Attention: Billerica members especially, but any member with free time to help our endorsed progressive candidate get elected are welcome. Saturday, July 23, starting at 10 am Day of action canvassing for Teresa English, candidate endorsed by Solidarity Lowell and Progress Massachusetts Register: https://www.mobilize.us/voteteresaenglish/
Sunday July 24, 4-7pm
205 10th St, Lowell
Our annual potluck Summer Barbecue, with endorsed candidates and other guests
https://www.facebook.com/events/448498286790823
Recently, the need for instantaneous responses to calls for action has arisen, things that can’t wait for our next newsletter.
We are looking to build a list of people willing to receive text messages to act PDQ. We realize not everyone will be able to act on all requests at all times, but this will give Solidarity Lowell the ability to respond to progressive needs as quickly as is sometimes necessary. Given the lack of transparency in our legislature, for example, advance warning of a vote sometimes is less than 24 hours. It won’t wait for the next newsletter. There have also been stand-outs organized with less than a week’s notice.
If you’d like to be on alert, especially for matters that affect city or state, please email contact@solidaritylowell.com
Solidarity Lowell seeks volunteers to update our website, which is on WordPress. We would also like to find someone who can help to produce occasional videos for TikTok and local access TV.
If you are interested in either of these opportunities, please email contact@solidaritylowell.com.
We could use your help! Can you take a two hour shift?
Saturday July 30: 12-2, 2-4, 4-6
Sunday July 31: 12-2, 2-4, 4-6
We especially need help setting up (11-12 BOTH days) and taking down (around 6 both days)
You can check the Festival schedule here and see what won’t conflict with performances you want to see.
https://lowellfolkfestival.org/listen/2022-schedule/
For more information, please contact:
Chris Offerman: chris@solidaritylowell.com
From: Merrimack Valley Interfaith Sanctuary Network (MVISN)
There’s exciting and joyful news to share: two immigrants with whom our community has been sharing support, Marius and Lillian, are expecting a baby together! The baby is due at the end of the Summer. We wish them hearty congratulations! Our network can help Marius and Lillian get ready to welcome their child by donating gift cards to Target and Kohls, which will allow them to purchase a car seat, stroller, clothes, and whatever else they need. If you are generously able to donate a gift card, in any amount, please contact marissa@solidaritylowell.com. You can also donate via the GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/47gvz-marius Thank you!
Wednesday, July 20, 7pm
Hybrid
– In person at LTC, 246 Market St, Lowell
– Via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89260796845?pwd=T0V2eTVQT3J1U2hXbVBnN0VtcFNoUT09
Meeting ID: 892 6079 6845
Passcode: 615565
Or call 646 876 9923
First timers welcome!
Notes from previous meetings are here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r5k0MZfiDfsqoVDXPTjPfPPkvheitoTEVRauDQ-aqzo/edit
The LLK is in full swing helping to beautify our city.
To connect with them: https://linktr.ee/lowelllitterkrewe
Sign up to volunteer, check out their schedule and more.
Next events
Saturday, July 23, 9am-12pm
Mack Plaza
With Canalwater Cleaners and LNHP
Meet at Dutton St Traincar
Friday-Sunday, July 29-31
Lowell Folk Festival
Shifts available all weekend.
Call 617-201-9916 for more information.
T-shirts for volunteers. Size needed
Cleanups every Thursday 3:30-6pm with Life Connections’ Jump Start Jobs Program
Volunteer Request: Dwelling House of Hope/Lowell Litter Krewe
Saturdays 7:30am-12pm
RSVP: LowellLitterKrewe@gmail.com 978-201-9916
Dwelling House of Hope provides 400 families every Saturday with a food box at their weekly drive-up pantry, and they need volunteers! If you’re interested in signing up for every Saturday, one Saturday, or even a half-shift, please let LLK know! Volunteers will be asked to sort through pallets of food, pack boxes, and load them into the cars of the families served.
Tuesday, July 26, 6:30pm, at City Hall and online
Meetings are held in Council Chamber Tuesdays at 6:30pm with public welcome. Now on summer schedule of every 2 weeks.
Attend in person or by using remote participation as follows: Members of the public may view the meeting via LTC.Org (Online; Live Streaming; Or Local Cable Channel 99).
Agenda: https://www.lowellma.gov/AgendaCenter
To speak, you must register by 4 pm the day of the meeting. Those wishing to speak regarding a specific agenda item must register to speak in advance of the meeting by sending an email to the City Clerk indicating the agenda Item and a phone number to call so that you may be issued a Zoom link to the meeting. Email Address is MGEARY@LOWELLMA.GOV. If you have no access to email you may contact the City Clerk at 978-674-4161.
Our grassroots push to the primary is underway and we need you! Please join Team Tami for virtual phonebanking, Sundays July 24 and 31, 5-7 pm online. Training provided.
To sign up: kimberley@tamigouveia.com
Brady United New Volunteers Info Session
Wednesdays, 5-5;30pm, next happening July 20, 27
Sign up: https://www.mobilize.us/brady/event/462576/
Find out about volunteer opportunities with a national organization working to fight gun violence. And yes, there’s more to be done, in spite of the newly-passed legislation.
Weekly Virtual Trainings for Canvassing for Tanisha Sullivan – PM endorsee for Secretary of State
Fridays, 6-7pm, next happening July 22,29
Sign up: https://tanishasullivan.com/join-us/
January 6 Hearings Watch Events
Next scheduled July 21, 10am
Find and sign up at: https://www.mobilize.us/jan6hearings/
The good news is that abortion is still legal in Massachusetts, although there are a few things we could do to make access easier. But we will be affected by the Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade. While there is no instant fix, there are ways we can help stand up to the decision.
A full list of actions you can take may be found at: https://tinyurl.com/4r568ack
For those concerned about gun violence, we have compiled a list of organizations working on the problem that you could support and possible actions you can take. We urge you to check them out and see if one fits your values and activism style.
Just added to the list of organizations working on the issue:
Brady United https://www.bradyunited.org/
Everytown for Gun Safety https://www.everytown.org/
Fierce Madres (started by parents of Uvalde) https://www.fiercemadres.com/
Giffords (started by violence survivor Gabby Giffords) https://giffords.org/
March for our Lives (started by Parkland survivors) https://marchforourlives.com/
Deadline to Register to Vote: August 27
Deadline for Mail-in Ballot Application: August 29
Early voting: August 27-September 2
Lowell Needs Poll Workers
The City of Lowell employs approximately 225 poll workers per election, including Wardens, Clerks, Inspectors and translators. All poll workers are paid, and subject to very specific rules/guidelines/policies. Early voting begins August 27, so hiring must be done before then. A little over a month away.
Poll workers are essential to running an election. If you have the time, please consider signing up. For more information, see https://www.lowellma.gov/317/Election-Workers.
Our endorsed candidates for state representative welcome volunteers
Below are contacts for our members and endorsed candidates running for local state representative. If you are interested in helping our endorsed candidates running for statewide office, or efforts to elect more reasonable candidates in other states, you will find links to organizations here: https://tinyurl.com/ycxysmhw
Zoe Dzineku, Lowell 16th Middlesex
https://www.govotezoe.com/
Tara Hong, Lowell 18th Middlesex
https://www.tarahong.com/
Teresa English, Billerica
https://www.voteteresaenglish.org/
Help Get Out the Vote-When More People Vote, More Progressives Win
Wednesdays, 7/20, 7/27 12-3pm
Join a Mass Voter Table phone bank encouraging folks to vote by mail.
https://tinyurl.com/mr2yfv92
Thursdays July 21, 28 6-8pm
https://tinyurl.com/5x4z3snt
Help elect candidates who will stand up for transparency on Beacon Hill
Zoe Dzineku for State Rep Summer Party Fundraiser
Thursday, July 28, 4-7pm
The Establishment, 75 Princeton Street, North Chelmsford
And the session-ending legislative asks keep rolling in.
350 MA of Greater Lowell Action Requests on Climate Bill
Important Climate Action: We need a strong climate bill and the session is almost over! See Action steps below.
Our legislature has not yet acted on the climate bill. The legislative session ends 7/31. If we don’t get a climate bill passed by Thursday 7/21, Gov. Baker can veto all or parts of it and there can be no override.
Action steps:
Or call your representative and senator about the climate bill.
Script
I’m calling to voice concern that the legislature has still not passed a climate bill this session. Climate advocates are circulating a public sign-on letter for legislators in support of quickly moving a bill. Has the Representative/Senator seen the letter? You can view the form and the letter at bit.ly/maclimate22. Will the Representative/Senator sign on?
If yes: Wonderful, thank you. They can use the sign-on form found in the letter
If not sure/need to get back to you: Please let me know what the legislator says.
If no: Can you explain why not?
What if the legislator says a climate bill is coming soon? It isn’t over until it’s over! If they support passing a climate bill, there’s no reason not to sign!
