Urgent: Email Your State Senator to Protect No Cost Calls

This past week, Charlie Baker did something shameful.

The Legislature, much to their credit, had passed language in the budget to guarantee free phone calls for incarcerated individuals, ending the predatory practice of prisons and jails charging incarcerated individuals and their families exorbitant costs to stay connected.

All Charlie Baker had to do was sign it. Instead, he is trying to hold the No Cost Calls language hostage as a way to pass one of his own legislative priorities: a bill to weaken due process protections and expand pre-trial detention. Black and Latino electeds in the MA House rightly condemned this move as abhorrent.

Yesterday, the House voted overwhelmingly to reject Baker’s ploy. (If your state rep is among the 122 NAY votes here, you should thank them. NAY = against Baker’s amendment)

House Vote Rejecting Baker Dangerousness Amendment

But the Legislative session is about to end, and the State Senate has not yet voted to reject Baker’s amendment and to protect No Cost Calls and due process.

If you have time TONIGHT, email your State Senator to tell them to reject Charlie Baker’s amendment and to extend the Legislative session if they have to in order to preserve their own legislative victories.

2 am update: Unfortunately, the MA Senate chose not to listen to advocates like Jane Doe Inc. and Families for Justice as Healing and still passed a version of Baker’s dangerousness bill, which will expand incarceration and put No Cost Calls at risk. Thank you to the 8 senators who voted no.

Take Action: What Your State Legislators Need to Do Before Sunday

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

Write to them here!

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

Write to them here!

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.”

Take Action in Support of the Prison Moratorium

This legislative session, our allies at Families for Justice as Healing and the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls filed groundbreaking legislation to establish a 5-year moratorium on jail and prison construction and expansion (S.2030 and H.1905).

The 5-year Moratorium would provide organizers the opportunity to focus on releasing women, implementing real alternatives, and investing in community-led solutions that create real safety and well-being rather than move forward with a new women’s prison in Middlesex County or elsewhere. (Learn more at nonewwomensprison.org)

The House passed the Moratorium as part of the Infrastructure Bond Bill (H4790) on May 19 with only a few small changes from the original bills.

However, the Senate has passed inadequate Moratorium language that would not stop the women’s prison construction project as it’s currently written. It also fails to restrict jail construction.

These bills are currently in Conference Committee, where six legislators (3 state senators and 3 state representatives) are negotiating the final details. That means there’s still time to make your voice heard.

Here’s what you can do, per Families for Justice as Healing:

(1) Call and email the SIX Infrastructure Bond Bill Committee members to include the House version of the Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium in the final bill!

You can also use this quick Action Network tool.

Senator Will Brownsberger (617) 722-1280 / William.Brownsberger@masenate.gov

Senator Nick Collins (617) 722-1150 / Nick.Collins@masenate.gov

Senator Ryan Fattman (617) 722-1420 / Ryan.Fattman@masenate.gov

Representative Danielle Gregoire (617) 722-2140 / Danielle.Gregoire@mahouse.gov

Representative Carlos Gonzalez (617) 722-2230 / Carlos.Gonzalez@mahouse.gov

Representative David Vieira (617) 722-2230 / David.Vieira@mahouse.gov

“Hello, my name is _______________ and I’m calling to ask you to include the House version of the Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium language in the final version of the Infrastructure Bond Bill. The House language will prevent the new women’s prison project and allow 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. Passing the House Moratorium language is what’s best for women, families, and communities. Thank you.

(2) Call and email your own State Rep and Senator and ask them to tell the Infrastructure Bond Bill Committee members to include the House version of the Moratorium in the final bill!

Find your legislators’ contact info here — or use our Action Network tool here.

“Hello, my name is _______________ and I’m your constituent. One of my top priorities this session is making sure the strongest possible version of the Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium passes into law. Please let your colleagues on the Infrastructure Bond Bill Conference Committee know to include the House version of the Moratorium language in the final version of the Infrastructure Bond Bill. The Senate Bill has too many loopholes, but the House language will prevent the new women’s prison project and allow 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. Passing the House Moratorium language is what’s best for women, families, and communities, so please make sure you do everything you can to make that happen. Thank you!”

