Although the Legislature left formal session with much work undone on August 1st, the 193rd session of the Legislature is not over for a few more months.
Your legislators still need to hear from you about the bills still under negotiation. Read on for two actions to take over the next week.
Wanted: A Robust Climate Bill
When the Legislature left formal session two months ago, they left without consensus on climate legislation. Let’s be clear: it’s not acceptable for the Legislature to go this entire session without passing any new, robust legislation to address the climate crisis. We need legislation, and that legislation must meet the moment.
As 100+ climate organizations recently said in a letter, “We cannot accept a narrow siting and permitting bill that does not do enough for climate justice, reducing climate pollution, or protecting ratepayers as the outcome of 18 months of the legislative process.“
A robust climate bill MUST include the following:
Siting reform that centers environmental justice. Environmental justice communities have suffered the historic burden of pollution from our energy system, and we need to ensure that new facilities do not compound these inequities. The definition of cumulative impact analysis (i.e., the calculation of that historic burden of pollution) in the Governor’s H.5049 is the most accurate and complete definition introduced this session and should be the one used in a final bill that includes siting and permitting reform.
Measures to end large-scale gas pipeline expansion and increase the use of non-emitting thermal networks. The legislature must act immediately to ramp down the expansion of gas infrastructure and put gas companies on a path to provide clean, non-emitting renewable energy rather than fossil gas that leaks methane and air pollution into the atmosphere and into our homes and businesses, costing ratepayers significant sums of money.
Take a few minutes to write to your state legislators in support of coming back into formal session and passing a robust climate bill.
Call Your State Representative about Raise the Age
In July, the Senate voted, as part of their economic development bill, to increase the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include 18-year-olds—keeping high school seniors out of the adult prison system.
The House did not include this important language, and a Conference Committee of three state senators and three state representatives have been negotiating the differences between the two bills.
Let’s keep up the drumbeat for critical juvenile justice reforms.
Tell your Representative that: (1) Raise the Age is an economic development policy and (2) urge the Economic Development Bill conferees to include Raise the Age in the final bill:
Step 2: Call your legislator with this sample script:
My name is _________, and I am a constituent of Representative _______. I ask that the Representative reach out to the Economic Development bill conferees, Chair Parisella, Chair Michlewitz, and Rep. Muradian expressing the Representative’s support for including Raise the Age as passed in S.2869 in the final Economic Development bill.
Subjecting 18-year-olds to adult prosecution, CORI records and adult incarceration causes significant harm not only to the teens themselves but to our economy which is desperate for more – not less – young people to participate in the workforce.
Although the formal period of the legislative session ended on July 31, the MA Legislature is still in session for 3.5 months. And their work isn’t done.
Let’s make sure that the Legislature and Governor Healey hear that.
Call Your State Representative about Raise the Age
In July, the Senate voted, as part of their economic development bill, to increase the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include 18-year-olds—keeping high school seniors out of the adult prison system.
The House did not include this important language, and a Conference Committee of three state senators and three state representatives have been negotiating the differences between the two bills.
Let’s keep up the drumbeat for critical juvenile justice reforms.
Tell your Representative that: (1) Raise the Age is an economic development policy and (2) urge the Economic Development Bill conferees to include Raise the Age in the final bill:
Step 2: Call your legislator with this sample script:
Subjecting 18-year-olds to adult prosecution, CORI records and adult incarceration causes significant harm not only to the teens themselves but to our economy which is desperate for more – not less – young people to engage in our economy.
My name is _, and I am a constituent of Representative _. I ask that the Representative reach out to the Economic Development bill conferees, Chair Parisella, Chair Michlewitz, and Rep. Muradian expressing the Representative’s support for including Raise the Age as passed in S.2869 in the final Economic Development bill.
Join Mass Power Forward to Tell Gov. Healey Not to Kick the Climate Can Down the Road!
Join Mass Power Forward at the State House to call on Governor Healey to not kick the climate can down the road. We must stop expanding the for-profit gas utility system, and right now Governor Healey is proposing a flimsy climate bill with no plan for ending the expansion.