The Massachusetts tax system hits the wallets of lower-income people harder than high earners, with the bottom 20% of earners paying a higher percentage of their income in state and local taxes than the top 1%. An exception is the Commonwealth’s relatively robust estate tax. The estate tax is one of the main policies we have that is focused on reducing the gaping racial wealth gap in Massachusetts.
Nonetheless, the Massachusetts House voted last week to roll back the estate tax, to the cost of $207 million. This lost revenue means money isn’t available for important investments or for tax relief for the struggling residents of the Commonwealth.
Even worse, the estate tax rollback was designed in a way that disproportionately benefits the largest estates, namely those over $3 million. This would be the biggest increase in the racial wealth gap in decades.
If legislators want to help comparatively smaller estates, they should design their policies to do so, not advance a costly giveaway to the wealthiest estates.
Please write to your state senator to urge them to reject the House’s estate tax proposal via this handy form: https://tinyurl.com/576kced7
The Safe Communities Act would provide immigrants with the stability and certainty they need to confidently seek medical care and other assistance without fear of deportation and family separation. This bill keeps us ALL safe because immigrants will no longer need to fear reporting unsafe living or working conditions, or crimes against people.
The bill has been voted favorably out of committee. There’s only a few weeks left in the legislative session. Please use the editable form at the link to email your legislators and urge them to contact leadership in favor of the Safe Communities Act.
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-lawmakers-pass-the-safe-communities-act-this-session
The House and the Senate both passed some prison moratorium language as a part of an infrastructure spending bill. But while the language in the House’s version is very close to the original bill, the Senate’s version is much weaker, and would not stop the women’s prison project.
Here’s what you can do:
Senator Will Brownsberger (617) 722-1280 (*note: you can leave a voicemail with a staff person and/or call the Senator’s cell phone which he provides when you call the main number) 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
Sample script
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 wellbeing. Passing the House Moratorium language is what’s best for women, families, and communities. Thank you.
Find your legislators’ contact info here. https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
Sample script
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 wellbeing. 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!
As you may have heard, the state Republican party is collecting signatures to force a referendum on the Work and Family Mobility Act (now law!) on November’s ballot. The coalition that helped pass the bill into law is now working to dissuade people from signing at locations where the Republican party is collecting signatures, including the Tewksbury Market Basket (not Stadium Plaza on the Lowell line, Oakdale Plaza further down Rt 38). There is a need for volunteers for various time slots and locations over the next couple of months.
We will pass on more information as it becomes available. Meanwhile, you can contact Harris Gruman, Executive Director, SEIU Massachusetts State Council (harris.gruman@seiuma.org) or John Drinkwater (jdrinkwater@massaflcio.org)
This amendment, a priority of Progressive Massachusetts, would add an additional 4% tax on incomes over $1 million, with revenue to be directed to improve our transportation systems (roads, bridges, and public transportation) and our schools. It is estimated that it would raise $2 billion per year.
The amendment is Question #1 on the ballot this November. But getting it passed means a lot of door-knocking and voter education. If you’d like to help, you can sign up at: https://tinyurl.com/38hsc9ss
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
(… or find yours here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)
Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133
Senator Elizabeth Warren: 617-565-3170
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.warren.senate.gov/contact/shareyouropinion
Senator Edward Markey: 617-565-8519
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.markey.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion
Representative Lori Trahan: 978-459-0101 / 202-225-3411
https://trahan.house.gov/contact/write-your-rep.htm
Representative Seth Moulton: 978-531-1669 / 202-225-8020
https://moulton.house.gov/contact
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 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 at solidaritylowell.com
For more events not listed here, visit the full Events calendar: https://solidaritylowell.com/events/
June meeting notes:
https://tinyurl.com/2p9ke9h4
June meeting recording:
https://youtu.be/BKXwSQB0UFo
See recordings of past Solidarity Lowell meetings in our YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCohwMIkVdabQdDHsVTLIGsQ
For positive news visit Solidarity Lowell Upbeat on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/326202548419687
Solidarity Lowell is a chapter of Progressive Massachusetts. Join at: https://www.progressivemass.com/donate/
Sunday June 26, 5-6 pm
Lowell City Hall, 375 Merrimack St.
https://www.facebook.com/events/570874981070650/
Organized by: Lowell Democratic City Committee, Lowell Community Health Center, and others
Co-sponsored by: Solidarity Lowell
Outraged by today’s SCOTUS decision in Dobbs that overturned Roe v. Wade? Join us at Lowell City Hall in front of the Ladd-Whitney Monument on Sunday, June 26 at 5:00 pm as we rally for the right to choose. Bring pro-choice/pro-abortion signs if you have them.
To accommodate the rally in response to the Supreme Court decision, the SL General Meeting will be pushed back an hour. Please come to the rally, then join us online for this important meeting! We will be hearing from three State Representative candidates who are seeking endorsement from Solidarity Lowell and Progressive Massachusetts.
Reminder: This is in preparation for voting members receiving a ballot on their endorsement next week.
Sunday June 26 at 5:30pm
Topic/Speakers: Candidates to be considered for endorsement
From: Merrimack Valley Interfaith Sanctuary Network (MVISN)
Asylum-Seeker Marius has recovered from his recent surgery to address ongoing issues related to the violence he fled from in Togo and Guinea-Bissau. He has finally been able to return to work. MVISN needs to extend ongoing assistance as he re-establishes himself. Any amount will be gratefully accepted. Please donate to his GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/47gvz-marius
You can also donate via:
CashApp – $gollygee17
Venmo – @owlnerd
Checks are also accepted, please email Marissa (marissa@solidaritylowell.com) for the address. Please put “Marius” in the notes.
The LLK is in full swing helping to beautify our city.
To connect with them: https://linktr.ee/lowelllitterkrewe
Sign up to volunteer, check out their schedule and more.
Next events
Saturday June 25 | 9am-12pm, Abandoned Camp Cleanout, Ages 14+
Meet at 1125 Pawtucket Boulevard
https://www.facebook.com/events/585240472835621
Cleanups every Thursday 3:30-6pm with Life Connections
Call/text for details: 617-201-9916
Thursday, June 23, 6:30 PM
Gary’s Restaurant, 26 Andover St, Lowell
Celebrate the past year, esp. Drivers’ Licenses Bill and Wheels of Hope.
Take the Survey and let your thoughts be known
www.lowellma.gov/ARPA
Deadline to submit: June 30, 2022
Information gathered from the past public listening sessions and the survey will help guide City administration on how to use ARPA funding, providing long-lasting benefits to the residents of Lowell.
Saturday, June 25, 2022 9:45 AM – 2:00 PM ET
Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St, Concord, MA 01742 (in person)
RSVP: https://secure.everyaction.com/Lm6-DWamZEecgNiZ82RBKw2
This June, we are carrying forward momentum from the exciting town votes happening in Concord, Northampton, and many more around Massachusetts. We are the ones building momentum in MA around the issue we’ve all come to care about: making our democracy stronger through Ranked Choice Voting. Voter Choice Massachusetts invites all RCV supporters around the state to join us for progress updates, networking, tools, training, and the inspiration to keep our shared cause moving forward!
Keynote Speaker:
Danielle Allen, Harvard Professor and former candidate for MA Governor
Plus, we’ll welcome the MA Secretary of State Candidates
Attendance is free to all; we recommend bringing a bag lunch and laptop for breakout sessions. Event is indoors so vaccinations/boosters are required.
Monday, June 27, 5-5:45 PM
Via Zoom (link to be supplied to those who register)
To register, email Trevor Fauci (TrevorLaFauciMVP@gmail.com)
With the recent good news about the Uber/Lyft ballot question being removed from the ballot, MVP and their Economic Justice team will be moving full-steam ahead on working to engage voters on the Fair Share Amendment prior to this November’s election. They have had members trained in phone banking and would like to also offer the opportunity for folks to become trained in text banking as well. Text banking has become a popular outreach method in recent years because:
1. You don’t need your actual phone and can use an app on your laptop or tablet
2. You can quickly send initial messages (1-2 seconds per message with batches coming in the 100s)
3. You can bookmark the app page and return periodically at times that work for you to respond to messages and send new ones
4. You can send 1 batch or 10, it’s simply a matter of what you are most comfortable with and how inspired you’re feeling on any given day!
With those benefits in mind, MVP is offering a training, hosted by Massachusetts Voter Table, with an opportunity to start texting immediately after. We invite you all along with members of your faith, labor, and community organizations to join us as we kick off this exciting, accessible new part of our 2022 community engagement!
Thank you all,
The MVP Voter Engagement Team
h/t Lisa Arnold
Find and sign up at: https://www.mobilize.us/jan6hearings/
Mondays and Fridays, 3-5pm, next happening June 24
Phone and textbank to get gun reform legislation passed
Sign up: https://www.mobilize.us/brady/event/462576/
Democracy Corner
Zoe Dzineku, Lowell 16th Middlesex
https://www.govotezoe.com/
Tara Hong, Lowell 18th Middlesex
https://www.tarahong.com/
Teresa English, Billerica
https://www.voteteresaenglish.org/
Progressive Massachusetts proudly endorses Sonia Chang-Diaz, Governor (78% of Progressive Mass member vote); Dr. Tami Gouveia, Lieutenant Governor (78% of PM member vote); Tanisha Sullivan for Secretary of the Commonwealth (93% of PM member vote), Quentin Palfrey for Attorney General (62% of PM member vote), and Chris Dempsey for State Auditor (78% of PM member vote).
