There’s a LOT Going on This Week

This past weekend marked the first time that Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery, with its date stemming from when the Union General Gordon Granger formally announced enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, Texas.

Juneteenth is a day to celebrate, but also a reminder of how much work is still to be done, as the legacies of slavery live on in our policing systems, carceral systems, housing segregation, inequalities of wealth and access to public goods, and more. 

TODAY & TOMORROW: Fair Share Amendment Campaign Launches

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Boston! 

Calling all Boston area Fair Share Amendment supporters!

RSVP to attend the campaign launch for Fair Share in Boston tonight at 5 pm outside the Bolling Building (2300 Washington St) in Roxbury! 

Springfield & Western Mass!

Calling all Springfield are Fair Share Amendment supporters!

RSVP to attend the campaign launch tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6 pm outside Springfield City Hall. 

Anywhere & Everywhere! 

Don’t forget to sign a Fair Share pledge card!

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WEDNESDAY: Driving Families Forward Hearing Watch Party 

Driving Families Forward

The Driving Families Forward Coalition will be hosting a virtual watch and action party for supporters and coalition partners from 2-4PM on Wednesday, June 23rd, during the bill’s hearing!

RSVP HERE to join.

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SATURDAY: FREEDOM TO VOTE RALLY 

Pass S1: For the People

Join us at the Freedom to Vote Rally on 6/26/21 at 2 – 3:30PM in the Boston Common! There is overwhelming public support for voting rights! Push the Senate to pass S.1 for the People Act.

Join Indivisible Mass Coalition, Swing Blue Alliance, NAACP-Boston, Common Cause MA, Progressive Mass, JALSA, Act on Mass, Free Speech for People, Mass Peace Action, TPS Alliance, Indivisible Acton Area & others at the Rally.

Your strong voice at this critical moment is essential. The fate of our democracy hangs in the balance. This rally is one of the thousands of events to be held across the country to demonstrate massive grassroots support of the For the People Act.

Voter suppression has a disproportionate impact on voters of color. The Boston Freedom to Vote rally will coincide with the arrival in Washington D.C. of the Freedom Ride bus tour. This bus tour, organized by Black Voters Matter, commemorates the 60th anniversary of the original Freedom Ride movement as a means to unite voters in the fight to protect voting rights. We cannot let legislators continue to strip away voting rights, particularly impacting Black voters.

To meet this moment, we are assembling all the supports that are needed, including event marshals and peacekeepers, water stations, medical support and a fully equipped stage with a state of the art sound system. If you can volunteer, please email debi.cpaul@gmail.com.

Hope to see you this week!

The Work & Family Mobility Act is Good for Safety and Good for Justice

Monday, June 21, 2021

Chairman Boncore, Chairman Straus, and members of the Joint Committee on Transportation:

Progressive Massachusetts would like to go on record in support of S.2289 / H. 3456: An Act relative to work and family mobility during and subsequent to the COVID-19 emergency.

Progressive Mass is a statewide, member-driven grassroots organization committed to fighting for a vision of shared prosperity, racial and social justice, good government, and environmental sustainability in Massachusetts.

This bill (the Work and Family Mobility Act) would enable all qualified state residents to apply for a standard Massachusetts driver’s license, regardless of immigration status, to increase road and public safety and allow for greater mobility across our Commonwealth.  

Immigrants are a core part of the fabric of our community, but regressive laws still on the books hinder their ability to fully participate. Notably, our state still prevents undocumented residents from obtaining driver’s licenses, hindering their ability to work and to engage in the community. 

This is bad for our economy and bad for public safety. In 2016, undocumented immigrants contributed $8.8 billion to the Massachusetts economy, and not being able to obtain a driver’s license prevents their full participation in the economy, especially as our underfunded public transit system too often provides irregular hours and insufficient reach.

Moreover, this situation is bad for public safety. All drivers on the road should have the appropriate training that comes with a license: that makes everyone — fellow drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians — safer. 

But a true definition of public safety is much broader. In the first two years of the Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests of people with no criminal convictions more than tripled, fueled by a fivefold increase in arrests of immigrants who’ve been charged with an offense but not yet convicted. The most common charges were traffic offenses. Although the Trump administration has passed, we cannot wait for a slow-moving federal government to take action to overhaul its approach to immigration enforcement. We can and must act now.  

Other states have realized that changing the law so that immigration status is no longer a barrier to obtaining a license is common-sense policy. More than a dozen states have already passed such laws, including our neighbors in New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. It’s past time that we do too. We urge a prompt favorable report for S.2289 / H. 3456: An Act relative to work and family mobility during and subsequent to the COVID-19 emergency.

