The RRT (Rapid Response Team) Action List compiles action items from the week and upcoming events into one place. If you would like to add anything to the weekly update, please send it to Dee Halzack at dee@solidaritylowell.com.

Solidarity Lowell Events and Actions

Next Solidarity Lowell General Meeting

Sunday, September 26, 5:30pm – 7pm

We’ll be reviewing the results of our survey of candidates involved in the general election whose races did not have preliminary elections and have the opportunity to vote on whether to endorse any for the general election.

Support for Asylum-Seeker Marius

Marius has retained an immigration lawyer, filed an application for asylum, and successfully moved his case to the Boston immigration courts from El Paso, but until he receives legal authorization to work, our network has committed to financially supporting him with $500/month. Please chip in towards the $500 we need to meet our commitment to him. Any amount will be gratefully accepted.

Donate via:
CashApp – $gollygee17
Venmo – @owlnerd
Please put “Marius” in the notes.

Local Events and Actions

Preliminary Election

The Preliminary will be September 21 and will be for City Council Districts 2, 3, 4, and 7.

The deadline to register to vote for the general election was September 1. If you’re not registered, it’s too late for the preliminary, but you can still register for the November election if you do so by October 13, 8:00pm.

If you are not registered to vote where you currently live, you should submit a voter registration form. You will not be automatically registered to vote until you apply for/renew your driver’s license or state ID, or apply for health insurance through MassHealth or the Health Connector. You can register to vote online, by mail, or in person at any city or town hall.

Vote by Mail

https://lowellma.gov/1495/Vote-By-Mail
Deadline to apply to vote by mail for municipal preliminary election: Wednesday, September 15, 5:00pm

Under a state law passed in July 2021, voting by mail will be allowed in all local and state elections through December 15, 2021. All registered voters in Massachusetts will be permitted to vote by mail in any election held prior to December 15, 2021, with no excuse needed.

Make sure to apply as early as possible. The U.S. Postal Service recommends allowing up to 7 days for ballot delivery in each direction.

To apply to vote by mail, complete a “vote by mail” application and return it by mail or in-person to the Elections & Census Office.
Elections & Census Office
375 Merrimack Street
Basement, Room 5
Lowell, MA 01852

Absentee ballots

Deadline to apply for in-person absentee ballots: Monday, September 20, 12:00pm

For all the rules, including who qualifies, visit:
https://www.lowellma.gov/408/Absentee-Voting

Besides making sure you are registered to vote where you currently live, another important item on your list to prepare for the election is to get to know the candidates…

WCAP Candidate debates

Thursday, September 9, 7 am
District 4 (Downtown) candidates

Coffee with the Candidates

Thursday, September 9, 6-8pm
In person at 74 Middlesex Street
Organized by: UNITAS

In partnership with:
980 AM WCAP
Communidad De Lowell
Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce.

Grill and Chill: CBA Candidate Event Cookout

Saturday, September 11, 11am-3pm
In person at North Common Park

DEI Consortium Candidate Spotlight

Online – Monday, September 13, 7pm
Tooch Van, Candidate for City Council in District 5
Susie Chhoun, Candidate for School Committee in District 3

State-level Events and Actions

Help fight racism in schools

Two bills (S365 and H584) focus on anti-racism and equity in education. They aim to create a commission to study how to incorporate ethnic studies and anti-racism in the K-12 curriculum, with a way to fund it. If all students see themselves represented in the history taught and the focus is not almost entirely on European history, no group is given a feeling of pre-eminence and the contributions all groups make are recognized. The main thread in racism, that a particular group is superior to others, is defanged.

You can help get the bill passed by writing to your State Senator and Representative:
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/ethnic-studies-and-anti-racism-in-k-12-education

Fight evictions: Contact your legislators in support of the COVID Housing Equity Bill

Everything you need to take action is at the link.
https://tinyurl.com/ywb25nra

Support the Common Start Bill

Thank your legislators

All three Lowell representatives have co-sponsored the Common Start bill to provide affordable accessible early education and child care.

Phonebank on behalf of Common Start bill

Tuesday, September 7, 5-8pm
Wednesday, September 8, 5-8pm
Common Start and CSJ are hosting a series of phone banks aimed to identify voters who support the principles behind the Common Start bill – achieving high quality, affordable, and accessible early education and child care for families in Massachusetts.
To volunteer:
https://tinyurl.com/hvx4ukvt

Can’t make the dates this week? Not to worry! These phone banks will take place weekly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5pm – 8pm – make sure to sign up for one of the upcoming weeks! There will be trainings on how to use the dialer, the script, and someone to help troubleshoot or answer any questions that you might hear from voters.