(3) Post on Twitter to boost public pressure on the Conference Committee!

       Option 1

I support a five-year moratorium on jail and prison construction in MA, so I urge you to include the HOUSE language in the final Infrastructure Bond Bill. @nickcollinsma @WBrownsberger @DWGregoire @RyanFattman Rep Gonzalez and Rep Vieira

#NoNewWomensPrison #MApoli

       Option 2

The Senate version of the Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium falls short. Conference Committee members, please include the HOUSE language in the final bill.

@nickcollinsma @WBrownsberger @DWGregoire @RyanFattman Rep Gonzalez & Rep Vieira

#NoNewWomensPrison #MApoli

(4) Sign up to volunteer to phone bank and canvas with the campaign. bit.ly/nonewprisonvolunteer

MA Senate Votes to Reform Civil Asset Forfeiture, Juvenile Justice System

On Thursday, the MA Senate passed two bills to advance the “justice” component of our criminal justice system.

First, the Senate voted 31 to 9 to reform the civil asset forfeiture system, raising the legal bar that law enforcement must meet to seize and keep people’s money and property in suspected drug crimes. MA currently allows DAs the lowest legal burden of proof to keep property that’s seized, even when charges are never filed, and we’re the only state to do so.

The Senate also rejected 29 to 10 an amendment from Senator Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) to strip the language of the bill that would create a right to counsel for (1) defendants in related criminal cases (regardless of indigency) and (2) defendants in cases where there’s no related criminal case and who meet the indigency standard. 

Unfortunately, however, the Senate, on voice vote, adopted an amendment from Senator John Keenan (D-Quincy) to strip language from the bill that would have prevented funds seized through civil asset forfeiture from going to local police departments and DA offices and allocated them to the general fund instead. Allowing police departments and DA’s offices to keep the money creates a perverse set of incentives and also enables them to use the money for propaganda purposes.

The Senate also voted 32 to 8 to pass a bill (S.2942) that would increase opportunities for judicial diversion for youth.

Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) roll-called three amendments to limit the scope of the bill.

The first was to eliminate options for diversion for a long list of offenses. It failed 30 to 9, with Senators Barry Finegold (D-Andover), Anne Gobi (D-Spencer), Michael Moore (D-Auburn), Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton), Walter Timilty (D-Milton), and John Velis (D-Westfield) joining the 3 Republicans in voting for the amendment.

His second was to strip the offense of “assault and battery with a dangerous weapon” from the list of offenses for which diversion would be an option. This offense, as Citizens for Juvenile Justice explain in an earlier link, is widely invoked, with things like eggs or lotion having been called “dangerous weapons” in past cases. It failed 26 to 12. The aforementioned 9 were joined by Sen. Nick Collins (D-South Boston), Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough), and Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford).

His third amendment, to limit diversion opportunities to only a first offense, was defeated 33 to 6, with only Finegold, Montigny, and Pacheco joining Republicans.

Letter to the Budget Conference Committee on No Cost Calls


Monday, July 27, 2022

Dear Chair Michlewitz, Chair Rodrigues, and members of the Committee:

I am writing on behalf of Progressive Massachusetts to thank you for your support of legislation that would keep families connected by eliminating the cost of phone calls for those who are incarcerated and for their loved ones. As you and the other members of the Conference Committee consider the FY23 budget reports, we urge you to consider that, to truly keep families connected, calls should be free, fully funded, and guaranteed.

We are proud to be among the 70 organizations, including legal service providers, public defenders, social workers, bar associations, and directly-affected people, that have advocated for No Cost Calls. We recognize that criminal legal reform is a racial justice issue and that mass incarceration disproportionately affects Black and Brown communities and people living in poverty. We understand that families often have to choose between staying connected to an incarcerated loved one and paying for necessities like rent or food—or risk going into debt.