Progressive candidates have qualified and the state Convention has selected them to appear in the Primary. Now we start the joyous work of helping them win the Primary. All campaigns are currently looking for people to help.
Learn more about Sonia Chang-Diaz at https://www.soniachangdiaz.com/meet-sonia
Volunteer to help Sonia’s campaign at https://www.soniachangdiaz.com/volunteer
Learn more about Dr. Tami Gouveia at https://www.tamigouveia.com/meet-tami/
Volunteer to help Tami’s campaign at https://www.tamigouveia.com/volunteer/
Learn more about Tanisha Sullivan at https://www.tanishasullivan.com/
Volunteer to help Tanisha’s campaign at http://tanisha4ma.us/join
Organizer: nate@tanishasullivan.com
Learn more about Quentin Palfrey at https://www.quentinpalfrey.com/
Volunteer with the campaign at: https://www.quentinpalfrey.com/get-involved
Organizer: signatures@quentinpalfrey.com
Learn more about Chris Dempsey at https://dempseyforauditor.com/.
Volunteer to help the campaign at: https://dempseyforauditor.com/volunteer/
Signatures Contact: matthew@dempseyforauditor.com
Wednesdays, June 22, 29 12-3pm
Join a Mass Voter Table phone bank encouraging folks to vote by mail.
https://tinyurl.com/mr2yfv92
The Legislative session will be over in just under six weeks, but there’s one key deadline that’s earlier than that: the state budget deadline, which is just around the corner on June 30.
The Legislature doesn’t always meet that deadline (pushing things into July), but it still exists. And that means action has to happen quick.
Here are three key areas to contact your legislators on:
*Equitable Approaches in Public Safety: The Senate budget included language to increase funding to $3.5M for the Equitable Approaches to Public Safety (EAPS) program (line item 4512-2020). This language and funding will allow municipalities to create community-based alternative crisis response models centered around social and emotional health professionals like social workers and peer support specialists.
*Early Education and Child Care: The House and Senate both included new funding for early education and child care in their budgets. They increased funding in different ways, but, as the Common Start Coalition has argued, if the priorities of both chambers make it into the final budget, it would represent a substantial step toward implementing the coalition’s full vision of a high-quality early education and childcare system that is affordable and accessible for all families.
*No Cost Calls: Both the House and Senate budgets included language to provide persons who are incarcerated with access to free phone calls or similar forms of communication. It is unconscionable that prisons and jails have been price-gouging incarcerated individuals and their families for years, and it’s important that this provision is a part of the final budget.
Please contact your state legislators in support of these three budget priorities.
https://tinyurl.com/2p8cwmfx
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/june-1st-deadline-for-committee-action-on-safe-communities/
The deadline on the SCA has been extended to June 24. The link will take you to an editable email to send to the members of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, urging them to vote the bill favorably out of committee so that it can be brought to a vote in the full legislature.
Will you take two minutes to email the Joint Committee advocating for a positive report?
On June 24th, the Committee must decide if the Safe Communities Act should advance to the Ways and Means Committee, which is the next step in the legislative process. They gave the bill a positive report last session, and we need your help to ensure that happens again.
The Safe Communities Act will communicate loud and clear that in Massachusetts, everyone can seek help, protection and treatment without fear of deportation. This is a message that immigrant communities desperately need to hear. It is past time for the legislature to take action on this crucial piece of legislation – will you urge the Committee to act on or before June 24th?
Once you’ve sent an email to Committee members, please amplify your voice by sharing this action with five people in Massachusetts.
From the MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda:
On Juneteenth, we celebrated the end of slavery in this country. Let’s take a few minutes to help end the practice of celebrating the father of slave trading in the Americas, Christopher Columbus, at least in Massachusetts, where we have the chance to pass S.2027 / H.3191 An Act Establishing an Indigenous Peoples Day. The bill has received tremendous support. But it must be voted favorably out of committee no later than June 30th.You can help make that happen! Please Act Now to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day in MA.
Call or email the Co-chairs of the Joint Committee on State Administration, Rep. Tony Cabral and Sen. Marc Pacheco today. Ask them to hold a vote before the June 30 deadline, and favorably pass this bill out of their Committee, so the Legislature can vote on it this year:
A phone call to Rep. Tony Cabral, could make all the difference. His phone number is (617) 722-2017 or email him at Antonio.Cabral@mahouse.gov .
If you have time, please also call his co-chair, Sen. Marc Pacheco, at (617)722-1551 or email him at: Marc.Pacheco@masenate.gov.
Urge Rep. Cabral and Sen. Pacheco to allow the Indigenous Peoples Day bill to move forward with a positive vote from the Joint Committee on State Administration today!
The law, if passed, will replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day in MA. Changing the second Monday in October to Indigenous Peoples Day would acknowledge the harmful impact of celebrating Columbus as a hero. Historical accounts prove that wherever he went, Columbus and his men murdered and enslaved Indigenous People. The repercussions continue to be keenly felt even now in Massachusetts.
Indigenous Peoples Day would replace something negative with something positive – an increased awareness of Indigenous Peoples and a celebration of Indigenous resilience and survival, in Massachusetts and throughout the Americas. A victory for Indigenous People would be a victory for all people of color in Massachusetts, who still experience the racism and violence that was first visited upon the Indigenous People of the Americas by Columbus and his crew.
You don’t need to be an expert on this bill. Just speak from your heart and encourage Rep. Cabral and Sen. Pacheco to allow this long stalled racial justice bill to move forward.
We want to honor the Native people of this land rather than honoring the slave trader Columbus in our public schools, and in our cities and towns.
[NOTE; It would have been far better if the entire Indigenous Agenda had made the cut this time around. Many more consequential items did not make it. But this bill at least still has a chance of passing.]
h/t David Detnold
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
(… or find yours here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)
Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133
Thank Elizabeth Warren for introducing and Ed Markey for co-sponsoring the bill. Ask your rep to co-sponsor the House version.
https://tinyurl.com/4ka5wv46
The bill stops overdraft abuses by:
Unsafe working conditions and labor abuses are equal-opportunity threats to workers. They don’t care about a worker’s immigration status. But some workers are vulnerable to intimidation and retaliation because of their status and may be afraid to report or testify, putting all workers at risk. This petition from Jobs with Justice asks that workers be protected in those circumstances.
Senator Elizabeth Warren: 617-565-3170
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.warren.senate.gov/contact/shareyouropinion
Senator Edward Markey: 617-565-8519
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.markey.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion
Representative Lori Trahan: 978-459-0101 / 202-225-3411
https://trahan.house.gov/contact/write-your-rep.htm
Representative Seth Moulton: 978-531-1669 / 202-225-8020
https://moulton.house.gov/contact
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 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 at solidaritylowell.com
For more events not listed here, visit the full Events calendar: https://solidaritylowell.com/events/
May meeting notes:
https://tinyurl.com/ycyndtvd
May meeting recording:
https://youtu.be/76Z21IW3D2U
See recordings of past Solidarity Lowell meetings in our YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCohwMIkVdabQdDHsVTLIGsQ
For positive news visit Solidarity Lowell Upbeat on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/326202548419687
Solidarity Lowell is a chapter of Progressive Massachusetts. Join at: https://www.progressivemass.com/donate/
Solidarity Lowell Events and Actions
Sunday June 26 at 5:30pm
Topic: To Be Determined
From: Merrimack Valley Interfaith Sanctuary Network (MVISN)
Asylum-Seeker Marius had surgery recently to address ongoing issues related to the violence he fled from in Togo and Guinea-Bissau. MVISN needs to extend ongoing assistance. Any amount will be gratefully accepted. Please donate to his GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/47gvz-marius
You can also donate via:
CashApp – $gollygee17
Venmo – @owlnerd
Checks are also accepted, please email Marissa (marissa@solidaritylowell.com) for the address. Please put “Marius” in the notes.
Tuesday, June 14, 6:30pm, at City Hall and online
Meetings are held in Council Chamber Tuesdays at 6:30pm with public welcome. Attend in person or by using remote participation as follows: Members of the public may view the meeting via LTC.Org (Online; Live Streaming; Or Local Cable Channel 99).
See agenda for details.
Agenda: https://www.lowellma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06142022-2368?html=true
This week’s meeting includes a motion to declare that “racism leads to crisis”. This is a weak substitute for the motion rejected in 2020 that would have declared racism a public health crisis. The motion also calls for the city to address four specific areas. The DEI Consortium issued a letter in 2020 that called for the public health crisis wording and for specific remedies. In spite of a public listening session, and the DEI Consortium letter, the new motion does not address any of the points raised in 2020. DEI Consortium urges folks to show up at the City Council meeting to support their initiative and even to speak.
