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?

How to Take Action in Support of Immigrants’ Rights

Earlier today, our friends at the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition held their annual Immigrants’ Day at the State House. The event celebrated victories such as the transformative Driving Families Forward campaign and House vote, a successful and inclusive Redistricting campaign, our Commonwealth’s growing number of immigrant and BIPOC officeholders and candidates, and the promise that these developments hold for creating a more welcoming, safe, and just Commonwealth for immigrants and refugees.

But the work isn’t done yet. And here’s how you can play your part.

Get the Work & Family Mobility Act Over the Finish Line!

The Work & Family Mobility Act would extend eligibility for Massachusetts standard driver’s licenses to all qualified state residents, regardless of immigration status. The bill ensures that all drivers are trained, licensed, and insured, and removes unlicensed driving as a key entry point to the deportation pipeline.

After a House supermajority vote for passage on February 16, the bill is poised for passage by the Senate. Let’s make Massachusetts the 19th jurisdiction (17 states plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico) to issue licenses to all qualified drivers.

Contact your State Senator and ask them to support the bill!

Are they already a supporter? That’s awesome! You can still thank them for their support and ask them to urge Senate Leadership to bring the bill to the floor as soon as possible.

Pass the Safe Communities Act!

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the impact of decades of state and local involvement in deportations—undermining testing, treatment and contract tracing efforts in immigrant communities and impeding access to court and police protection for immigrant victims of exploitation and crime.

The Safe Communities Act would restore trust in local institutions by ending the use of our public safety resources for federal immigration enforcement. Given the Biden Administration’s failure to end local entanglement with ICE, this bill is as important as ever. The Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security has until May 4th to recommend the bill for passage.

Email your legislatorsand ask them to weigh in with the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security before May 4th!

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!

Let’s Talk about Upcoming Votes

Tomorrow, the MA House is voting on a bill to generate revenue for an offshore wind investment fund and establish a slate of tax credits and incentives to promote offshore wind.

Massachusetts is well-positioned to be a leader in the renewable energy economy, but as we grow that sector, it is important that we make sure that all communities, especially the underserved, can benefit from the new opportunities provided.

Urge your state rep to support Amendment #10: Environmental Justice and Economic Opportunity, which would strengthen the diversity and inclusion provisions in the bill.

The Work & Family Mobility Act: What’s Next?

Last month, the MA House voted 120 to 36 to pass the Work & Family Mobility Act (often referred to as the “Driver’s License Bill”), which would enable all qualified state residents to apply for a standard Massachusetts driver’s license or identification card regardless of immigrant status.

The case for the bill is clear. 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. If all drivers have passed the same test and know the same rules of the road, and are properly insured, we all benefit from the safer roads that result.

Despite this, the bill had been stalled in the Legislature session after session. But the years of hard work done by advocates, especially those from immigrant-led organizations, paid off.

But the work isn’t done.

The bill now goes to the State Senate. Email your state senator to vote YES and to urge Senate Leadership to take up the bill as soon as possible!

Also, don’t forget: positive reinforcement is important too. So thank your state rep if they voted for the bill.

Know What’s on the Ballot

Do you know what an Attorney General, an Auditor, and a Secretary of the Commonwealth does?

Do you want to know?

And do you want to find out more about what the candidates vying for these important statewide positions plan to do with these offices?

Then join us on Saturday, March 26, at 1 pm for our Spring Candidate Interviews.

All are welcome! Just RSVP here.

News Roundup — February 24, 2022

“Glasnost on Beacon Hill,” Boston Globe

“For the first time in nearly two decades since the question of whether to allow unauthorized immigrants to apply for a driver’s license first came up on Beacon Hill, House Speaker Ron Mariano plans to — wait for it — bring the issue up for debate and a floor vote Wednesday, and force lawmakers to go on record for or against it. Shocking, indeed, given that one longstanding tradition on Beacon Hill is a tendency to hammer out policy behind closed doors and then hold pro forma, unanimous votes to approve it, something that makes it impossible to know what an individual legislator really said or did. Former speaker Robert DeLeo perfected the art form, making House votes about as suspenseful as Russian elections.”

“Privacy advocates speak out against proposal to expand state wiretapping law,” WGBH

“Opponents included Kade Crockford, speaking on behalf of the ACLU of Massachusetts, who said the measure could have “far-reaching negative effects and open up a Pandora’s box of potential unintended consequences, including political harassment and intimidation.””

“Protesters call for 5-year halt on prison construction in Massachusetts,” WGBH

“Over the last three years, there’s been a decrease in women incarcerated, which shows that we can really be a model and an example to what different looks like,” James said. “The prison and jail moratorium bill is just kind of us planting the seed to say that we don’t need — not just a women’s prison — but we don’t need any more prisons and jails, period, in Massachusetts.”