We urge you to include the following essential pieces in the ultimate budget language:

Guaranteed Telephone Access

Currently, Massachusetts jails and prisons do not restrict how many minutes incarcerated people can talk to their loved ones each day. Calls are only limited by the cost. The Legislature must ensure that this current level of contact does not decrease once calls are free. Both the House and the Senate have approved language that aims to avoid new restrictions on access to phone calls. We urge you to bar any new caps on calls in order to maintain continuity and to guarantee at least 120 minutes per person per day.

Funding of Communication Services

We strongly support the House language creating a $20M Trust Fund dedicated to communication services. Upon proof of expenditures, the Fund would reimburse prisons and jails for their spending on communication services. That Trust Fund should be in the final FY23 budget, to take effect this year.

Prohibition on Commissions 

Both the House and Senate budgets address site commissions, i.e., payments made by phone companies to jails and prisons, taken from revenue paid by consumers. While some Sheriffs have said they need this money to provide programs, the House and Senate have agreed that low-income telephone consumers should not pay for programs in the jails and prisons. Instead, the Sheriffs should seek such funding through their budget requests, with full transparency and accountability, and the Legislature should ban site commissions.

Start Date

Families have shouldered the financial hardship of paying the high costs of maintaining contact with their incarcerated loved ones for too long. We respectfully request that you include fully funded, guaranteed No Cost Calls in the final FY23 budget, to take effect this year.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Cohn

Policy Director Progressive Massachusetts





This Week: Take Action on Juvenile Justice Reform

What do eggs, lotion, and Slurpees have in common?

All of them have been deemed “dangerous weapons” in courts that made young people ineligible for judicial diversion to community supervision instead of incarceration.

This Thursday, the MA Senate will be voting on an important juvenile justice reform bill (S.2942) to expand opportunities for judicial diversion for youth, as well as another bill (S.2943) that eliminates the requirement that youth pay an $40 administrative bail fee as a condition of being released on bail.

The Senate also has the opportunity to strengthen these reforms by including an amendment (#4 to S.2942, filed by Sen. Pat Jehlen) to preserve the right to education of students who are accused of a felony offense allowing them to remain in school as long as their case has not moved towards an arraignment and that the felony be a “serious violent felony” before a student is suspended from school.

Can you contact your state senator in support of these reforms?

TOMORROW: Fair Share Canvass with Elizabeth Warren

Join Fair Share for Massachusetts and Senator Elizabeth Warren TOMORROW at 5:30 PM to canvass voters and spread the word to vote YES of Fair Share this November!

The kickoff will be at Lincoln Commons Park, Bryant and Cross Street, Malden.

RSVP HERE.

Tell Your Legislator: Pass Child Care Legislation This Legislative Session!

In early 2021, the Common Start Coalition drafted legislation, originally filed by Reps. Gordon & Madaro and Senators Lewis & Moran, that would establish a framework for delivering increased access to affordable, high-quality early education and child care to Massachusetts families, over the course of several years. On May 18, the Legislature’s Education Committee approved a landmark bill, H.4795/S.2883, titled An Act to Expand Access to High-Quality, Affordable Early Education and Care.

Major sections of the Education Committee’s legislation are heavily based on the Common Start bill. Now, we have until the end of the current legislative session on July 31 to pass H.4795/S.2883 and make progress this year on transforming the childcare system in Massachusetts!

Contact your legislators here!

Follow-ups to Tonight’s “Lobby & Learn Event”

Thank you to all of you who joined us earlier this evening, and to those who couldn’t join: we missed you! And thank you to all four of our wonderful presenters: Crystel Murrieta-Ruiz, Cabell Eames, Sana Fadel, and Vanessa Snow!

You can watch the video from tonight’s event here: https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveMass/videos/526092582299567.
If you are interested in making calls to voters in key districts for any of the bills, please let me know! (Phone-banking the friendly folks on our list is fun!) And if you want to be notified if we organize a phone bank around one of them, let me know as well.