WHAT: Press Conference and Action WHERE: Meet at Nurse’s Hall, 2nd Floor of the Boston Statehouse WHO: You and your friends WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 24th at 12pm
One point we underscored is that even though the Legislature adjourned on July 31 (well, technically, the morning of August 1), the full legislative session doesn’t end until next January. That means that they could come back into session at any point to finish important business, especially passing a robust and equitable climate bill that centers environmental justice and includes a transition away from gas.
But they are not likely to do that unless they hear from you, their constituents. So take a minute today to email your legislators.
Protect the Right to Shelter
Massachusetts prides itself on being a welcoming state, but Governor Healey’s cruel and unnecessary restrictions on emergency shelter run afoul of that.
Join the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and the Mass Law Reform Institute tonight at 7 pm in front of the State House for a candlelight vigil in support of children and families experiencing homelessness.
Although Massachusetts has a full-time legislature, the formal Legislative Session will end tomorrow.
After tomorrow (well, after the wee hours of Thursday morning), the State House will not likely be taking any more recorded votes for the rest of 2024.
As we noted last week, many important priorities are still in play. If you haven’t contacted your legislators yet, now is the best time.
Here’s what you can do:
Email Governor Healey in opposition to emergency shelter limits (new action alert)
Email your state senator about maternal health justice (new action alert)
Email your state rep in support of juvenile justice reform
Email the Housing Bill conference committee
Email the Climate Bill conference committee
Email the Ways & Means chairs about the Prison Moratorium
And whichever action or actions you take, make sure to share it with your networks too to keep the momentum going. In solidarity, Jonathan Cohn Policy Director Progressive Massachusetts
Email Governor Healey in Opposition to Shelter Limits
Last week, the Healey administration announced that it would limit stays in overflow shelters to five days beginning August 1st (this Thursday).
We can’t turn our back on our state’s right to shelter law (a law in which we should take pride), and we can’t turn our back on families seeking help. It’s simple: an affluent state like Massachusetts should not be kicking out families and young children to live on the streets.
Everyone in Massachusetts should be able to choose where they give birth and the type of maternity care that is most appropriate for their needs. Unfortunately, our state currently lags the nation when it comes to access to midwives, birth centers, home birth, and integration of care — models that can reverse our rising maternal mortality and growing racial inequities in birth outcomes.
The best time to contact your legislators is yesterday. The second best time is today.
That’s because time is short. The current legislative session will wrap up next Wednesday, and major decisions will be made between now and then.
As I noted in Monday’s update, this email will be longer than I’d like. That’s because our Legislature, despite being a full-time body, has the tendency to push off everything to the last month, last weeks, even last day of the legislative session. The public deserves a better process, and I’m sure most legislators would prefer one too.
But we wanted to keep you in the loop about what’s happening and what you can do. There will be an array of actions you can take: make a plan to choose at least one action step, and talk to friends about it.
Here’s what you can do:
Email your state rep in support of Raise the Age
Email the Affordable Homes Act Conference Committee
Email the Climate Bill Conference Committee
Email the Ways & Means chairs about the Prison Moratorium
Show up on Monday in support of families experiencing homelessness
Make sure to check out our blog for other updates, and stay tuned for action steps. Many bills move quickly at the end of the session (Example: We just learned that the Senate is taking up an important maternal health bill next Tuesday.) In solidarity, Jonathan Cohn Policy Director
Progressive Massachusetts
Email to Your State Rep: Raise the Age
On July 11, during the debate on its economic development, the MA Senate voted 31 to 9 to keep 18-year-olds out of the adult prison system.
Shifting legal system-involved youth from the adult criminal legal system into the juvenile system improves young people’s access to education and skills training, even if they are never incarcerated. Young people’s prosecution as adults during their late adolescence derails their education, which can have serious effects on their ability to attain employment during these critical adolescent years, diminishing their lifetime earnings, and preventing them from contributing fully to the Massachusetts economy.
The economic development bill is now in Conference Committee, where three senators and three representatives will negotiate a final bill. Here’s what you can do:
Email the Affordable Homes Act Conference Committee
Last month, the MA House and MA Senate passed versions of Governor Maura Healey’s Affordable Homes Act.