Attend monthly meeting of Common Start Coalition

Monday, Sept. 13 at 6:30pm OR Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 4:00pm.
Virtual monthly chapter meetings where you can get updates on the Common Start bill and discuss how to continue to engage families, the field and even employers. The Chapter meetings are held in the evening and afternoon to accommodate different work schedules. Please mark your calendar for whichever one works best for you: Monday, Sept. 13 at 6:30pm or Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 4:00pm.

Zoom info follows for each.

Topic: Northeast MA Chapter Meeting (Monday night)
Time: Sep 13, 2021 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89822756401
Meeting ID: 898 2275 6401
Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

____________

Topic: Northeast MA Chapter Meeting (Tuesday afternoon)
Time: Sep 14, 2021 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82053352146
Meeting ID: 820 5335 2146
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

Write your Legislators in Support of Same Day Registration

The last day you can register to vote, or change your registration, in Lowell’s upcoming primary election is September 1. Register to vote online here. Because there is a 20-day cut-off before elections.

That, however, raises a key question: Why do we even have such a 20-day cutoff at all?

Our neighbors in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Connecticut all allow eligible voters to register or update their registration at the polls. In total, 20 states and DC have Same Day Registration.  Whether their voters vote on Election Day or in Early Voting, they can register or update their registration when they appear to vote in person.

So we know it’s possible. And we know it works: studies have shown that Same Day Registration is one of the best reforms for increasing voter participation.

When the MA House and MA Senate consider a voting reform package this fall to make some of last year’s changes permanent, it’s vital that Same Day Registration be a part of it.

Will you email your state legislators today in support of Same Day Registration? Use this handy form, with an editable message you can personalize, to write to them.
https://tinyurl.com/3dma73ew

Cover Picket Line When Nurses Are Negotiating at St. Vincent Hospital, Worcester

St Vincent’s Nurses Strike
123 Summer St, Worcester
Parking at Strike Office with water and food. Adjacent to Starbucks, 11 E Central St

Peak Demand:
Every day 12 noon when nurses go on errands.
Every Wed 4-6 pm to cover the picket line when nurses are at the negotiation event

MNA Strike Support Page
https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses
Via News-MAGIC

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Contact your state representative and state senator (email preferable at the moment)
(Find yours here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)

House Speaker Ronald Mariano: Ronald.Mariano@mahouse.gov 617-722-2500
Senate President: Karen E. Spilka: Karen.Spilka@masenate.gov 617-722-1500
Rep. Thomas Golden Thomas.Golden@mahouse.gov  617-722-2263
Rep. Vanna Howard Vanna.Howard@mahouse.gov  617-722-2800 x7302 / Google Voice: 978-272-9078
Rep. Rady Mom Rady.Mom@mahouse.gov 617-722-2460
Rep. Colleen Garry Colleen.Garry@mahouse.gov 617-722-2380
Rep. Tram Nguyen tram.nguyen@mahouse.gov 617-722-2425
Sen. Edward Kennedy edward.kennedy@masenate.gov 617-722-1630
Sen. Michael Barrett Mike.Barrett@masenate.gov 617-722-1572
Sen. Jamie Eldridge James.Eldridge@masenate.gov 617-722-1120
Sen. Barry Finegold Barry.Finegold@masenate.gov 617-722-1612

Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133

 

Solidarity Lowell is a volunteer group of community members of Greater Lowell working toward social justice by defending the human rights, dignity, and equality of all persons against all forms of hate and discrimination

Visit the Solidarity Lowell website: http://solidaritylowell.com

For more events not listed here, visit the full Events calendar: https://solidaritylowell.com/events/

To join our postcarding efforts to write to legislators on issues of interest , please fill out the following form: https://forms.gle/h2V7gJ1e2WbY9dKU9

For volunteer opportunities, visit our Volunteer page: https://solidaritylowell.com/volunteer-opportunities/

For positive news visit Solidarity Lowell Upbeat on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/32620254841968

View the notes from our August meeting: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18G9Q5mDu3Cctv1Wj88Xerau4lG9b-_jhi9dCvF3-J0s/edit?usp=sharing

Watch the video from our August meeting: https://youtu.be/wueFeELxcV0
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Solidarity Lowell is a chapter of Progressive Massachusetts. Click here to join: https://www.progressivemass.com/contribute