after you make that call, can you follow up with an email?

And if you’re free this upcoming week, sign up for a phone bank with Raise Up Mass so that we can drive more calls to legislators.

  • Tuesday, April 25, 4 pm to 7 pm
  • Wednesday, April 26, 4 pm to 7 pm
  • Thursday, April 27, 4 pm to 7 pm

Ask of Your State Rep: Support No Cost Calls

The good news is that the MA House included No Cost Calls language — that is, ending the predatory practice of prisons and jails charging incarcerated individuals for phone calls to loved ones — in its FY2024 budget proposal.

However, there are additional steps necessary to strengthen the guarantee of access to such free phone calls. Rep. Chynah Tyler filed an amendment to the budget (Amendment #1559) to do just that, ensuring a stronger baseline of access (i.e., including access to tablets and setting a minimum guarantee for call time).

Can you call your state rep to ask them to support Amendment #1559 to the House budget?

Keeping Families Together: No Cost Calls. Rep Chynah Tyler, Amdt #1559

In solidarity,

Endorsement Alert: Rob Orthman for the 10th Suffolk

All elections are special, but some are more “special” than others. On Tuesday, May 2, voters in West Roxbury, part of Roslindale, and part of Jamaica Plain in Boston, as well as part of Brookline, will be going to the polls for a special election for state representative for the 10th Suffolk district, vacated by Rep. Ed Coppinger.

We invited all candidates running to submit candidate questionnaires, and you can find those that we received here.

Both of our chapters in the district — JP Progressives and Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale — held forums, interviews, and endorsement votes, and both of them endorsed Rob Orthman for the 10th Suffolk.

Progressive Mass conducted our own member vote for the race, and we are proud to say that we will be joining our chapters in endorsing Rob Orthman for the 10th Suffolk.

Here is what some of our members said about Rob:

  • “Rob is an extremely smart, engaged person who has a huge depth of knowledge on policy. His experience negotiating with developers on expanding affordable housing and finding practical, low-cost ways to improve the T would be critical assets in the State House.”
  • “Rob has amazing depth in so many crucial policy areas, he’s been a courageous leader in this community already, and he’s been successful in supporting small businesses and bringing about change, including the dedicated bus lane and affordable housing. He addresses housing, climate, transit, early education access, and justice issues with urgency. Besides being bold and persistent, he’s also accessible and responsive.”
  • “Rob is a proven local leader who gets results for his district in housing affordability and transportation, the two desperately needed areas of leadership statewide. These issues are not only drastically important for Massachusetts with housing inflation and crumbling state transportation infrastructure, but intersect with nearly every issue facing Massachusetts residents, including climate change, cost of living, traffic, and sense of community.”

And here is what our chapters said:

JP Progressives:

The JP Progressives Steering Committee recommends the endorsement of Rob Orthman for the May 2 special election for the 10th Suffolk State Representative seat…We were inspired by Rob’s organizing work in the district to advance these policies, including a recent success mobilizing in Roslindale on a housing project that led to a substantial increase in the number of affordable units, and his advocacy work with Walk Up Roslindale, which led to the creation of the morning inbound bus lane on Washington Street between Roslindale Village and Forest Hills. ….Rob has secured endorsements from candidates and elected officials we have endorsed previously, including David Halbert (former candidate for City Council At Large), Ruthzee Louijeune (Boston City Councilor At Large), and, importantly, Sam Montaño, the other state representative representing Jamaica Plain and a staunch advocate for affordable housing.

Progressive WRox/Roz:

PWRR endorses Rob Orthman for his tireless community leadership in critical policy areas and his knowledge of how policies impact the daily lives of residents. Rob has experience throughout the district; he’s been a leader on housing, transportation, climate, and small business. Rob is a consistent and courageous voice for a more sustainable and equitable future — crucial for the multiple crises we face in our state. Many members noted that Rob is already a community leader, effective, tireless, and visionary, focused on local and regional challenges. Rob has professional experience in the statewide childcare affordability crisis, and is a Boston Public Schools graduate and parent committed to progressive education policy. He has deep knowledge of all the district’s communities from personal and professional experience, including constituent services when he was on Councilor Tobin’s staff.