WHAT HAPPENED: Like Healey’s original version of the bill, both bills established an Office of Fair Housing, legalized accessory dwelling units in single-family zoning districts without undue restrictions, streamlined the use of state-owned land for housing, and increased the bond authorizations for public housing, building decarbonization, and many more housing initiatives. Unfortunately, however, both chambers caved to the real estate lobby and axed the widely popular local option real estate transfer fee (which would have allowed cities and towns to raise extra money to invest in affordable housing).
But the two bills had a number of differences, and a Conference Committee of three senators and three representatives are negotiating final details.
WHAT IS AT STAKE: We have a displacement crisis in Massachusetts, and it is essential that the final version of the Affordable Homes Act contain policies to help renters and working-class homeowners.
Creating a process for sealing eviction records (Senate bill)
Banning brokers’ fees (Senate bill)
Establishing a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase local option (House bill)
Creating a Foreclosure Mediation Pilot Program (Senate bill)
A Conference Committee of three state senators and three state representatives are negotiating the final details of the bill.
If we are to make a dent at addressing the affordable housing crisis, we need more investment, we need more housing production, and we need policies to prevent displacement. The Legislature shouldn’t leave out that critical final piece.
You can also email them directly and cc your own legislators, using the following emails:
Last week, the House took up its climate omnibus bill. While the bill contains a number of important reforms, it lacks the ambition of the Senate’s recent bill, which did far more to accelerate the transition away from gas. And the Senate’s bill still hadn’t gone far enough to meet the moment, especially around environmental justice.
Mass Power Forward, the coalition of climate justice advocacy groups, is asking people to email the six-person Conference Committee finalizing the details of this bill. Here is a template you can use:
I am writing to you regarding the Climate Omnibus bill. Both the Senate and the House bills are missing critical pieces. In particular, we need a robust cumulative impact analysis in line with current practice and a halt on new gas expansion. Please see this letter for further details.
This is important to me because
Best,
NAME
Email the Ways & Means Chairs about the Prison Moratorium
Last session, the MA Legislature passed a moratorium on new prison and jail construction, only for then Republican governor Charlie Baker to veto it.
New session, new opportunity. But time is running short.
The Prison Moratorium bill (S2821), which would put a five-year pause on the construction of new prisons and jails, was reported favorably out of the State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committee. It needs to get a vote on the floor by next Wednesday.
Families for Justice as Healing is asking that people contact the two Ways & Means chairs in support of this critical bill:
Email/call script: “Hello, my name is _______ and I am calling to ask the Chairman to please bring the Prison Moratorium bill S.2821 of Ways and Means to the floor for a vote. Both chambers of the legislature already passed the Prison Moratorium last session, and the State Admin Committee worked hard to clarify the language so it’s even more clear that repairs can still be made for the wellbeing of incarcerated people. Passing the Prison Moratorium is a top priority for me, and this bill is supported by incarcerated people, formerly incarcerated people, community members from all over the state, clergy and faith leaders, public health experts, social workers, and medical providers. Please Pass the Prison Moratorium before the end of the session. Thank you.”
Support families experiencing homelessness and the right to shelter!
On July 23rd, Governor Healey announced changes to the Emergency Assistance (EA) family shelter system that will force children and their families out with no safe place to sleep at night. Families who are deemed eligible for shelter will now be forced to choose: wait in an unsafe place for a shelter placement or stay for 5 nights in a state-run overflow site but then wait at least 6 months to access EA shelter. This policy change will disproportionately impact immigrant families, both new arrivals and long-term Massachusetts residents.
Join our allies from the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless in front of the State House on Monday, July 29th, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. to call on the Governor and Legislature to uphold access to shelter for children and families.
The clock is ticking. The current formal legislative session at the State House ends in less than two weeks. And there is a lot still pending.
Today, we’re asking you to take action in support of two bills of critical importance to women’s health:
A maternal health bill that passed the House and is awaiting action in the Senate
The prison moratorium bill which passed last session but is still in committee with the clock ticking
The MA Senate Must Act on Maternal Health
Massachusetts families deserve a better maternal health care system. We have waited long enough for greater access to midwifery care, out-of-hospital birth options including birth centers and home births, pregnancy loss leave, public health data collection, coverage for donor milk, and so many more important provisions in this bill. The Massachusetts House passed a comprehensive Maternal Health Bill unanimously on June 20. The Senate needs to take action now — and by July 31.
