Less Than Six Weeks Before the End of the Session. But This Happens Before.

The Legislative session will be over in just under six weeks, but there’s one key deadline that’s earlier than that: the state budget deadline, which is just around the corner on June 30.

The Legislature doesn’t always meet that deadline (pushing things into July), but it still exists. And that means action has to happen quick.

Here are three key areas to contact your legislators on:

*Equitable Approaches in Public Safety: The Senate budget included language to increase funding to $3.5M for the Equitable Approaches to Public Safety (EAPS) program (line item 4512-2020). This language and funding will allow municipalities to create community-based alternative crisis response models centered around social and emotional health professionals like social workers and peer support specialists.

*Early Education and Child Care: The House and Senate both included new funding for early education and child care in their budgets. They increased funding in different ways, but, as the Common Start Coalition has argued, if the priorities of both chambers make it into the final budget, it would represent a substantial step toward implementing the coalition’s full vision of a high-quality early education and childcare system that is affordable and accessible for all families.

*No Cost Calls: Both the House and Senate budgets included language to provide persons who are incarcerated with access to free phone calls or similar forms of communication. It is unconscionable that prisons and jails have been price-gouging incarcerated individuals and their families for years, and it’s important that this provision is a part of the final budget.

Can you contact your state legislators in support of these three budget priorities?

TONIGHT: Community Forum on Suffolk & Plymouth County DA Races

We’ll be joining community partners from the Justice for Massachusetts coalition for a forum with the Suffolk and Plymouth County DA candidates TONIGHT from 6 pm to 9 pm.

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Kevin Hayden (Suffolk County)

7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Rahsaan Hall (Plymouth County)

8:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Ricardo Arroyo (Suffolk County)

RSVP here.

TOMORROW: The ‘Segrenomics’ of Education

Many of the educational issues and controversies we face today — state takeovers, standardized testing, charter schools, many more — have interconnected historical roots and mutually reinforcing current impacts that result in huge gaps in school quality and huge gaps in student opportunity. Understanding that history is crucial for finding solutions.

Tomorrow at 7:00 pm, join the important discussion with Dr. Rooks about her research on segrenomics, connecting the dots between economics with segregated schooling and community organizers from across the state on their work.

RSVP here.

WEDNESDAY: Education Budget Briefing

On Wednesday at 4 pm, join the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance, MassBudget, and the Massachusetts Teachers Association for a briefing on the education budget, including discussions of the state budget, budget supplemental, the American Rescue Plan (ARPA), and the Fair Share Amendment.

RSVP here.

Education Budget Briefing

In solidarity,

What Just Happened at the State House & What’s Happening Next Week

Last week was an exciting week at the Massachusetts State House, as both the House and Senate voted to override the Governor’s veto of the Work & Family Mobility Act, making Massachusetts the 17th state to ensure that all qualified residents, regardless of immigration status, are able to get a driver’s license.

You can see how your legislators voted below.

VOTES Act Advances…But With a Big Gap

Last week, the House and Senate released their final version of the VOTES Act. The bill contains many important reforms, like making the option to vote early-by-mail permanent, expanding early voting options, and strengthening the protections for jail-based voting. Unfortunately, however, the House’s opposition to Same Day Registration carried the day, and Massachusetts will continue to lag behind our neighbors with our arbitrary and exclusionary voter registration cutoff. The bill would shorten the deadline from 20 days before an election to 10 days, but that’s still 10 days too many.

The bill passed the Senate last week and is on track to pass the House soon.

Read a full write-up of the bill here.

The ‘Segrenomics’ of Education

Many of the educational issues and controversies we face today — state takeovers, standardized testing, charter schools, many more — have interconnected historical roots and mutually reinforcing current impacts that result in huge gaps in school quality and huge gaps in student opportunity. Understanding that history is crucial for finding solutions.

Join the important discussion with Dr. Rooks about her research on: segrenomics, connecting the dots between economics with segregated schooling and community organizers from across the state on their work.

RSVP here.

Event info for "The Segrenomics of Education"

Community Forum on Suffolk & Plymouth County DA Races

We’ll be joining community partners from the Justice for Massachusetts coalition for a forum with the Suffolk and Plymouth County DA candidates on Monday, June 20, from 6 pm to 9 pm.