Work & Family Mobility Act

The Senate will be voting tomorrow (or if you read this in the morning, “today”). You can join the virtual watch party at 11AM, which is when the Senate will begin session. Register using the following link: https://bit.ly/dff-senate-watch-party.

Don’t forget to email and call your Senators ahead of Thursday to ensure they are committed to voting “YES” in favor of driver’s licenses.

And then remind a few friends as well.

Climate Action

Cabell spoke about hearings this week on the Future of Gas Report (https://thefutureofgas.com/sep), which was written by consultants hired by the public gas utility companies in Massachusetts (Eversource, National Grid, Berkshire, Liberty and Unitil), in response to a request from the Attorney General for the DPU to do a study on how gas companies can meet Massachusetts’ mandatory emissions reductions. Instead of doing that investigation themselves, the DPU handed it over to the gas companies. The DPU is now reviewing the consultants’ report and the companies’ plans and trying to assess the claims and assumptions made. You can find instructions on how to submit testimony (due by 5 pm on Friday) here.

One of the priority bills for the Mass Renews Alliance that Cabell mentioned is the Building Justice with Jobs bill (S.2226 / H.3365), which would adopt housing regulations mandating minimum energy efficiency, energy performance, or related energy standards and put thousands of MA residents to work retrofitting 100,000 homes each year to improve energy efficiency and health outcomes, and reduce utility bills and carbon emissions. We have a fact sheet with sample scripts and talking points here: https://www.progressivemass.com/issues/building-justice-jobs-2021-action.

Cabell also mentioned the Mass Power Forward press conference and lobby day next Thursday from 11 am to 1 pm at the State House. You can RSVP for that (and learn more) here.

Raise the Age

Sana had excellent slides about the Raise the Age bill ( H.1826 / S.920), which would improve public safety and reduce youth entanglement with the criminal legal system by allowing 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to not be automatically tried as adults. The coalition has an excellent website, with a sample script for contacting your legislators: https://www.raisetheagema.org/.

Election Day Registration

This is the article Vanessa mentioned about provisional ballots: https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2022/04/27/provisional-ballots-massachusetts-2020-election-rejected-common-cause/.

The Election Modernization Coalition will be holding an informal in-person lobby day next Wednesday 5/11 @11am in the State House. More details to come, but RSVP to gfoster@commoncause.org if you can attend.

The four Democrats on the six-person Conference Committee are Senators Barry Finegold (Andover, Lawrence, Dracut, Tewksbury) and Cindy Creem (Brookline, Newton, Wellesley) and Representatives Mike Moran (Allston-Brighton, and a tiny bit of Brookline) and Dan Ryan (Charlestown, Chelsea). If you know people in their districts, urge them to contact their legislators! The Senators both support EDR and need backing; the two reps do not support it and need pressure. Please also write to your own legislators urging them to contact the Conference Committee in support of Election Day Registration.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

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?

What’s in the MA House Budget….And What Could Be.

First of all, happy Earth Day! This Earth Day, I’m thinking about how the investments from the Fair Share Amendment will help us improve our public transit systems, a vital part of our response to climate change (as well as reducing air pollution and expanding economic opportunity). The Fair Share campaign recently launched new social media accounts, so if you haven’t followed them yet, make sure to do so on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

A Budget Is a Moral Document

Last week, the MA House Ways & Means Committee released its budget for the next fiscal year.

The Good: The budget avoids the regressive tax cuts for the rich proposed by Republican Governor Charlie Baker, includes the new investments in public schools required by the Student Opportunity Act, and ends the exploitative practice of charging incarcerated individuals for phone calls to loved ones.

The Bad: At the same time, the budget continues our chronic underfunding of public transit and fails to deliver on the investments in child care necessary for true affordability and accessibility.

How the Budget Could Be Better: The House will be considering various amendments next week to improve the budget and better deliver on the promise of shared prosperity and justice for all.

Can you contact your state rep in support of these amendments?