Tell the Ways & Means Committee: Pass the Prison Moratorium
Let’s be blunt: prisons and jails are among the least healthy places. Despite rhetoric around rehabilitation, they are routinely places of retribution where people are denied necessary care.
Two years ago, the MA Legislature passed a moratorium on new prison and jail construction, but it was blocked by Governor Charlie Baker’s veto.
The organizing hasn’t stopped. Earlier this session, we saw moving testimony from women in MCI-Framingham who were able to participate virtually in hearings and speak directly to committees in the Legislature about why MA doesn’t need a new women’s prison — but instead needs greater investment in supportive services.
The prison moratorium bill is currently sitting in the Ways & Means Committee, awaiting action. Use this guide from Families for Justice as Healing to call the committee and urge them to pass the prison moratorium.
The clock is ticking. The current formal legislative session at the State House ends in just two weeks. And there is a lot still pending.
Take action in support of strong action on our housing crisis and on the climate crisis with the tools and templates below.
The Affordable Homes Act Must Support Renters
WHAT HAPPENED SO FAR: Last month, the MA House and MA Senate passed versions of Governor Maura Healey’s Affordable Homes Act.
Like Healey’s original version of the bill, both bills established an Office of Fair Housing, legalized accessory dwelling units in single-family zoning districts without undue restrictions, streamlined the use of state-owned land for housing, and increased the bond authorizations for public housing, building decarbonization, and many more housing initiatives. Unfortunately, however, both chambers caved to the real estate lobby and axed the widely popular local option real estate transfer fee (which would have allowed cities and towns to raise extra money to invest in affordable housing).
But the two bills had a number of differences, and a Conference Committee of three senators and three representatives are negotiating final details.
WHAT IS AT STAKE: We have a displacement crisis in Massachusetts, and it is essential that the final version of the Affordable Homes Act contain policies to help rentersand working-class homeowners:
Creating a process for sealing eviction records (Senate bill)
Banning brokers’ fees (Senate bill)
Establishing a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase local option (House bill)
Creating a Foreclosure Mediation Pilot Program (Senate bill)
If we are to make a dent at addressing the affordable housing crisis, we need more investment, we need more housing production, and we need policies to prevent displacement. The Legislature shouldn’t leave out that critical final piece.
The House will be voting today on its climate omnibus bill (H.4876), which addresses the difficulties of connecting local clean energy projects to the grid.
Amendment #17 Protecting consumers and communities from new, large gas pipeline expansions (Williams), which would end Energy Facilities Siting Board approval of new, large, polluting gas pipeline expansions which, if constructed, will adversely affect ratepayers, the health and safety of Massachusetts residents, and the climate.
Amendment #15 Improving Air Quality in Environmental Justice Communities (Barber), which would create a technical advisory committee for air quality and direct the Department of Environmental Protection to identify at least 8 pollution hot spots, install air monitors there, and provide recommendations for how to reduce air pollution there by 50% by 2030.
Mass Power Forward also has a handy action guide as well that you can use.
Three weeks from this Thursday (i.e., August 1st), the MA Legislature will go on break for the rest of the year.
That means that it’s crunch time: all of the policymaking that should have already happened over the pats 18 months will happen in just over three weeks.
That also means that it’s especially important for your legislators to hear from you so that our priorities can cut through the noise.
Read on for an email to your state rep and an email to your state senator to send this week and share.
Thank you for all you do.
In solidarity, Jonathan Cohn Policy Director Progressive Massachusetts
Tell Your State Rep: MA Wants Bold Climate Action
This summer has already seen some heat records broken, and we should expect more. Climate change isn’t just an issue for the future; it’s here today, and it’s urgent that our elected officials act with the urgency the situation requires.
On June 25, the Senate passed Bill S.2838, An Act Upgrading the Grid and Protecting Ratepayers. While the bill makes some strides towards dismantling the gas system, it left out key demands of Environmental Justice communities across Massachusetts such as:
A robust cumulative impact analysis tied to siting approval
Tell Your State Senator: Strengthen Privacy Rights
Currently, there is no law in Massachusetts or federally to prevent the sale and purchase of cell phone location data. Every day, companies collect and sell sensitive location information from cell phones, revealing information about where we live, work, and socialize.