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Kevin Hayden (Suffolk County)

7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Rahsaan Hall (Plymouth County)

8:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Ricardo Arroyo (Suffolk County)

RSVP here.

Your Plans for this Weekend (…And the Next…and the Next…)? Canvassing for Fair Share!

Find a canvass near you at https://www.mobilize.us/fairshareamendment2022/.

June 8th: Author Event with Jerold Duquette & Erin O’Brien

Join Progressive Mass for a discussion with Jerold Duquette and Erin O’Brien, the co-editors of the new book The Politics of Massachusetts Exceptionalism: Reputation Meets Reality.
About the Book:
Are claims of Massachusetts’s special and instructive place in American history and politics justified? Alternately described as a “city upon a hill” and “an organized system of hatreds,” Massachusetts politics has indisputably exerted an outsized pull on the national stage. The Commonwealth’s leaders often argue for the state’s distinct position within the union, citing its proud abolitionist history and its status as a policy leader on health care, gay marriage, and transgender rights, not to mention its fertile soil for budding national politicians. Detractors point to the state’s busing crisis, sky high levels of economic inequality, and mixed support for undocumented immigrants. The Politics of Massachusetts Exceptionalism tackles these tensions, offering a collection of essays from public policy experts that address the state’s noteworthy contributions to the nation’s political history. This is a much-needed volume for Massachusetts policymakers, journalists, and community leaders, as well as those learning about political power at the state level, inside and outside of the classroom. Contributors include the editors as well as Maurice T. Cunningham, Lawrence Friedman, Shannon Jenkins, Luis F. Jiménez, and Peter Ubertaccio. You can order a copy here. Click here to let us know if you are interested in joining a book discussion before or after the author event!

This Wednesday: Our Legislative Update & Action Evening

Can you believe that it’s May already? That means warmer weather, blooming flowers, and both upcoming deadlines at the Legislature and opportunities to take action.

Wednesday, May 4: Lobby & Learn Evening

Join us this Wednesday, 5/4, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm to learn more about some of our top legislative priorities and how to take action to support them.

The first hour will consist of info sessions on legislation. The second hour will consist of breakout groups for taking action in this critical part of the session.

Featured Speakers:

  • Chrystel Murrieta, Political Coordinator, SEIU 32BJ
  • Cabell Eames, Political Director, 350 Mass / Better Future Project
  • Sana Fadel, Deputy Director, Citizens for Juvenile Justice
  • Vanessa Snow, Director of Organizing & Policy, MassVOTE

This Thursday: The MA Senate Votes on the Work & Family Mobility Act

Our event on Wednesday is timely because the next day, the MA Senate will be voting on the Work & Family Mobility Act.

Allowing Bay Staters to apply for driver’s licenses, regardless of immigration status, is common sense public policy that improves public safety for all Massachusetts families.

Please email your state senator to urge them to VOTE YES on the Work & Family Mobility Act this week!

Saturday, May 7: Free Our Mothers Car Rally in Framingham

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, but not everyone will have the opportunity to spend quality time with their mother due to a carceral system that rips families apart.

Join Families for Justice as Healing and The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls for their annual car rally in Framingham this Saturday (May 7) 1 pm to 3 pm. Come let the community know—No New Women’s Prison, No Old Women’s Prison, No More Women’s Prison.

To get more details, RSVP here.

Take Action to Address the Housing Affordability Crisis!

Massachusetts has an affordability crisis, and cities and towns lack the tools to adequately respond.

That’s why we’ve been working in coalition with groups across the state to pass Real Estate Transfer Fee Enabling Legislation (H.137S.868: An Act empowering cities and towns to impose a fee on certain real estate transactions to support affordable housing). These bills would enable cities and towns to impose a modest fee on high-end real estate transactions to create a funding source for affordable housing.

The bill faces an important deadline of May 9th (one week from today) in the Joint Committee on Housing. If no action is taken by this date, the session will be over for this bill.

Can you email House & Senate Leadership in support of this key bill?