To speak, you must register by 4 pm the day of the meeting (today). Those wishing to speak regarding a specific agenda item must register to speak In advance of the meeting by sending an email to the City Clerk indicating the agenda Item (the item is Motion 10.12) and a phone number to call so that you may be issued a Zoom link to the meeting. Email Address Is MGEARY@LOWELLMA.GOV. If you have no access to email you may contact the City Clerk at 978-674-4161.
Sunday, June 19, 11am-4pm
Market Street
https://www.facebook.com/events/768275544071500
Gather on Market Street in downtown Lowell, MA to highlight Lowell’s Black history and Black artists—featuring a mainstage of musicians and performers, poetry readings at local businesses, walking Black History tours, food, and Black artisan vendors.
Sunday, June 19, 5-10pm
Green Space @UTEC, 35 Warren St., Lowell
Organized by the Afro-American Community Collaborative
https://aacommunitycollab.com/#block
The LLK is in full swing helping to beautify our city.
To connect with them: https://linktr.ee/lowelllitterkrewe
Sign up to volunteer, check out their schedule and more.
Next events
Thursday, June 16| 4-6pm Muldoon Park Cleanup
Ahead of the Juneteenth Celebration
With Black Lowell Coalition
Meet at 5 Billerica Street
https://www.facebook.com/events/427212188871941
Saturday, June 18 | 9am-12pm, Canalwaters Cleaners and LNHP
Meet at TBD
Saturday June 25 | 9am-12pm, Abandoned Camp Cleanout, Ages 14+
Meet at 1125 Pawtucket Boulevard
https://www.facebook.com/events/585240472835621
Cleanups every Thursday 3:30-6pm with Life Connections
Call/text for details: 617-201-9916
Thursday, June 23, 6:30 PM
Gary’s Restaurant, 26 Andover St,.in Lowell
Celebrate the past year, esp. Drivers’ Licenses Bill and Wheels of Hope.
Take the Survey and let your thoughts be known
www.lowellma.gov/ARPA
Deadline to submit: June 30, 2022
Information gathered from the past public listening sessions and the survey will help guide City administration on how to use ARPA funding, providing long-lasting benefits to the residents of Lowell.
Beginning Thursday, June 9
Find and sign up at: https://www.mobilize.us/jan6hearings/
Mondays and Fridays, 3-5pm, next happening June 10
Phone and textbank to get gun reform legislation passed
Sign up: https://www.mobilize.us/brady/event/462576/
Saturday, June 18, Washington DC
The June 18, 2022 Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls will be a generationally transformative and disruptive gathering of poor and low-wealth people, state leaders, faith communities, moral allies, unions and partnering organizations.
It is NOT just a day of action. It is a declaration of an ongoing, committed moral movement to 1) Shift the moral narrative; 2) Build power; and 3) Make real policies to fully address poverty and low wealth from the bottom up.
If enough people sign up in this area there could be a bus (cost: $150 round trip). If not enough people sign up from this area, there WILL be a bus from Boston, with a possibility of carpooling there.
Click here: https://tinyurl.com/33bx5pu7
h/t member Stephen Malagodi for this submission
Tuesday, June 21, 7-8:15 pm
Register to join us on Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/mr3nd2u8
Film screening: “Suppressed and Sabotaged: The Fight To Vote” (2022) by Robert Greenwald (Director of Outfoxed, Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price, and Making A Killing: Guns Greed and the NRA). It is a powerful 44-minute documentary about the growing threat of voter suppression and election sabotage to our 2022 midterm elections.
Indivisible-RISE has a unique opportunity through Common Cause to show this film at our June 21, 2022 meeting, and we hope you will join us. In 2021, 19 states passed 34 new voter laws following the Big Lie of the 2020 election. The film focuses on this recent wave of voter suppression and subversion laws being enacted in states, and how the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race between Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp provides a blueprint for today’s voter suppression laws across the country. The film includes perspectives from voters in swing states that highlight how these new laws will affect their constitutional right to vote.
We’ll follow the film with a brief discussion and a description of ways that we can help to fight voter suppression.
Zoe Dzineku, Lowell 16th Middlesex
https://www.govotezoe.com/
Central Votes Zoe Fundraiser
Thursday, June 23, 4-7pm, East End Social Club (15 W 4th St, Centralville)
Tara Hong, Lowell 18th Middlesex
https://www.tarahong.com/
Teresa English, Billerica
https://www.voteteresaenglish.org/
Phonebanking Mondays and Wednesdays. Register on the site.
Progressive Massachusetts proudly endorses Sonia Chang-Diaz, Governor (78% of Progressive Mass member vote); Dr. Tami Gouveia, Lieutenant Governor (78% of PM member vote); Tanisha Sullivan for Secretary of the Commonwealth (93% of PM member vote), Quentin Palfrey for Attorney General (62% of PM member vote), and Chris Dempsey for State Auditor (78% of PM member vote).
Progressive candidates have qualified and the state Convention has selected them to appear in the Primary. Now we start the joyous work of helping them win the Primary. All campaigns are currently looking for people to help.
Learn more about Sonia Chang-Diaz at https://www.soniachangdiaz.com/meet-sonia
Volunteer to help Sonia’s campaign at https://www.soniachangdiaz.com/volunteer
Learn more about Dr. Tami Gouveia at https://www.tamigouveia.com/meet-tami/
Volunteer to help Tami’s campaign at https://www.tamigouveia.com/volunteer/
Learn more about Tanisha Sullivan at https://www.tanishasullivan.com/
Volunteer to help Tanisha’s campaign at http://tanisha4ma.us/join
Organizer: nate@tanishasullivan.com
Learn more about Quentin Palfrey at https://www.quentinpalfrey.com/
Volunteer with the campaign at: https://www.quentinpalfrey.com/get-involved
Organizer: signatures@quentinpalfrey.com
Learn more about Chris Dempsey at https://dempseyforauditor.com/.
Volunteer to help the campaign at: https://dempseyforauditor.com/volunteer/
Signatures Contact: matthew@dempseyforauditor.com
There are groups across the country working to elect more progressive candidates. Find one that lets you do something you can do to make a difference. There are more of us than them. If we all do our one little thing, change CAN come.
Turn Purple 2 Blue
www.TurnPurple2Blue.org
Stop the rollback of rights. Help fight for a wider margin in both houses of Congress so that legislation will pass. Find out how you can help more progressive candidates succeed in other states.
Swing Blue Alliance (formerly Swing Left)
Swingbluealliance.org
Largest organization in MA working on both state and national elections. Help elect more Democrats to Congress. Pick how you want to work and which race(s) you want to work on.
Field Team 6
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
This California-based group works to register more Democrats all across the country. When more Democrats vote, Democrats win.
State-Level Actions
In March, the House passed a bill to promote the development of offshore wind energy. In April, the Senate passed a broader climate bill (S.2819) that has some good elements—although not all we hoped for. The final bill is expected no later than the week of July 11, and 350MA needs your help. Contact your state representative and ask them for a strong bill that addresses buildings, transportation, the electric grid, and social justice. See here for specific top priorities identified by 350 Mass and many coalition partners: https://tinyurl.com/3hwn29ch
Here’s how to contact your rep:
Easy: Send an email (sample text is here: https://tinyurl.com/e9226br8 ) and cc our Political Director Cabell Eames, Cabell@betterfutureproject.org
Better: Call and follow up with an email (sample script is here: https://tinyurl.com/e9226br8 )
Best: Call to schedule a live meeting and make the same request. Even better, invite others to join you! Then email Cabell (Cabell@betterfutureproject.org) to tell us how it went, since she’s meeting regularly with legislators on our behalf.
https://www.homesforallmass.org/
Contact your legislators in support of bills that would add tenant and homeowner protections like eviction sealing and the right to representation in housing court. The bills can be added to the state budget now under consideration, as amendments. At the site, hit the Take Action button. You will find pre-written emails you can edit to make your own and scripts for phone calls.
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/engage-your-legislators-on-the-safe-communities-act/
The deadline on the SCA has been extended to June 24. The link will take you to an editable email to send to the members of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, urging them to vote the bill favorably out of committee so that it can be brought to a vote in the full legislature.
The Right to Counsel bills (H. 1436 and S. 874) have been extended until June 15, 2022, by which time the Housing Committee must issue a final report. This is good news! The Committee is closely reviewing the bills. The Massachusetts Right to Counsel Coalition is grateful to lead sponsors Senator DiDomenico, Rep Dave Rogers, and Rep Day for their work to advance the bills.
Please keep up your advocacy efforts with your Representatives and Senators and members of the Housing Committee*, especially Chair Arciero and Chair Keenan. It is making a difference!
*Membership: https://malegislature.gov/Committees/Detail/J28. We especially encourage our members from Chelmsford to reach out to Senator Michael Barrett, who is on the committee. No other Lowell area legislators are on the committee, but it wouldn’t hurt to write the other members of the committee, who, by dint of their being on the committee, represent all Massachusetts residents, not just their constituents.