“Compassionate response to 911 calls with social workers makes sense,” CommonWealth

“Law enforcement officers have become the default first responders in situations involving those in crisis who do not have access to adequate mental and behavioral health care. These are often those suffering from addiction, mental illness, and a lack of housing. This police-as-default response mechanism disproportionally affects communities of color. These types of crises most often do not require a response by armed law enforcement officers and the presence of the police can in many situations exacerbate an already tenuous situation and actually cause harm to those needing help. “

“The Gig Economy Is Coming for Millions of American Jobs,” Bloomberg

“Our work is like everybody else’s work,” she said. “If we compromise employment rights, we’re going to have a whole lot of people, including ourselves, who are second-class.”

“Should there be a separate 911 system for mental health crises?,” WGBH News

“The ACES Act calls for something a little bit different,” said Rebekah Gewirtz, executive director at the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, which spearheaded the bill. “The community-based organizations and municipalities working closely together to create a program versus community-based organizations and police departments creating a program. So, it’s an important distinction.”

“For the surtax: Fair Share will fund education, transportation over the long-term,” Boston Business Journal

“Strong economic growth requires robust and accessible transportation and an educated, well trained workforce. Right now, Massachusetts’ transportation infrastructure is teetering and its education system is expensive and inequitable. The Fair Share Amendment, through a modest tax on those who can most afford it, will provide long-term funding to revitalize those essential building blocks of a prosperous Commonwealth.”

“Compassionate response to 911 calls with social workers makes sense,” CommonWealth

“Law enforcement officers have become the default first responders in situations involving those in crisis who do not have access to adequate mental and behavioral health care. These are often those suffering from addiction, mental illness, and a lack of housing. This police-as-default response mechanism disproportionally affects communities of color. These types of crises most often do not require a response by armed law enforcement officers and the presence of the police can in many situations exacerbate an already tenuous situation and actually cause harm to those needing help.”

“What’s better for T: No fares or low-income fare?,” CommonWealth

“Jim Aloisi, the former state transportation secretary and current TransitMatters board member, is a big fan of Wu’s embrace of doing away with fares on buses. He believes eliminating fares on the bus network would attract more passengers and allow them to board buses quickly, which will speed up service. Better service, in turn, will attract even more riders, he says.”

“Ending mask mandate won’t bring us back to normal,” CommonWealth

“These children understand what Gov. Charlie Baker and Massachusetts Education Commissioner Riley do not. Ending the mask mandate in schools on Monday will not bring us back to normal. Rather, it will lead to more preventable infections and outbreaks, at the expense of our society’s most vulnerable. As primary care physicians who care for children and adults, and a parent of two children under 3, we are appalled to see the Baker administration once again prematurely lift data-driven policies that are needed to keep our children and communities safe.”

MA House Passes Work & Family Mobility Act 120-36!

DFF logo

Earlier today, the MA House passed the Work & Family Mobility Act, which would allow any qualified driver—regardless of immigration status—to obtain a driver’s license, by an overwhelming, veto-proof margin of 120 to 36.

The success was the testament to the hard work of the Driving Families Forward coalition, led by SEIU 32BJ and the Brazilian Workers Center, as well as bill sponsors Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D-Pittsfield) and Christine Barber (D-Somerville).

Sixteen states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico already allow residents the right to apply for driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status, including our neighbors New York, Vermont, and Connecticut. And Massachusetts is poised to be next.

The bill is a win-win all around. It recognizes the essential contributions of our immigrant brothers and sisters, who often depend on a car to get to work, to school, to the hospital, etc. Immigration status shouldn’t be a barrier to getting a license. The bill would help make the roads safer for all, lower insurance rates, bring in more revenue for the state (through license fees), and strengthen our economy.

Despite the clear case for the bill and the proven results in other states, every Republican voted against it, and they were joined by Democrats Mark Cusack (D-Braintree), Colleen Garry (D-Dracut), Patrick Kearney (D-Scituate), Christopher Markey (D-Dartmouth), Brian Murray (D-Milford), Dave Robertson (D-Tewksbury), Jeff Turco (D-Winthrop), and Thomas Walsh (D-Peabody).

During the floor debate, the House rejected two amendments from Republican Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading): one (#5) that sought to fear-monger around the idea of undocumented immigrants voting because of being able to obtain a driver’s license (a dishonest misinterpretation of the Automatic Voter Registration policy and the Senate’s proposed Same Day Registration language) and a second (#6) that sought to give law enforcement unfettered access to RMV documents. Both failed on identical 31-125 votes, with Garry, Kearney, and Robertson joining Republicans in voting for them.

If your state rep voted yes, thank them for doing so! Positive reinforcement is critical.

If your state rep voted no, express your disappointment with their vote.

So what comes next?

The bill now goes to the State Senate. Email your state senator to vote YES and to urge the bill to be taken up as soon as possible!

“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

THIS WEEK: VOTES Act, Common Start Roundtable, & More

Last week was a bad week for voting rights in the US Senate, as Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema refused to support rules changes that would allow for important voting rights packages to pass amidst Republican opposition.

But this week—with your help—might be a good week for voting rights in Massachusetts.
Last October, the MA Senate passed the VOTES Act, which not only makes vote-by-mail and expanded early voting permanent but also goes further by eliminating our arbitrary, exclusionary voter registration cutoff and strengthening protections for jail-based voting.