Sincerely, 

Jonathan Cohn

Chair, Issues Committee

Progressive Massachusetts 

Our 2021 Annual Member Meeting: Videos & Slides

2021 Member Meeting

Thank you to everyone who joined us earlier this month for our 2021 annual member meeting!

We were not able to record every breakout session, but we do have recordings for five of them, which you can watch on our YouTube page: 

You can also view the slides from the three presenters for the “What the COVID Pandemic Reveals about Our State Government” breakout.

And the slides from the “Massachusetts Budget Dilemma: Wealthy State, Inequitable Services” breakout:

Boston Globe Letter: Moving Forward with Driver’s Licenses

Emily Achtenberg of JP Progressives’s Immigrants Rights Action Group penned a letter to the editor to the Globe about the need to pass the Work and Family Mobility Act:

Marcela García is right to wonder whether President Biden’s proposed federal immigration reform promises, as the headline of her column puts it, “a new day, or an old story, for the undocumented” (Opinion, Feb. 2). Here in Massachusetts, we should be concerned, too, about our elected state officials’ failure to protect our undocumented neighbors.

Last year, the proposed Work and Family Mobility Act, which would authorize driver’s licenses for undocumented residents, failed to pass the state Legislature after being reported out of committee for the first time in 15 years. The bill received widespread support but was opposed by Governor Charlie Baker.

As the pandemic has revealed, undocumented immigrants make up a significant portion of the essential workforce, the people who keep our economy going and our families safe while suffering a disproportionate share of COVID-19′s burdens. Now more than ever, households need the ability to drive in order to gain access to medical care, testing, and vaccines; grocery shopping and food distribution; jobs; and schools. Public transportation and ridesharing options are unacceptably risky as well as severely curtailed.

The Work and Family Mobility Act has just been refiled in the Legislature, and it deserves our active support. Fifteen states, including Vermont, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, and Delaware, plus the District of Columbia have legalized immigrant driving. Let’s catch up in Massachusetts.

PM in the News: Two Letters in the Globe

Two PM board members recently had letters to the editor published in the Boston Globe.

Jonathan Cohn, “Mass. should move on Safe Communities Act before session ends,” 12/28/20:

The Globe editorial board is spot-on with its call for ending Bristol County’s 287(g) contract with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in light of Sheriff Thomas Hodgson’s latest abuses of power (“Time’s up, Sheriff Hodgson,” Dec. 21). Massachusetts is the only state in New England where such contracts exist. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait until the new presidential administration to end them.

A bill called the Safe Communities Act, filed in the Legislature by Representatives Ruth Balser and Liz Miranda and Senator Jamie Eldridge, would end such contracts with ICE and take additional steps to make sure that the rights of our immigrant communities are respected. It was reported out of committee in July, and it deserves a vote before the session runs out.

If we don’t take action soon, Massachusetts will have gone the four years of the Trump administration without passing any new legislation to strengthen the rights of immigrants in our Commonwealth, a sorry reflection of the politics in our so-called deep blue state.

And Mohammed Missouri responded to a misguided column by Globe opinion columnist Joan Venocchi:

Don’t blame the progressives

The 15th Suffolk state representative race was the most hotly contested legislative primary of 2018 (and the most expensive). Voters in the district looked to the State House to find a bold response to the chaos and daily horror show of the Trump administration. They were hoping for bold action to protect immigrants’ rights, ensure a livable planet, and invest in community needs. But despite the high rank of their state representative, Jeffrey Sánchez, they didn’t find that leadership. So they voted him out, as we do in a democracy.

It’s easy to blame progressive activists for any disappointing outcome, as Joan Vennocchi does in her column “With Speaker Mariano, progressives get what they deserve” (Opinion, Dec. 29). But she ignores that Ways and Means chairman Sánchez was himself supporting majority leader Ron Mariano for speaker, and many of Mariano’s supporters pledged to him more than a decade ago (“Long the House’s consummate insider, Ronald Mariano poised to finally lead it,” Page A1, Dec. 27). An alternative outcome, unfortunately, wasn’t in the cards.

Many politicos believe that Mariano’s tenure will be short before he passes it on to someone else. Rather than relitigating old fights, I hope to help build support for a progressive speaker. I invite Joan Vennochi to join me.

Tell Beacon Hill to Finish the Job

The current legislative session in Massachusetts ends in just three short weeks, with a few holidays in between.

And there’s a lot left to do.

The Legislature has to reject harmful amendments proposed by Republican Governor Charlie Baker to weaken police accountability legislation and strike vital language on equitable abortion access and prison oversight from the budget.