Wednesday, 5/4: Join us for a Legislative Update & Action Evening

Did you know that we have fewer than 100 days left in the Legislative Session?

That’s right: the session will come to a close on July 31, and there are a lot of important bills still in the air.

Join us next Wednesday, 5/4, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm to learn more about some of our top legislative priorities and how to take action to support them.

The first hour will consist of deep dives on legislation. The second hour will consist of breakout groups for taking action in this critical part of the session: whether phone banking or text-banking to constituents of key legislators, relational organizing, or letter-writing.

Featured Speakers:

  • Chrystel Murrieta, Political Coordinator, SEIU 32BJ
  • Cabell Eames, Political Coordinator, 350 Mass / Better Future Project
  • Sana Fadel, Deputy Director, Citizens for Juvenile Justice
  • Vanessa Snow, Director of Organizing & Policy, MassVOTE

Fair Share Amendment Canvass Kickoffs!

Join the Fair Share Amendment Campaign to kick off the effort’s first regional canvasses of 2022!

We’ll be joining allies from across the Commonwealth in Raise Up Mass to hit the doors and talk to voters about how the Fair Share Amendment could transform our communities—from well-resourced and affordable public education to safe roads and bridges and reliable public transportation. A successful response to climate change depends on robust, ongoing investments in public transit, and the Fair Share Amendment will provide the sustainable revenue to make that a reality.

Join an event near you to get connected, get trained, and help us spread the word about YES on Fair Share this November!

Canvass Kickoffs are being held in:

Lynn – Saturday, April 30
Boston – Saturday, April 30
New Bedford – Saturday, April 30

The Fair Share Amendment is a proposal to add a small tax on annual individual incomes exceeding $1 million. While the amendment is expected to impact fewer than 1% of taxpayers, it is projected to raise nearly $2 billion each year for investments in public education and infrastructure improvements. The Fair Share Amendment is on the ballot statewide on November 8, 2022.

It’s Earth Week! From trees to transit, you can take action!

Happy Earth Week!

Last week, the MA State Senate passed a new climate bill that accelerates our clean energy transition (read about it here), but there’s much more that we need to do, from investing in our public transportation systems to investing in equitable tree canopy and much, much more.

Fair Share Amendment Canvass Kickoffs!

Join the Fair Share Amendment Campaign to kick off the effort’s first regional canvasses of 2022!

We’ll be joining allies from across the Commonwealth in Raise Up Mass to hit the doors and talk to voters about how the Fair Share Amendment could transform our communities—from well-resourced and affordable public education to safe roads and bridges and reliable public transportation. A successful response to climate change depends on robust, ongoing investments in public transit, and the Fair Share Amendment will provide the sustainable revenue to make that a reality.

Join an event near you to get connected, get trained, and help us spread the word about YES on Fair Share this November!

Canvass Kickoffs are being held in:

  • Pittsfield – Saturday, April 23
  • Springfield – Saturday, April 23
  • Lynn – Saturday, April 30
  • Boston – Saturday, April 30
  • New Bedford – Saturday, April 30

The Fair Share Amendment is a proposal to add a small tax on annual individual incomes exceeding $1 million. While the amendment is expected to impact fewer than 1% of taxpayers, it is projected to raise nearly $2 billion each year for investments in public education and infrastructure improvements. The Fair Share Amendment is on the ballot statewide on November 8, 2022.

A Livable Commonwealth: Trees as a Public Good

Thursday April 21, 2022, 7:00 pm EDT

https://bit.ly/Trees-As-A-Public-Good

Mature trees sequester substantial amounts of carbon, something that saplings cannot accomplish for decades. The loss of even a single tree impacts air quality, heat levels, and storm water drainage. So every loss of a mature tree contributes to the climate crisis and impacts public health. Neighborhoods and towns with less wealth and more people of color have fewer trees and are at greater risk for health and climate emergencies, making the loss of mature trees also an environmental justice issue. This online forum on Thursday, April 21 at 7 pm EDT will make the case that trees are a public good and discuss steps that local organizations and communities can take to protect our tree canopies.

And Mark Your Calendars…..

Lobby & Learn: The End-of-Session Clock is Ticking!