The MA House is expected to take up this bill this week: on Thursday, January 27.

It’s important that the House pass the VOTES Act in full, especially the provisions on Same Day Registration and strengthening Jail-Based Voting.

Tell your state rep to support the VOTES Act in its entirety.

Driving Families Forward Virtual Briefing Series Continues

Join the Driving Families Forward Coalition for part II of the Driving Families Forward Coalition Virtual Briefing series! Over the last year, the Driving Families Forward Coalition has worked tirelessly gaining the support of more than 270 endorsing organizations, including community, health, faith, labor, business, and law enforcement for the Work and Family Mobility Act, which would ensure that immigration status is not a barrier to obtaining a driver’s license.

Tune in on Facebook Live at the Driving Families Forward page Tuesday, January, 25th to hear from law enforcement leaders supporting our legislation across the state.

Common Start Roundtable: Tuesday @ 6:30 pm

Tomorrow at 6:30 pm, the Common Start Coalition will be hosting a virtual roundtable–featuring Congresswoman Katherine Clark–about the child care crisis and the solutions for it, especially the Common Start bill.

Common Start Roundtable

Massachusetts Power Forward Day of Action

Climate Justice can’t wait! Massachusetts needs decision-makers to act fast and move more climate justice policy now!

Join the Massachusetts Power Forward coalition this Thursday for a day of action. 9AM – 10AM : Action Hour, call your legislators https://fb.me/e/1i7OF5oNc
12pm- 1pm: Action hour, take a selfie photo petition and post on twitter to push our legislators https://fb.me/e/3lr4Lo33T

The Fight for Racial Justice and Equity is Year-Round

Yesterday, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, politicians across the Commonwealth (and the country) honored Martin Luther King, Jr., for his commitment to racial equity and social justice.

It was a reminder of how much work we still have to do here in Massachusetts to deliver on his vision, and how we need to demand that elected officials follow through with their rhetoric from yesterday all 365 days of the year.

Three Quick Actions You Can Take Today

(1) Write to Your State Rep in Support of the VOTES Act

While Congress remains stalemated on voting rights action due to Republican and conservative Democratic (we’re looking at you, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema) opposition, we have important action to take here in MA.

Last fall, the MA Senate passed the VOTES Act, which would make pandemic voting reforms like expanded mail-in voting and expanded early voting permanent as well as enact Same Day Voter Registration and stronger protections for jail-based voting. But the House needs to take action too. Write to your state representative today — and if you already have recently, follow up with them.

(2) Write to the Public Safety Committee in support of the Safe Communities Act.

Immigrant justice and racial justice are deeply intertwined. Longstanding state and local involvement in deportations discourages immigrants from seeking medical care, and prevents immigrant victims and witnesses from seeking police and court protection. Many immigrants—and their children—fear that seeking help from local authorities will result in deportation and family separation.

That’s why we need the Safe Communities Act. Send an email to the Joint Committee on Public Safety about why it’s time to pass the SCA.

(3) Pledge to be a Fair Share Voter: For years, Massachusetts’ communities of color have been harmed by inequitable and inadequate access to transportation and public education. Now, the pandemic has heightened these economic and racial inequities that prevent shared prosperity.

The Fair Share Amendment is a transformative opportunity to raise revenue to build a more equitable commonwealth by investing in public education and transportation. Pledge your support for Fair Share today!

Wednesday, Jan 19, 4 pm: Legislative Briefing on No Cost Calls

This Wednesday, the MA Legislature’s Criminal Justice Reform Caucus is hosting a “NO COST CALLS” legislative briefing, open to the public. RSVP here.

They are partnering with the No Cost Calls Coalition and Prisoners’ Legal Services to explain how this legislation will remove barriers to communication between incarcerated people and their loved ones as Connecticut, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego Counties have already done. Join this briefing to hear firsthand accounts of the hardships that phone charges impose and the benefits of facilitating family contact. Worth Rises, based on its experience in jurisdictions that have already eliminated charges, will present a fiscal analysis showing how cost-effective this legislation would be.

Thursday, Jan 20, 7 pm: #NoNewWomensPrison Virtual Forum

Join this Thursday to learn more about S.2030/H.1905, An Act Establishing A [5-year] Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium, and how to take action to support it. The forum will discuss what this bill does and doesn’t do, how it would be implemented, and what it would mean for Massachusetts to invest $50 million into communities, instead of incarceration.

Featured speakers include bill sponsors Sen. Jo Comerford and Rep. Chynah Tyler along with Mahtowin Munro of the United American Indians of New England, and Andrea James of Families for Justice as Healing and The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls.

RSVP here.

No New Womens Prison Event Graphic

Whether or not you can make it, take a moment to email your legislators about the prison moratorium bill here.


In solidarity, Jonathan Cohn
Policy Director
Progressive Massachusetts

PS: Our annual member meeting is THIS SATURDAY, 1 PM TO 4 PM. Have you RSVPed?