Important climate and housing legislation has been languishing in secretive conference committees while crises fester.

Key protections for workers like emergency paid sick time and for our immigrant communities like the Safe Communities Act and the Work and Family Mobility Act (driver’s license bill) were voted out of committee months ago but remain stuck in limbo.

It’s time to stop delaying and take action.

Can you email your state legislators today to demand swift action on these priorities?

We can’t let the clock run out with so much still on the table — and so much at stake.

Lowell Sun LTE: Supporting Immigrants’ Rights

Dee Halczak of Solidarity Lowell penned a letter in support of the Safe Communities Act and the Work and Family Mobility Act in the Lowell Sun:

There are people in our communities, friends and family and neighbors, who have been here for years providing needed services and stability to our communities. But because they arrived here, the way desperate people do, without dotting all the i’s, under current policies we’re supposed to forget those relationships and the good they’ve done and deport them to places many of them don’t even remember and where they have no connections to help them survive.

It is time someone did the humanitarian thing and found a way to help them stay here and thrive, instead of kicking them out of the only country many of them really know.

One state can’t change federal immigration policy, but it can protect its residents from excessive zeal in the enforcement of unjust rules and regulations.

Massachusetts legislators can lead the way by passing the Safe Communities Act, which allows our police to focus on the jobs we hired them for, and the Work and Family Mobility Act, which allows people to obtain a drivers license so that they can support themselves and their family without providing information on immigration status.

We’ve been arguing over this issue for half of my lifetime. It’s time to stop arguing and do the humane thing. People are already here. Pass the legislation that will let us all go on with our lives and focus on more important things, like standing together to help this country overcome one of the worst crises it has ever encountered.

Here’s What You Can Do This Week for Civil Rights & Housing Stability

It’s been quite the 24 hours. And if you’re like us, you’re thinking, “How can I take action, including right here in Massachusetts?”

Here are some ways.

Past Time to Pass the ROE Act

While we mourn the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we must redouble our efforts to strengthen reproductive rights here in Massachusetts.

Contrary to our liberal reputation, we still have retrograde language and laws on the books.

Tell your state legislators to stop delaying and pass the ROE Act.

Housing Is a Human Right

At the end of the July, the MA House and Senate passed economic development bills (H4887). Each bill contains some important steps to address our affordable housing crisis.

Can you call your state legislators in support of the following three housing reforms? You can find their number here if you don’t have it.

  • Tenant Opportunity to Purchase, which guarantees the right of refusal for tenants when a large building is up for sale or foreclosed (from the HOUSE bill)
  • Inclusionary Zoning Reforms, which would lower the threshold for passing such ordinances to a simple majority (from the SENATE bill)
  • Eviction sealing protections to gives tenants with no-fault evictions the legal right to petition the court to seal their record any time after the conclusion of the case and provide tenants with non-payment evictions the ability to petition the court to seal within 14 days of paying off their judgment (from the SENATE bill)

Police Accountability Week of Action w/ the ACLU

In July, the MA Senate and House both passed police reform legislation (not far-reaching enough, but with a number of important steps forward). However, since then, police unions have been bombarding them with ads and misinformation to make sure that a final bill gets watered down or not passed at all.

If we want to have any accountability at all, we can’t let such tactics work. Join the ACLU this week for a series of events to draw attention to police brutality here in Massachusetts and underscore the need for action.

Monday, September 21, 6:00 PM: Virtual rally kick off (RSVP here)

Tuesday, September 22, 5:30 PM: Police accountability phone bank (RSVP here)

Friday, September 25, 11:00 AM: Police accountability phone bank (RSVP here)

Haven’t spoken to your state legislators about this bill recently? Take a moment today to do so.

Phone Banking for the Safe Communities Act

The Safe Communities Act would end the entanglement of police, courts, and county sheriffs in immigration enforcement, and protect basic rights. This entanglement makes immigrants fear sharing personal information with anyone, including medical providers and public health workers.

We need to take a stand and make clear that immigrants are welcome here, and that means passing the Safe Communities Act.

Fortunately, the bill was reported out of committee in July. But we need to make sure that there is enough support for it to be brought to the floor by the end of the year.

Join the Safe Communities Coalition for one of these upcoming phone banks:

Monday, 9/21, 5:00-8:00PM – Register here

Thursday, 9/24, 5:00-8:00PM – Register here

Tuesday, 9/29, 5:00-8:00PM – Register here

Thursday, 10/1, 5:00-8:00PM – Register here

Let Our Families Drive! March & Rally

Thousands of Black and Brown immigrant families continue to live in fear of ICE detention for being stopped for a traffic violation and many are being deported – even during a pandemic. All families deserve the right to move freely in our state and live in dignity. 