Voting Access for All

Amendment #47 (New American Voters Fund), filed by Reps. Ultrino & Donato: Would allocate $4 million to municipalities and community organizations to hire bilingual election workers, pay for professional translators and interpreters, and train elections departments.

Justice for All

Amendment #902 (ACES), filed by Rep. Sabadosa: Would ensure that every call to 911 gets the best response by providing funding to communities that want to develop alternatives to police response for calls better handled by mental and community health providers, like social workers and peer specialists.

Amendment #936 (Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant), filed by Rep. Mary Keefe: Would provide $15 Million for the Community Empowerment Reinvestment Grant Program, which funds reentry and intervention programs.

Amendment #1346 (Youth Bail Fees), filed by Rep. Fluker Oakley: Would (1) eliminate the statutorily-required $40 administrative bail fees charged to juveniles when they are arrested overnight and (2) shift the decision to release a child to their parent or to impose cash bail decisions from the police officer on call to the Bail Magistrate, a neutral 3rd party.

The House budget remains poised to earmark millions of dollars for the incarceration of men civilly committed for treatment of substance use disorder under the statute known as “Section 35” (M.G.L. c.123 s.35).

  • Amendment #332 (Section 35), filed by Rep. Balser: Would eliminate the Governor’s proposed funding for correctional section 35 facilities.  
  • Amendment #333 (Access to Addiction Services), filed by Rep. Balser: Would ensure sufficient bed space in DPH or DMH facilities for men committed under section 35.

Economic Security for All

Amendment #181 (Lift Kids Out of Deep Poverty FY23), filed by Rep. Decker: Would raise cash assistance grants for very low-income families with children, elders, and persons with disabilities by 20% for FY 23.

Amendment #640 (Excluding Temporary COVID Relief Income from FY23 Means Testing), filed by Rep. Elugardo: Would ensure that economic assistance from the CARES Act does not count against anyone’s eligibility for means-tested public assistance programs.

Amendment #802 (Including underemployed and unstably housed youth in “at-risk”), filed by Rep. Elugardo: Would add a focus of creating economic opportunity for youth experiencing homelessness to the YouthWorks Youth Jobs program.

Amendment #881 (Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program), filed by Rep. Madaro: Would cap tenant rent share to 30% income instead of 40% and expand mobile vouchers to cover tenant-paid utilities, among other measures.

Amendments #1068 (RTA Funding) & #1070 (RTA Funding Distribution), filed by Representative Sarah Peake: Would make $101 million in base funding available to the RTAs (an increase from $94 million).

Amendment #1268 (Housing Protections), filed by Rep. Moran: Would extend Chapter 257 eviction protections to cases where landlords seek to recover arrears for non-payment of rent – effectively closing the non-payment loophole – and require landlords to participate in the rental assistance process in good faith before being permitted to file an eviction case in court.

Amendment #1371 (Rental Assistance for Families in Transition), filed by Rep. Decker: Would expand eligibility for RAFT to households with incomes from 50% of the area median income (AMI) up to 60% AMI.

Safe & Welcoming Schools for All

Amendment #1133 (Targeted Intervention to Enhance the Learning of Students in Early Grades), filed by Rep. Uyterhoeven: Would provide funding for student specific supports and interventions that enhance learning during preschool through the third grade and that support the elimination of disciplinary sanctions for this population of students

Amendment #1138 (Student Wellness School Support), filed by Rep. Uyterhoeven: Would provide funding to reduce school exclusion for students in prekindergarten through the third grade by utilizing best practices, increased parent engagement and community-based services to support teachers and school staff to employ alternatives to suspensions and expulsions to address student misbehavior in the early grades

Amendment #1321 (Holistic School Health and Safety Practices Grant Program), filed by Rep. Khan: Would create a grant program, administered by the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, to support public schools and school districts in transitioning to safety models that do not rely on stationing police in schools.

Can you contact your state rep in support of these amendments?

Take Action: Spring is the Time for Liberation and New Life

Springtime

Spring holidays are a time to reflect on the themes of liberation and of new life. Themes that are especially relevant when it comes to our transition away from fossil fuels toward a renewable energy future, and away from a punitive, costly, and ineffective carceral system toward a system rooted in humanity and second chances.