Sample script
Dear Legislator:
I’m writing you because [I am your constituent, from [town] and] you are serving on a committee considering a bill that I believe is important to the future of Massachusetts, The Right to Counsel bill H.1436/S.874] seeks to ensure that those facing eviction have counsel when they go to court. Research shows that 90% of landlords have counsel when they head to court; very few tenants do. And tenants who have legal representation have a much better chance of avoiding eviction and all the consequences that come with it. You can read more about the consequences at https://www.aclu.org/report/no-eviction-without-representation?redirect=evictionbrief.
The brief also references a report on the financial benefits to the state of providing legal representation.
For more background on the issue:
https://www.massrtc.org/fact-sheets-and-resources.html .
With affordable housing so scarce in our state, eviction is literally life-threatening.
I urge you to vote the bills favorably out of committee before the June 15 deadline.
Thank you for your consideration.
[Your name, address, phone number]
The Fair Share Amendment is a proposal to amend the Massachusetts Constitution, creating an additional tax of four percentage points on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million. The new revenue, approximately $2 billion a year, would be spent on “quality public education and affordable public colleges and universities, and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation.” To ensure that the amendment continues to apply only to the highest income taxpayers, who have the ability to pay more, the $1 million threshold would be adjusted each year to reflect cost-of-living increases.
More info: https://tinyurl.com/3s25dw24
Sign up to phonebank in support https://actionnetwork.org/events/weekly-phone-bank-lunch
Pledge to vote for the Amendment in November:
https://raiseupma.us/solidaritylowell
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
(… or find yours here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)
Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133
National Actions
Unsafe working conditions and labor abuses are equal-opportunity threats to workers. They don’t care about a worker’s immigration status. But some workers are vulnerable to intimidation and retaliation because of their status and may be afraid to report or testify, putting all workers at risk. This petition from Jobs with Justice asks that workers be protected in those circumstances.
Senator Elizabeth Warren: 617-565-3170
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.warren.senate.gov/contact/shareyouropinion
Senator Edward Markey: 617-565-8519
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.markey.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion
Representative Lori Trahan: 978-459-0101 / 202-225-3411
https://trahan.house.gov/contact/write-your-rep.htm
Representative Seth Moulton: 978-531-1669 / 202-225-8020
https://moulton.house.gov/contact
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 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 at solidaritylowell.com
For more events not listed here, visit the full Events calendar: https://solidaritylowell.com/events/
May meeting notes:
https://tinyurl.com/ycyndtvd
May meeting recording:
https://youtu.be/76Z21IW3D2U
See recordings of past Solidarity Lowell meetings in our YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCohwMIkVdabQdDHsVTLIGsQ
For positive news visit Solidarity Lowell Upbeat on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/326202548419687
Solidarity Lowell is a chapter of Progressive Massachusetts. Join at: https://www.progressivemass.com/donate/
Sunday June 26 at 5:30pm
Topic: To Be Determined
Full notes here: https://tinyurl.com/ycyndtvd
Highlights: We voted in some minor revisions to the by-laws. See the by-laws here: https://tinyurl.com/2s36md96
Recording: https://youtu.be/76Z21IW3D2U
The ACLU presented its “Know Your Sheriff” and we learned that most incumbents run unopposed, although the notorious Bristol County Sheriff is facing opponents this year. Sheriffs run every 6 years and this year is unusual in that both sheriff and DA elections are falling in the same year. Unlike other states, MA sheriffs do not make arrests. But they do control a huge budget as they oversee the houses of correction and jails.
From: Merrimack Valley Interfaith Sanctuary Network (MVISN)
Asylum-Seeker Marius had surgery recently to address ongoing issues related to the violence he fled from in Togo and Guinea-Bissau. MVISN needs to extend ongoing assistance. Any amount will be gratefully accepted. Please donate to his GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/47gvz-marius
You can also donate via:
CashApp – $gollygee17
Venmo – @owlnerd
Checks are also accepted, please email Marissa (marissa@solidaritylowell.com) for the address. Please put “Marius” in the notes.
Tuesday, June 7, 6:30pm, at City Hall and online
Meetings are held in Council Chamber Tuesdays at 6:30pm with public welcome. Attend in person or by using remote participation as follows: Members of the public may view the meeting via LTC.Org (Online; Live Streaming; Or Local Cable Channel 99). Those wishing to speak regarding a specific agenda item must register to speak in advance of the meeting by 4pm the day of the meeting. See agenda for details.
Agenda: https://www.lowellma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06072022-2353?html=true
This week’s meeting is devoted to the next budget, including rate increases and new positions.
The LLK is in full swing helping to beautify our city.
To connect with them: https://linktr.ee/lowelllitterkrewe
Sign up to volunteer, check out their schedule and more.
Next events
Saturday, June 11| 8-11am Tree Removal on First Street/VFW
With the Greater Lowell Road Runners
Meet at First Street at Duck Island End
https://www.facebook.com/events/1677165139327754
Saturday, June 11| 9am-12pm Rep. Howard’s Diaper Drive
Benefitting the Wish Project
Drive-up donations at Cawley Stadium
Thursday, June 16| 4-6pm Muldoon Park Cleanup
Ahead of the Juneteenth Celebration
With Black Lowell Coalition
Meet at 5 Billerica Street
https://www.facebook.com/events/427212188871941
Saturday, June 18 | 9am-12pm, Canalwaters Cleaners and LNHP
Meet at TBD
Saturday, June 11 11am-2pm
North Common Park (413 Fletcher St)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1016359732583247/
Bring your family and friends for resources, music, raffles, and a cookout hosted by ACTION, CBA, and Lowell Housing Authority. Stop by the Solidarity Lowell table and say hello!
Take the Survey and let your thoughts be known
www.lowellma.gov/ARPA
Deadline to submit: June 30, 2022
Information gathered from the past public listening sessions and the survey will help guide City administration on how to use ARPA funding, providing long-lasting benefits to the residents of Lowell.
https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-the-murder-jesse-sarey
Beginning Thursday, June 9
Find and sign up at: https://www.mobilize.us/jan6hearings/
Mondays and Fridays, 3-5pm, next happening June 10
Phone and textbank to get gun reform legislation passed
Sign up: https://www.mobilize.us/brady/event/462576/
Saturday, June 11, 10am-12pm
Sanctuary, 82 Main Street, Maynard, MA 01754
RSVP: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/climate0611
Climate-focused fundraiser for Candidate for Lt. Governor Dr. Tami Gouveia
There are zoom and in-person tickets available. RSVP for ticket.
This is the organization started by the survivors from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas School in Parkland, FL. There are 300 marches and counting scheduled across the country, including Andover, Haverhill, and Nashua. Be counted among those demanding action to stop gun violence.
https://marchforourlives.com/
Saturday, June 11, 3-5pm
Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, 110 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02110
https://secure.everyaction.com/3W00ZStrMES8Tpspc3fgpQ2
Saturday, June 11, 10-11:30am
Shawsheen Square, 14 York St, Andover, MA 01810
https://www.mobilize.us/indivisiblegreaterandover/event/467190/
Saturday, June 18, Washington DC
The June 18, 2022 Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls will be a generationally transformative and disruptive gathering of poor and low-wealth people, state leaders, faith communities, moral allies, unions and partnering organizations.
It is NOT just a day of action. It is a declaration of an ongoing, committed moral movement to 1) Shift the moral narrative; 2) Build power; and 3) Make real policies to fully address poverty and low wealth from the bottom up.
If enough people sign up in this area there could be a bus (cost: $150 round trip). If not enough people sign up from this area, there WILL be a bus from Boston, with a possibility of carpooling there.
Click here: https://tinyurl.com/33bx5pu7
h/t member Stephen Malagodi for this submission
Sunday, June 19, 5-10pm
Green Space @UTEC, 35 Warren St., Lowell
Organized by the Afro-American Community Collaborative
https://aacommunitycollab.com/#block
Zoe Dzineku, Lowell 16th Middlesex
https://www.govotezoe.com/
Tara Hong, Lowell 18th Middlesex
https://www.tarahong.com/
Teresa English, Billerica
https://www.voteteresaenglish.org/
Progressive Massachusetts proudly endorses Sonia Chang-Diaz, Governor (78% of Progressive Mass member vote); Dr. Tami Gouveia, Lieutenant Governor (78% of PM member vote); Tanisha Sullivan for Secretary of the Commonwealth (93% of PM member vote), Quentin Palfrey for Attorney General (62% of PM member vote), and Chris Dempsey for State Auditor (78% of PM member vote).
Progressive candidates have qualified and the state Convention has selected them to appear in the Primary. Now we start the joyous work of helping them win the Primary. All campaigns are currently looking for people to help.