The current Legislative Session in Massachusetts will be coming to a close at the end of July, and that date will be here before you know it.

Rather than a typical virtual lobby day, this event — hosted on Wednesday, May 4th, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm — will be focused on learning more about some of our top legislative priorities and how to take action to support them.

The first hour will consist of deep dives on legislation. The second hour will consist of breakout groups for taking action in this critical part of the session: whether phone banking or text-banking to constituents of key legislators, relational organizing, or letter-writing. May the force of advocacy be with you in May and always!

Common Start Rally on Saturday + State House Staff Union

This Saturday, parents, families, child care providers and workers, and activists across the state will be joining the Common Start Coalition for a rally on the Boston Common to highlight the need for robust child care and early education infrastructure.
Date: Saturday, April 9
Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm

Place: Boston Common at the Parkman Bandstand

RSVP at https://bit.ly/csrallyrsvp

The rally is family-friendly and free to attend. Bus transportation with snacks and beverages will be provided from key locations across Massachusetts.

Can’t make the rally? Send your state legislators an email in support of the bill!

Common Start Rally

Show Your Support for MA Senate Staff

Earlier this week, members of the MA State Senate staff announced that after years of staff organizing, they achieved the number of authorization cards necessary to form a MA Senate staff union. On Thursday, March 31, representatives of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2222 (IBEW) notified Senate President Karen Spilka of the successful majority and requested voluntary recognition of the Massachusetts State House Employee Union, which will become the 2nd state legislative staff union in United States history.

Show your support for the MA State House Employee Union here.

Your Calendar, Marked

It’s time to spring into action. Here are some upcoming events to put on your calendar.

Saturday, 3/26: Progressive Mass Spring Statewide Candidate Interviews

2022 is a busy year, with open AG and Auditor races and a contested Secretary of the Commonwealth race.

Join fellow activists across Massachusetts on Saturday, March 26, from 1 pm to 4 pm, as we interview candidates for these offices about how they will advance a progressive agenda.

RSVP here.

PM Spring Candidate Interviews

Tuesday, 3/29: Immigrants’ Day at the State House

Immigrants’ Day at the State House is an annual tradition from our ally MIRA, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. Each spring, MIRA brings together hundreds of immigrants and refugees to the State House to hear from public officials and advocate for legislative and budget priorities.

The event will be held in a virtual space for safety and public health reasons, with a speaking program with built-in digital advocacy opportunities, followed by regional “roundtables” with legislators co-hosted by MIRA member organizations.

Join us to advocate for our pro-immigrant budget and legislative agenda. The event will focus on the Safe Communities Act, the Work and Family Mobility Act, the Language Access and Inclusion Act, the COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Act, and several budget line-items.

RSVP here.

Immigrants' Day (virtually) at the State House 2022

Saturday, April 9: Spring into Action for Common Start

Join the Common Start Coalition to celebrate the milestones of the campaign and to hear how

YOU can help us ensure a stronger future for every child!

Saturday, April 9, 11 am to 1 pm, Boston Common

In addition to learning more about our next steps, the day will include opportunities for child and family fun! Buses to the Boston Common will be provided from certain areas. Stay tuned for more details!

Solidarity Lowell February Meeting w/ Special Guest Alexandra Chandler

Solidarity Lowell welcomes Alexandra Chandler to our monthly meeting on the election crisis of 2022.

Sunday, February 27, 5:30pm, Zoom

The risk of election crisis in 2022 and 2024 is high and rising. A large percentage of voters believe that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen, dozens of state-level bills have passed that will facilitate partisan interference in election results, and a campaign of threats and intimidation is driving an exodus of experienced election officials.

In this talk, Alexandra Chandler (former Congressional candidate, now working at Protect Democracy) will outline the core threats to U.S. elections and the potential for election subversion, how these threats and changes in voting access increase the risk level and change the playing field, but also why there is cause for hope and what folks can do to take action to reduce the risk of election crisis and other dangers to our democracy in 2022, 2024, and beyond.

Email us at contact@solidaritylowell.com to find out how to join the meeting.

“Policy is my love language.”