MA Senate Climate Bill: Free Our Energy System from Fossil Fuels

Last week, the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made clear that it’s “now or never” to act on climate change. Every country (and every state, and every city) needs to enlarge its ambitions, as we build a world free from fossil fuel dependency. A world with cleaner air, better transit, and healthier lives. A world that with its cleaner air, healthier lives, and better transit will be better for all.

Tomorrow, the MA Senate will be voting on a new climate bill: S.2180, An Act Driving Climate Policy Forward. The bill takes many positive steps forward, but it does not do enough when it comes to accelerating our transition from renewable energy, improving the energy efficiency of our buildings sector, and investing in public transit.

Urge your state senator to support amendments to make the bill as strong as possible and free our commonwealth from fossil fuels.

No Planet B

What the Judiciary Committee Can Do This Week

Prisons are fundamentally unsafe environments, designed for punishment not rehabilitation. Warehousing people in settings rife with human rights abuses, price gouging, and isolation does not make anyone safer; indeed, our system makes us all worse off.

We know what works and what doesn’t from years of study and from the organizing and advocacy of impacted communities. We need to avoid entrenching a flawed system, we need to ensure that individuals who are incarcerated can maintain a connection with loved ones outside, and we need to ensure that young people have second chances, rather than being cut off from opportunities for life.

This Friday is a key deadline for the MA Legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee in making that better vision a reality.

The members of the Judiciary Committee need to hear from you about these bills in particular:

  • No Cost Calls: H.1900: An Act relative to inmate telephone calls, which would prevent prisons and jails from charging individuals who are incarcerated for phone calls to loved ones.
  • Prison Moratorium: H.1905: An Act establishing a jail and prison construction moratorium, which would prevent the state from building new prisons and jails and from thereby locking in a carceral system through increased capacity.
  • Raising the Age: S.920 / H.1826: An Act to promote public safety and better outcomes for young adults, which would raise the age of criminal majority to 21, allowing offending youth to have better access to treatment and educational services and thereby reducing recidivism.
  • Juvenile Expungement: S.980 / H.1531: An Act relative to expungement of juvenile and young adult records, which would expand access to expungement to ensure young people who are on the right track can have better access to education and employment opportunities.

Are your legislators on the Committee? If so, send them an email / give them a call asking for a favorable report for these bills.

Not sure about your legislators? Look them up here.

Senate Judiciary Committee

Jamie Eldridge: James.Eldridge@masenate.gov / (617) 722-1120

Eric Lesser: Eric.Lesser@masenate.gov / (617) 722-1291

Sonia Chang-Diaz: Sonia.Chang-Diaz@masenate.gov / (617) 722-1673

Cindy Creem: Cynthia.Creem@masenate.gov / (617) 722-1639

John Velis: John.Velis@masenate.gov / (617) 722-1415

Patrick O’Connor: Patrick.OConnor@masenate.gov / (617) 722-1646  

House Judiciary Committee

Michael Day: Michael.Day@mahouse.gov / (617) 722-2396  

Chynah Tyler: Chynah.Tyler@mahouse.gov / (617) 722-2396  

Chris Hendricks: Chris.Hendricks@mahouse.gov / (617) 722-2305  

Susannah Whipps: Susannah.Whipps@mahouse.gov / (617) 722-2090  

Colleen Garry: Colleen.Garry@mahouse.gov / (617) 722-2380

Jon Santiago: Jon.Santiago@mahouse.gov / (617) 722-2450  

Brandy Fluker Oakley: Brand.FlukerOakley@mahouse.gov / (617) 722-2400

Adam Scanlon: Adam.Scanlon@mahouse.gov / (617) 722-2080

Jay Livingstone: Jay.Livingstone@mahouse.gov / (617) 722-2575

Alyson Sullivan: Alyson.Sullivan@mahouse.gov / (617) 722-2305