Learn more about Sonia Chang-Diaz at https://www.soniachangdiaz.com/meet-sonia
Volunteer to help Sonia’s campaign at https://www.soniachangdiaz.com/volunteer
Learn more about Dr. Tami Gouveia at https://www.tamigouveia.com/meet-tami/
Volunteer to help Tami’s campaign at https://www.tamigouveia.com/volunteer/
Learn more about Tanisha Sullivan at https://www.tanishasullivan.com/
Volunteer to help Tanisha’s campaign at http://tanisha4ma.us/join
Organizer: nate@tanishasullivan.com
Learn more about Quentin Palfrey at https://www.quentinpalfrey.com/
Volunteer with the campaign at: https://www.quentinpalfrey.com/get-involved
Organizer: signatures@quentinpalfrey.com
Learn more about Chris Dempsey at https://dempseyforauditor.com/.
Volunteer to help the campaign at: https://dempseyforauditor.com/volunteer/
Signatures Contact: matthew@dempseyforauditor.com
There are groups across the country working to elect more progressive candidates. Find one that lets you do something you can do to make a difference. There are more of us than them. If we all do our one little thing, change CAN come.
Turn Purple 2 Blue
www.TurnPurple2Blue.org
Stop the rollback of rights. Help fight for a wider margin in both houses of Congress so that legislation will pass. Find out how you can help more progressive candidates succeed in other states.
Swing Blue Alliance (formerly Swing Left)
Swingbluealliance.org
Largest organization in MA working on both state and national elections. Help elect more Democrats to Congress. Pick how you want to work and which race(s) you want to work on.
Field Team 6
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
This California-based group works to register more Democrats all across the country.
State-Level Actions
https://www.homesforallmass.org/
Contact your legislators in support of bills that would add tenant and homeowner protections like eviction sealing and the right to representation in housing court. The bills can be added to the state budget now under consideration, as amendments. At the site, hit the Take Action button.. You will find pre-written emails you can edit to make your own and scripts for phone calls.
WinnCompanies, the largest affordable housing operator in Massachusetts, has announced its support for the HOMES Act and fair eviction sealing protections for MA residents and is urging the House to pass the HOMES Act so that people are not marked with an eviction record for life.
2-Second Action Needed: Please retweet WinnCompanies’ tweet – hot off the press – so we can increase visibility under the dome and urge the House to pass HOMES and move it to the Senate.
https://twitter.com/WinnCompanies/status/1528753794259030021
Thank you for continuing to urge your Reps and Senators to support the HOMES Act.
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/engage-your-legislators-on-the-safe-communities-act/
The deadline on the SCA has been extended to June 1. The link will take you to an editable email to send to the members of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, urging them to vote the bill favorably out of committee so that it can be brought to a vote in the full legislature.
The Right to Counsel bills (H. 1436 and S. 874) have been extended until June 15, 2022, by which time the Housing Committee must issue a final report. This is good news! The Committee is closely reviewing the bills. The Massachusetts Right to Counsel Coalition is grateful to lead sponsors Senator DiDomenico, Rep Dave Rogers, and Rep Day for their work to advance the bills.
Please keep up your advocacy efforts with your Representatives and Senators and members of the Housing Committee*, especially Chair Arciero and Chair Keenan. It is making a difference!
*Membership: https://malegislature.gov/Committees/Detail/J28 We especially encourage our members from Chelmsford to reach out to Senator Michael Barrett, who is on the committee. No other Lowell area legislators are on the committee, but it wouldn’t hurt to write the other members, who, by dint of their being on the committee represent all Massachusetts residents, not just their constituents.
Sample script
Dear Legislator:
I’m writing you because [I am your constituent, from [town] and] you are serving on a committee considering a bill that I believe is important to the future of Massachusetts, The Right to Counsel bill H.1436/S.874] seeks to ensure that those facing eviction have counsel when they go to court. Research shows that 90% of landlords have counsel when they head to court; very few tenants do. And tenants who have legal representation have a much better chance of avoiding eviction and all the consequences that come with it. You can read more about the consequences at https://www.aclu.org/report/no-eviction-without-representation?redirect=evictionbrief.
The brief also references a report on the financial benefits to the state of providing legal representation.
For more background on the issue:
https://www.massrtc.org/fact-sheets-and-resources.html .
With affordable housing so scarce in our state, eviction is literally life-threatening.
I urge you to vote the bills favorably out of committee before the June 15 deadline.
Thank you for your consideration.
[Your name, address, phone number]
The Fair Share Amendment is a proposal to amend the Massachusetts Constitution, creating an additional tax of four percentage points on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million. The new revenue, approximately $2 billion a year, would be spent on “quality public education and affordable public colleges and universities, and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation.” To ensure that the amendment continues to apply only to the highest income taxpayers, who have the ability to pay more, the $1 million threshold would be adjusted each year to reflect cost-of-living increases.
More info: https://tinyurl.com/3s25dw24
Pledge to vote for the Amendment in November: https://raiseupma.us/solidaritylowell
The bill was passed by both houses. But the governor vetoed it. The good news is that it passed with veto-proof margins in both houses. Our legislators just need to stand firm. The House will vote again on June 8, and the Senate shortly after.
Write your legislator asking them to override the veto. All current Lowell legislators supported the bill. Thank them for their support and ask them to keep it up.
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
(… or find yours here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)
Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133
Senator Elizabeth Warren: 617-565-3170
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.warren.senate.gov/contact/shareyouropinion
Senator Edward Markey: 617-565-8519
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.markey.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion
Representative Lori Trahan: 978-459-0101 / 202-225-3411
https://trahan.house.gov/contact/write-your-rep.htm
Representative Seth Moulton: 978-531-1669 / 202-225-8020
https://moulton.house.gov/contact
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 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 at solidaritylowell.com
For more events not listed here, visit the full Events calendar: https://solidaritylowell.com/events/
May meeting notes: https://tinyurl.com/ycyndtvd
May meeting recording: https://youtu.be/76Z21IW3D2U
See recordings of past Solidarity Lowell meetings in our YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCohwMIkVdabQdDHsVTLIGsQ
For positive news visit Solidarity Lowell Upbeat on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/326202548419687
Solidarity Lowell is a chapter of Progressive Massachusetts. Join at: https://www.progressivemass.com/donate/
Sunday, June 5, 2-4pm
Ladd & Whitney Monument in front of City Hall
https://www.facebook.com/events/2855977348039948
There ARE things we could be doing about gun violence. Come share ideas with other concerned folks. Don’t forget to wear orange!
Sunday June 26 at 5:30pm
Topic: To Be Determined
Full notes here: https://tinyurl.com/ycyndtvd
Highlights: We voted in some minor revisions to the by-laws. See the by-laws here: https://tinyurl.com/2s36md96
Recording: https://youtu.be/76Z21IW3D2U
The ACLU presented its “Know Your Sheriff” and we learned that most incumbents run unopposed, although the notorious Bristol County Sheriff is facing opponents this year. Sheriffs run every 6 years and this year is unusual in that both sheriff and DA elections are falling in the same year. Unlike other states, MA sheriffs do not make arrests. But they do control a huge budget as they oversee the houses of correction and jails.
From: Merrimack Valley Interfaith Sanctuary Network (MVISN)
Asylum-Seeker Marius had surgery recently to address ongoing issues related to the violence he fled from in Togo and Guinea-Bissau. MVISN needs to extend ongoing assistance. Any amount will be gratefully accepted. Please donate to his GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/47gvz-marius
You can also donate via:
CashApp – $gollygee17
Venmo – @owlnerd
Checks are also accepted, please email Marissa (marissa@solidaritylowell.com) for the address. Please put “Marius” in the notes.
Saturday June 4 12-1pm
Lowell City Hall
https://www.facebook.com/events/673888333675364/
Saturday June 4 1-6pm
Kerouac Park
https://www.facebook.com/events/737142254108182/
We’re back! Join us for the Greater Lowell Pride Festival on June 4th from 1-6PM. Enjoy live entertainment, great food, fabulous vendors and more!
First Friday in June (Friday, June 3)
As we go to press there is a motion in City Council to recognize this date in Lowell. It kicks off Wear Orange weekend, during which activities are held all over the country to increase awareness about gun violence.
The LLK is in full swing helping to beautify our city.
To connect with them: https://linktr.ee/lowelllitterkrewe
Sign up to volunteer, check out their schedule and more.
Upcoming events:
Saturday, June 4 | 9AM – 12PM | STEM Academy Cleanup
Meet at 45 Highland Street
https://www.facebook.com/events/691014472201572/
Saturday, June 11 | 8-11am Tree Removal on First Street/VFW
With the Greater Lowell Road Runners
Meet at First Street at Duck Island End
https://www.facebook.com/events/1677165139327754
Saturday, June 11| 9am-12pm Rep. Howard’s Diaper Drive
Benefitting the Wish Project
Drive-up donations at Cawley Stadium
Take the Survey and let your thoughts be known.
www.lowellma.gov/ARPA
Deadline to submit: June 30, 2022
Information gathered from the public listening sessions and the survey will help guide City administration on how to use ARPA funding, providing long lasting benefits to the residents of Lowell.
https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-the-murder-jesse-sarey
Wednesday, June 1, 6:00-7:30pm
Billerica Public Library (outside stairs in front)
There will be speakers, music, fun, info and most of all, community. We gather on the steps and plaza in front of the library in the center of town.