Saturday, September 26th, the Driving Families Forward Coalition will be holding a rally in support of the Work and Family Mobility Act, which would support expanding access to driver’s licenses across the Commonwealth

Join the Driving Families Forward Coalition for the Let Our Families Drive: March & Rally on Saturday, September 26th at 2:00PM! RSVP for the event here.

The March & Rally will be broadcast via Facebook Live. The coalition will meet up outside the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) located at 136 Blackstone St, Boston (by the Haymarket T Station) and march to the JFK Federal Building to uplift the need to abolish ICE and the deportation machine. The march will end at the State House for a short speaking program and rally.

Phone Bank for the Census

The 2020 census will determine representation and resource allocation for the next decade. If people are uncounted, their voices will be unheard, and their communities won’t get the resources they need to thrive.

That’s why we’re joining our allies at the Massachusetts Voter Table to call residents and voters in communities of color, working-class neighborhoods, and more to participate in the 2020 Census and to make a plan to vote safely this fall.

Sign up for a phone bank here.

Fight for Housing Justice & Immigration Justice

On Monday, the House voted on key housing amendments to its economic development bill.

State reps overwhelmingly ignored housing justice activists, voting AGAINST allowing municipalities to impose real estate transfer fees to combat speculation and raise money for affordable housing, AGAINST allowing municipalities to pass rent-stabilizing regulations, and AGAINST making it easier for municipalities to pass inclusionary zoning ordinances.

Some of these state reps — embarrassingly — voted against the text of bills they co-sponsored earlier in the session.

The Senate will be taking up its version of an economic development bill tomorrow, so that means there is another opportunity to fight for housing justice and immigration justice.

Can you call your senators in support of the following amendments? 

#2 (Crighton): Work and Family Mobility, which eliminates immigration status as a barrier to obtaining a driver’s license

#6 (Crighton): Tenant’s Right of First Refusal, which guarantees the right of refusal for tenants when a large building is up for sale or foreclosed

#47 (Boncore): Promoting Housing Opportunity and Mobility through Eviction Sealing (HOMES), which seals evictions when they are pending, until and unless an allegation is proven; seals all no-fault evictions, and seals all evictions after 3 years

#57 (Cyr): Compromise local option transfer fee on high cost home sales to support low and middle income housing, which enables municipalities to impose a real estate transfer fee on sales above $1 million, with money going to affordable housing

#96 (Collins): City of Boston Inclusionary Development Policy and Linkage Fees, which incorporates Boston’s Inclusionary Development Policy (requires affordable units within new residential projects) and Linkage Fees (requires payments from large commercial developments to fund affordable housing and job training) into Boston’s zoning code and allows for future rate adjustments 

#175 (DiDomenico): Tenant Right to Counsel Pilot, which establishes a right to counsel pilot program to provide full legal representation to eligible individuals vulnerable to evictions

#249 (Jehlen): Supporting Affordable Housing With A Local Option For A fee To Be Applied To Certain Real Estate Transactions, which enables cities and towns to impose transfer fees on real estate sales with appropriate exemptions (e.g., for low- and middle-income homeowners)

Go Big or Don’t Go Home

In a mere eleven days — on Friday, July 31st, at 11:59 pm — the legislative session in the Massachusetts State House comes to an end.

The bills that didn’t make it past the finish line this year will disappear into the ether or return like a phoenix from the ashes in January next year, only to face the same grueling process.

But there are many policies that can’t wait until January. Indeed, passing them now is already far later than should have been done. And, frankly, the Legislature shouldn’t get to leave session until they finish.

What priorities are we talking about?

  • Passing the Safe Communities Act so that state and local law enforcement aren’t being deputized as ICE agents
  • Passing the Work and Family Mobility Act because mobility is a basic right, regardless of one’s citizenship status
  • Passing the ROE Act because MA needs to strengthen reproductive rights here at home as they remain under attack on the federal level
  • Passing the 100% Renewable Energy Act because we can’t keep stumbling forward into climate chaos
  • Passing Emergency Paid Sick Time so that no worker has to choose between their health and their job security
  • Passing guaranteed housing stability for at least one more year ​because if we want people to stay at home, they need a home to go back to
  • Passing a budget that raises Progressive Revenue by making sure that corporations and the rich are paying their fair share

The Legislature can’t keep punting session after session and patting themselves on the back.

Can you call or email your state legislators about taking real action before the session ends — or staying in until they do?

Go Big or Don't Go Home