Here’s just one example: Politico recently reported that a data broker company tracked people’s visits to nearly 600 Planned Parenthood clinics in 48 states, including Massachusetts. The company sold that data to inform one of the largest anti-abortion ad campaigns targeting specific individuals. If anti-abortion extremists can use cellphone location data to target abortion seekers with ads, they can also use that data to target, harass, or threaten patients and providers in our state.
There is a bill to fix this: the Location Shield Act, which would ban the sale of cellphone location data to protect the privacy and safety of all Massachusetts residents.
The MA House is planning to vote on a narrowed version of this bill this week. It’s vital that the Senate take up the Location Shield Act so that MA can be a leader on protecting privacy rights.
July means warm weather, vacations, and picnics, but it is also thestart of the new fiscal year. And, as has been the case each year for over a decade, Massachusetts is without a budget, as the MA Senate and MA House are still stuck in negotiations about final details.
These recurring delays are bad for the commonwealth, as they harm the ability of cities, towns, and departments to plan. In short, we all deserve better.
But when they delay, that also means that you have more time to contact them, so take advantage of that.
Here are some of the important provisions being negotiated as you read this email:
Early Education and Child Care: Advancing the Common Start vision of a more robust early education and child care infrastructure with greater stability for providers, better pay for educators, and more affordability for families, as reflected by various parts of both the House and Senate budget
Universal School Meals: Fully funding universal school meals
Access to Counsel: Implementing a statewide Access to Counsel pilot program to increase access to legal representation for low-income tenants and low-income owner occupants in eviction proceedings
Cash Assistance for Low-Income Families: Increasing cash assistance for the families most in need
No Cost Calls Funding: Creating a dedicated funding source for implementing no–cost calls in prisons and jails
No Cost Calls Reporting: Fixing No Cost Calls reporting requirements so that policymakers have the information they need to effectively monitor free communication
Voting Access: Eliminating barriers to voting access by ending MA’s outlier status as the only state where if a voter doesn’t return the annual municipal census, they’re placed on the Inactive Voter list
New Flag, Seal, & Motto: Continuing the work to develop a new state flag, seal, and motto
On June 24, the MA Senate released its redraft of Governor Healey’s housing bond bill (S.2834). Although the bill contains important provisions like legalizing accessory dwelling units, creating a process for sealing eviction records, establishing an Office of Fair Housing, and banning broker fees, it fails to meet the urgency of the housing crisis and leaves out key policies, such as a local option real estate transfer fee.
The bill can — and must — get better, so write to your state senators in support of the following amendments:
#119, Air Quality for Homes (Jehlen), which would create a task force to address identification and remediation of indoor air pollution and indoor mold contamination.
#141, HOMES Judiciary Committee Bill (Eldridge), which would substitute the eviction sealing language in the bill with language reported out of the Judiciary Committee which would also allow tenants whose case is dismissed or who win to petition to seal their eviction case. While 11 states have successfully adopted eviction record sealing protections, there is nothing right now tenants in Massachusetts can do now to seal their eviction records. In Massachusetts, the moment an eviction case is filed, a tenant has a permanent and publicly available eviction record on the Trial Court’s website. Even if a tenant paid off the rent, won the case, or did nothing wrong, they are rejected from housing regardless of the outcome of the case.
#150, Establishing local-option rent stabilization (Jehlen), which would allow cities and towns to pass rent stabilization ordinances. Cities and towns need an array of tools to combat displacement, and rent control is a key tool.
#214, Foreclosure Prevention Program (Gomez), which would create a statewide mediation program to prevent foreclosures, which is critical for homeowners across Massachusetts and particularly low-income, working-class, and new homeowners.
#235, Encouraging homeownership (Jehlen), which would give tenants the right of first refusal to buy their building when the owner decides to sell. This is critical to address the high cost of housing, to keep tenants in their homes, and to stabilize our communities.
#242, Local Option Transfer Fee (Comerford), which would give cities and towns the ability to put a small fee on high-end real estate transactions to raise dedicated funds for affordable housing. We have to give cities and towns in Massachusetts all the tools possible to tackle the housing crisis, and the real estate transfer fee, only for the towns that want it, will give them the much needed resources to do just that.
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