Thursday, June 2, 3pm
Park Street, Boston Common
The Work & Family Mobility Act, which would enable all Massachusetts residents to obtain drivers licenses regardless of immigration status, has now been passed by the Massachusetts house and senate! Governor Baker vetoed the law and so it will return to the legislature to be voted on again. Join Cosecha Massachusetts in marching to support the bill through the final legislative steps.
Learn more here. https://www.facebook.com/events/1359510697895731
Mondays and Fridays, 3-5pm, next happening June 3
Phone and textbank to get gun reform legislation passed
Sign up: https://www.mobilize.us/brady/event/462576/
Monday, June 6, 6:00-7:00 pm
Google Meet video call link https://meet.google.com/bdm-xqhg-ufq?pli=1
Join the monthly meeting of the non-partisan group Represent.US, working for campaign finance reform and fighting government corruption to make our democracy stronger. Represent Western Mass has merged with our eastern partners to form a statewide chapter and are building momentum to tackle the important work of fixing our democracy.
Work to get big money influence out of government by moving local, state, and national initiatives forward. Find out how your town can have a voice for clean government. All are welcome.
Saturday, June 18, Washington DC
The June 18, 2022 Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls will be a generationally transformative and disruptive gathering of poor and low-wealth people, state leaders, faith communities, moral allies, unions and partnering organizations.
It is NOT just a day of action. It is a declaration of an ongoing, committed moral movement to 1) Shift the moral narrative; 2) Build power; and 3) Make real policies to fully address poverty and low wealth from the bottom up.
If enough people sign up this area there could be a bus (cost: $150 round trip). If not enough people sign up from this area, there WILL be a bus from Boston, with a possibility of carpooling there.
Click here: https://tinyurl.com/33bx5pu7
h/t member Stephen Malagodi for this submission
Zoe Dzineku, Lowell 16th Middlesex
https://www.govotezoe.com/
Tara Hong, Lowell 18th Middlesex
https://www.tarahong.com/
Teresa English, Billerica
https://www.voteteresaenglish.org/
Progressive Massachusetts proudly endorses Sonia Chang-Diaz, Governor (78% of Progressive Mass member vote); Dr. Tami Gouveia, Lieutenant Governor (78% of PM member vote); Tanisha Sullivan for Secretary of the Commonwealth (93% of PM member vote), Quentin Palfrey for Attorney General (62% of PM member vote), and Chris Dempsey for State Auditor (78% of PM member vote).
Getting them elected starts with getting them on the ballot. All campaigns are currently looking for people to help collect signatures to get candidates on the ballot. The required number of signatures must be submitted by May 10. Supermarkets and other areas with high foot traffic are the best places for collecting signatures.
Learn more about Sonia Chang-Diaz at https://www.soniachangdiaz.com/meet-sonia
Volunteer to help Sonia’s campaign at https://www.soniachangdiaz.com/volunteer
Learn more about Dr. Tami Gouveia at https://www.tamigouveia.com/meet-tami/
Volunteer to help Tami’s campaign at https://www.tamigouveia.com/volunteer/
Learn more about Tanisha Sullivan at https://www.tanishasullivan.com/
Volunteer to help Tanisha’s campaign at http://tanisha4ma.us/join
Organizer: nate@tanishasullivan.com
Learn more about Quentin Palfrey at https://www.quentinpalfrey.com/
Volunteer with the campaign at: https://www.quentinpalfrey.com/get-involved
Organizer: signatures@quentinpalfrey.com
Learn more about Chris Dempsey at https://dempseyforauditor.com/.
Volunteer to help the campaign at: https://dempseyforauditor.com/volunteer/
Signatures Contact: matthew@dempseyforauditor.com
Changing Congress: Field Team 6
June 2, 8-9:15pm EDT
Volunteer Fair: https://tinyurl.com/52ejhy5p
The same names appear over and over on the list of those in Congress who block whatever legislation we progressives want to see passed at the national level, including gun control measures. This California organization offers various ways of helping to register more Democrats across the country: phonebanking, textbanking, letterwriting, postcarding, social media. This event will inform you of opportunities to make a difference.
www.TurnPurple2Blue.org
Stop the rollback of rights. Help fight for a wider margin in both houses of Congress so that legislation will pass. Find out how you can help more progressive candidates succeed in other states.
Swingbluealliance.org
Largest organization in MA working on both state and national elections. Help elect more Democrats to Congress.
https://www.homesforallmass.org/
Contact your legislators in support of bills that would add tenant and homeowner protections like eviction sealing and the right to representation in housing court. The bills can be added to the state budget now under consideration, as amendments. At the site, hit the Take Action button.. You will find pre-written emails you can edit to make your own and scripts for phone calls.
WinnCompanies, the largest affordable housing operator in Massachusetts, has announced its support for the HOMES Act and fair eviction sealing protections for MA residents and is urging the House to pass the HOMES Act so that people are not marked with an eviction record for life.
2-Second Action Needed: Please retweet WinnCompanies’ tweet – hot off the press – so we can increase visibility under the dome and urge the House to pass HOMES and move it to the Senate.
https://twitter.com/WinnCompanies/status/1528753794259030021
Thank you for continuing to urge your Reps and Senators to support the HOMES Act.
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/engage-your-legislators-on-the-safe-communities-act/
The deadline on the SCA has been extended to June 1. The link will take you to an editable email to send to the members of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, urging them to vote the bill favorably out of committee so that it can be brought to a vote in the full legislature.
The Right to Counsel bills (H. 1436 and S. 874) have been extended until June 15, 2022, by which time the Housing Committee must issue a final report. This is good news! The Committee is closely reviewing the bills. The Massachusetts Right to Counsel Coalition is grateful to lead sponsors Senator DiDomenico, Rep Dave Rogers, and Rep Day for their work to advance the bills.
Please keep up your advocacy efforts with your Representatives and Senators and members of the Housing Committee*, especially Chair Arciero and Chair Keenan. It is making a difference!
*Membership: https://malegislature.gov/Committees/Detail/J28 We especially encourage our members from Chelmsford to reach out to Senator Michael Barrett, who is on the committee. No other Lowell area legislators are on the committee, but it wouldn’t hurt to write the other members, who, by dint of their being on the committee represent all Massachusetts residents, not just their constituents.
Sample script
Dear Legislator:
I’m writing you because [I am your constituent, from [town] and] you are serving on a committee considering a bill that I believe is important to the future of Massachusetts, The Right to Counsel bill H.1436/S.874] seeks to ensure that those facing eviction have counsel when they go to court. Research shows that 90% of landlords have counsel when they head to court; very few tenants do. And tenants who have legal representation have a much better chance of avoiding eviction and all the consequences that come with it. You can read more about the consequences at https://www.aclu.org/report/no-eviction-without-representation?redirect=evictionbrief.
The brief also references a report on the financial benefits to the state of providing legal representation.
For more background on the issue:
https://www.massrtc.org/fact-sheets-and-resources.html .
With affordable housing so scarce in our state, eviction is literally life-threatening.
I urge you to vote the bills favorably out of committee before the June 15 deadline.
Thank you for your consideration.
[Your name, address, phone number]
The Fair Share Amendment is a proposal to amend the Massachusetts Constitution, creating an additional tax of four percentage points on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million. The new revenue, approximately $2 billion a year, would be spent on “quality public education and affordable public colleges and universities, and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation.” To ensure that the amendment continues to apply only to the highest income taxpayers, who have the ability to pay more, the $1 million threshold would be adjusted each year to reflect cost-of-living increases.
More info: https://tinyurl.com/3s25dw24
Pledge to vote for the Amendment in November:
https://raiseupma.us/solidaritylowell
The bill was passed by both houses. But the governor vetoed it. The good news is that it passed with veto-proof margins in both houses. Our legislators just need to stand firm. The House will vote again on June 8, and the Senate shortly after.
Write your legislator asking them to override the veto. All current Lowell legislators supported the bill. Thank them for their support and ask them to keep it up.
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
(… or find yours here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)
Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133
National Actions
Senator Elizabeth Warren: 617-565-3170
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.warren.senate.gov/contact/shareyouropinion
Senator Edward Markey: 617-565-8519
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.markey.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion
Representative Lori Trahan: 978-459-0101 / 202-225-3411
https://trahan.house.gov/contact/write-your-rep.htm
Representative Seth Moulton: 978-531-1669 / 202-225-8020
https://moulton.house.gov/contact
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 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 at solidaritylowell.com
For more events not listed here, visit the full Events calendar: https://solidaritylowell.com/events/
May meeting notes:
https://tinyurl.com/ycyndtvd
May meeting recording:
https://youtu.be/76Z21IW3D2U
See recordings of past Solidarity Lowell meetings in our YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCohwMIkVdabQdDHsVTLIGsQ
For positive news visit Solidarity Lowell Upbeat on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/326202548419687
Solidarity Lowell is a chapter of Progressive Massachusetts. Join at: https://www.progressivemass.com/donate/
Sunday June 26 at 5:30pm
Topic: TBD
May meeting notes: https://tinyurl.com/ycyndtvd
May meeting recording: https://youtu.be/76Z21IW3D2U
From: Merrimack Valley Interfaith Sanctuary Network (MVISN)
Asylum-Seeker Marius had surgery recently to address ongoing issues related to the violence he fled from in Togo and Guinea-Bissau. MVISN needs to extend ongoing assistance. Any amount will be gratefully accepted.
