Make sure your voice is heard:​

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Show up:  Go to legislators' office hours and town meetings.  Attend hearings on bills you support.​​​​​​​​​​

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Make phone calls:  Learn about local phone banking or make calls from home

• Find your state legislator   here

• Call Governor Baker   617-725-4005

  

Write: 

• Submit written testimony on bills you support:  instructions ​​

• Postcards to Voters Help flip elections in swing districts.  You can make a difference!

• Sister District Project Thirty-seven state legislatures will re-draw Congressional District maps in 2021 based on the results of the 2020 census.  In 2019, Sister District will be supporting critical legislative races in three key states:  Virginia, Mississippi and Louisiana.  Watch a short video from Sister District describing their 2019-2020 strategies here. 

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Support Democratic candidates: 

• Canvassing is the most effective way to engage voters and Get Out the Vote.  Contact kathytuffy@braintreedems.org if you'd like to volunteer.

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• Register to vote as a Democrat here.

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Legislation to Follow in 2019

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Education:

• ​S.2365 The Student Opportunity Act: (Adopted). H.4237 Will implement the recommendations of the 2015 Foundation Budget Commission, infusing $1.5 billion over a period of seven years. 

  • The main focus of the bill is to provide districts with high percentages of low income students and English language learners with more funding and state resources.​

  • The bill would also adjust the funding formula to make room for other new investments in the education system. If passed, the state would update how it considers health care costs for employees and retirees to ensure allocations are more accurate. The measure would increase special education funding, and the foundation rates for guidance and psychological services. And the Massachusetts School Building Authority would also see a budget increase of $150 million to allow for more school building and construction projects.

  • The act would create new state policies, including requiring districts to publicly post their plans for closing opportunity gaps. It also includes a directive to establish a special commission to further study the unique needs of rural districts facing declining enrollment.   (WBUR, September 19, 2019)

• S.741/H.1214 The Cherish Act:  Will implement the 2014 Higher Education Finance Commission recommendations by returning to FY2001 funding levels, restoring annual funding for all 29 public community colleges, state universities and UMass campuses.  Freeze tuition and fees for five years. 

• S.288/H.470 Early Education and Care  Fund universal access to affordable, high quality services where teachers are appropriately compensated.

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Fair Share Amendment:

• S.16/H.86 Fair Share Amendment:  A legislative amendment to direct funds to education and transportation has been introduced by Senator Jason Lewis and Representative Jim O'Day to put the Fair Share Amendment back on the ballot. 

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Voting Rights/Elections:​

• S.385/H.685 Voting Rights - Election Day Registration

• S.2163/H.3208 "We the People Act" A constitutional amendment is necessary to clarify that corporations are not people and to limit political contributions.

• S.414 /H719 Ranked Choice Voting

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Gun Safety: 

• S.1388/H.2045 Crime Gun Trace Data Reporting and Analysis: Would require detailed analysis of MA crime gun data

• H.2091 An Act Requiring Live Fire Practice for a Firearms License

• H.3843 An Act Relative to Ghost Guns:  Would prohibit so-called ghost guns that allow gun pieces to be legally purchased or made to create firearms that lack serial numbers

• HR 8:  Send a message to your representative to update federal background checks by clicking on this link.

• Follow Moms Demand Action MA to find links to legislation introduced in the House in 2019 and actions you can take in your own community.

• Stop Handgun Violence MA

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ACLU 2019 Priority Legislation:

• Technology and Civil Liberties:  A moratorium on governmental use of biometric surveillance technologies.

• Treatment not Imprisonment:  Addiction is a public health crisis and the response should be geared toward treatment rather than punitive measures.

• Smart Justice:  Greater criminal justice transparency to inform future policy making in Massachusetts

• Reproductive Freedom:  safeguard rights here in Massachusetts

• Voting Rights:  Election Day Registration

• Immigrants' Rights:  Ensure immigrants' rights to due process and access to justice are not denied in Massachusetts

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Healthcare:​

• S.683/H.1194  Medicare for All 

• S.76 An Act Relative to the Safety, Dignity, and Civil Rights of Persons Experiencing Homelessness in Massachusetts

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Tracking a bill's progress:

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• Go to the Massachusetts' Legislature Website - www.malegislature.gov

  • Each bill has its own webpage

    • A list of Sponsors and Co-Sponsors​

    • The text of the bill

    • Where the bill has progressed to in the process

  • How to follow bill's progress

    • Create a MA Legislature Account​

    • "Star" bills that you are interested in

    • You will receive notifications when the status of a bill changes

• Advocacy

  • Call or E-mail​ your Senator/Representative or those on appropriate committee​

  • Testimony:  Committees hold public hearings where testimony can be submitted​

Shared from South Shore Action

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