Policy is my love language

“Policy is my love language.” This is a quote that Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley often uses, and it rings so true. If we want to build a society where people truly love, care for, and respect each other, then we need policies that reflect that, rather than policies that dehumanize and marginalize.

Tell Your State Rep to Vote YES on the Work & Family Mobility Act!

Last Friday, the Work & Family Mobility Act was reported out of the Joint Transportation Committee.

This bill would enable all qualified state residents to apply for a standard Massachusetts driver’s license or identification card regardless of immigrant status.

Many MA residents depend on a car to get to work, to school, to the hospital, etc., and immigration status shouldn’t be a barrier to getting a license.

Moreover, the Work & Family Mobility Act would make us all safer. If all drivers have passed the same test and know the same rules of the road, and are properly insured, we all benefit.

The House is expected to vote on the bill soon—possibly as early as this week.

Can you write to your state rep to urge them to vote YES?

Valentine’s Day Rally to Pass the Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium Bill!

Let’s show love to incarcerated women and love for our communities! Come to the State House with Families for Justice as Healing on Monday from 12-1pm to push the Legislature to pass the Moratorium Bill and free women from Framingham and invest money in what communities really need to thrive! Please wear masks to keep each other safe. Feel free to bring signs with messages like FREE HER, STOP THE NEW WOMEN’S PRISON, or PASS S2030/H1905. RSVP HERE.

Hearts Broken on Slow Solutions, Love is Strong for our Movement

Every day that passes without action breaks our hearts, knowing that Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Immigrant, and all oppressed people are harmed by the status quo. Our frontline movements have worked for years for urgent social change, with some priority bills delayed by our legislature for over a decade. It is with our broken hearts and fierce love for each other that we will gather at the statehouse, united in calling for action.

We will be joining allied organizations in gathering at 3pm on Monday in front of the State House (and on Zoom) to lift up our priorities together. Will we have another year of immigrants in MA denied access to a driver’s license? Will tens of thousands more face needless COVID-19 evictions and foreclosures?

Healthy Youth Act Lobby Day

For over 10 years, the Healthy Youth Act has been our Commonwealth’s opportunity to ensure that public schools that choose to offer sex education provide lessons that are inclusive, comprehensive, and medically accurate.

This Monday, February 14, from 12 pm to 2 pm, the Healthy Youth Act Coalition will be hosting a virtual lobby day to urge the Legislature to pass the bill. RSVP here (and you can email your state rep here if you can’t make it.)

Fighting for a Fair Share from Our Wealthiest Institutional Neighbors

Tuesday, February 15, 6pm – 7:30 pm

Across the Commonwealth, towns and cities are wrestling with the challenges and fiscal burden of expanding nonprofit property tax expansion from some of the wealthiest education and medical institutions in our country. Without a framework for institutional contributions, critical services for residents are threatened. From Western Mass to Greater Boston, from North Shore to South Shore—this issue demands state action. Join us for a discussion on necessary state legislation on payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) programs and how advocacy organizations and state and local legislators are fighting to win it.

The PILOT Action Group is hosting a discussion with Davarian L. Baldwin, college professor and author of In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower and How Universities Are Plundering Our Cities. Baldwin’s book provides an excellent analysis of the role of large nonprofit institutions in our communities, and presents a vision of a more equitable relationship between communities and these institutions. Register here.

Common Start Coalition Roundtables

The Common Start Coalition is a statewide partnership of organizations, providers, parents, early educators, and advocates working together to make high-quality early education and child care affordable and accessible to all Massachusetts families.

Over the next few weeks, the Common Start Coalition will be hosting a series of roundtable discussions about why long-term investment in child care and early education infrastructure is so critical. Sign up today!

Wednesday, Feb 16, from 6:30pm – 7:30pm: Roundtable discussion on racial justice and Common Start, hosted by Neighborhood Villages and Coalition for Social Justice

Thursday, Feb 17, from 4pm – 5pm: Common Start Roundtable discussion on wraparound services, hosted by Horizons for Homeless Children

Thursday, February 24, from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm: Common Start Roundtable discussion with religious leaders on affordable childcare

Tuesday, March 1, from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm: Common Start Roundtable discussion on Building Blocks for a Healthy Future