Please donate to his GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/47gvz-marius
You can also donate via:
CashApp – $gollygee17
Venmo – @owlnerd
Checks are also accepted, please email Marissa (marissa@solidaritylowell.com) for the address. Please put “Marius” in the notes.
Tuesday, May 24, 6:30pm, at City Hall and online
Meetings will be held in Council Chamber with public welcome and by using remote participation as follows: Members of the public may view the meeting via LTC.Org (Online; Live Streaming; Or Local Cable Channel 99). Those wishing to speak regarding a specific agenda item shall register to speak in advance of the meeting.
See agenda for details.
Agenda: https://www.lowellma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05172022-2335?html=true
With winter behind us, the LLK is in full swing helping to beautify our city.
To connect with them: https://linktr.ee/lowelllitterkrewe
Sign up to volunteer, check out their schedule and more.
Upcoming events:
May 28| 9AM – 12PM | Meet at Central Plaza, 55 Church Street
Back Central Sweep and Lot Cleanout
https://www.facebook.com/events/545015373937767
An age 14+ event
Wednesday, May 25, 6pm
Lowell Senior Center
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/arpa-public-input-at-the-lowell-senior-center-registration-315401974797
Take the Survey and let your thoughts be known.
www.lowellma.gov/ARPA
Deadline to submit: June 30, 2022
Information gathered from the public listening sessions and the survey will help guide City administration on how to use ARPA funding, providing long lasting benefits to the residents of Lowell.
Friday, May 25, 6 pm
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/yckm58rs
350MA.org is hosting the Massachusetts Attorney General Climate Debate, with candidates Andrea Campbell, Quentin Palfrey, and Shannon Liss-Riordan, moderated by Boston Globe climate reporter Sabrina Shankman.
Wednesday, June 1, 6:00-7:30pm
Billerica Public Library (outside stairs in front)
There will be speakers, music, fun, info and most of all, community. We gather on the steps and plaza in front of the library in the center of town.
Zoe Dzineku, Lowell 16th Middlesex
https://www.govotezoe.com/
Tara Hong, Lowell 18th Middlesex
https://www.tarahong.com/
Teresa English, Billerica
https://www.voteteresaenglish.org/
Progressive Massachusetts proudly endorses Sonia Chang-Diaz, Governor (78% of Progressive Mass member vote); Dr. Tami Gouveia, Lieutenant Governor (78% of PM member vote); Tanisha Sullivan for Secretary of the Commonwealth (93% of PM member vote), Quentin Palfrey for Attorney General (62% of PM member vote), and Chris Dempsey for State Auditor (78% of PM member vote).
Getting them elected starts with getting them on the ballot. All campaigns are currently looking for people to help collect signatures to get candidates on the ballot. The required number of signatures must be submitted by May 10. Supermarkets and other areas with high foot traffic are the best places for collecting signatures.
Learn more about Sonia Chang-Diaz at https://www.soniachangdiaz.com/meet-sonia
Volunteer to help Sonia’s campaign at https://www.soniachangdiaz.com/volunteer
Learn more about Dr. Tami Gouveia at https://www.tamigouveia.com/meet-tami/
Volunteer to help Tami’s campaign at https://www.tamigouveia.com/volunteer/
Learn more about Tanisha Sullivan at https://www.tanishasullivan.com/
Volunteer to help Tanisha’s campaign at http://tanisha4ma.us/join
Organizer: nate@tanishasullivan.com
Learn more about Quentin Palfrey at https://www.quentinpalfrey.com/
Volunteer with the campaign at: https://www.quentinpalfrey.com/get-involved
Organizer: signatures@quentinpalfrey.com
Learn more about Chris Dempsey at https://dempseyforauditor.com/.
Volunteer to help the campaign at: https://dempseyforauditor.com/volunteer/
Signatures Contact: matthew@dempseyforauditor.com
www.TurnPurple2Blue.org
Stop the rollback of rights. Help fight for a wider margin in both houses of Congress so that legislation will pass. Find out how you can help more progressive candidates succeed in other states.
https://www.homesforallmass.org/
Contact your legislators in support of bills that would add tenant and homeowner protections like eviction sealing and the right to representation in housing court. The bills can be added to the state budget now under consideration, as amendments. At the site, hit the Take Action button.. You will find pre-written emails you can edit to make your own and scripts for phone calls.
WinnCompanies, the largest affordable housing operator in Massachusetts, has announced its support for the HOMES Act and fair eviction sealing protections for MA residents and is urging the House to pass the HOMES Act so that people are not marked with an eviction record for life.
2-Second Action Needed: Please retweet WinnCompanies’ tweet – hot off the press – so we can increase visibility under the dome and urge the House to pass HOMES and move it to the Senate.
https://twitter.com/WinnCompanies/status/1528753794259030021
Thank you for continuing to urge your Reps and Senators to support the HOMES Act.
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/engage-your-legislators-on-the-safe-communities-act/
The deadline on the SCA has been extended to June 1. The link will take you to an editable email to send to the members of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, urging them to vote the bill favorably out of committee so that it can be brought to a vote in the full legislature.
The legislature funded free breakfast and lunch in the schools during the pandemic. The program was set to expire, but with inflation the way it is, cash-strapped families are still food-insecure. Last month, House lawmakers approved a budget proposal that includes $110 million to extend free school breakfast and lunch. While the provision would not be permanent, it would extend the program for the next school year. The Senate has yet to approve a budget proposal of its own.
If you agree this is important, please contact your senator ASAP and let them know. There are a few names at the end of this section. Or find yours here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator.
The Right to Counsel bills (H. 1436 and S. 874) have been extended until June 15, 2022, by which time the Housing Committee must issue a final report. This is good news! The Committee is closely reviewing the bills. The Massachusetts Right to Counsel Coalition is grateful to lead sponsors Senator DiDomenico, Rep Dave Rogers, and Rep Day for their work to advance the bills.
Please keep up your advocacy efforts with your Representatives and Senators and members of the Housing Committee*, especially Chair Arciero and Chair Keenan. It is making a difference!
*Membership: https://malegislature.gov/Committees/Detail/J28 We especially encourage our members from Chelmsford to reach out to Senator Michael Barrett, who is on the committee. No other Lowell area legislators are on the committee, but it wouldn’t hurt to write the other members, who, by dint of their being on the committee represent all Massachusetts residents, not just their constituents.
Sample script
Dear Legislator:
I’m writing you because [I am your constituent, from [town] and] you are serving on a committee considering a bill that I believe is important to the future of Massachusetts, The Right to Counsel bill H.1436/S.874] seeks to ensure that those facing eviction have counsel when they go to court. Research shows that 90% of landlords have counsel when they head to court; very few tenants do. And tenants who have legal representation have a much better chance of avoiding eviction and all the consequences that come with it. You can read more about the consequences at https://www.aclu.org/report/no-eviction-without-representation?redirect=evictionbrief.
The brief also references a report on the financial benefits to the state of providing legal representation.
For more background on the issue:
https://www.massrtc.org/fact-sheets-and-resources.html .
With affordable housing so scarce in our state, eviction is literally life-threatening.
I urge you to vote the bills favorably out of committee before the June 15 deadline.
Thank you for your consideration.
[Your name, address, phone number]
The Fair Share Amendment is a proposal to amend the Massachusetts Constitution, creating an additional tax of four percentage points on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million. The new revenue, approximately $2 billion a year, would be spent on “quality public education and affordable public colleges and universities, and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation.” To ensure that the amendment continues to apply only to the highest income taxpayers, who have the ability to pay more, the $1 million threshold would be adjusted each year to reflect cost-of-living increases.
More info: https://tinyurl.com/3s25dw24
Pledge to vote for the Amendment in November: https://raiseupma.us/solidaritylowell
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
(… or find yours here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)
Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133
Senator Elizabeth Warren: 617-565-3170
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.warren.senate.gov/contact/shareyouropinion
Senator Edward Markey: 617-565-8519
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.markey.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion
Representative Lori Trahan: 978-459-0101 / 202-225-3411
https://trahan.house.gov/contact/write-your-rep.htm
Representative Seth Moulton: 978-531-1669 / 202-225-8020
https://moulton.house.gov/contact
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 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 at solidaritylowell.com
For more events not listed here, visit the full Events calendar: https://solidaritylowell.com/events/
May meeting notes: https://tinyurl.com/ycyndtvd
May meeting recording: https://youtu.be/76Z21IW3D2U
See recordings of past Solidarity Lowell meetings in our YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCohwMIkVdabQdDHsVTLIGsQ
For positive news visit Solidarity Lowell Upbeat on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/326202548419687
Solidarity Lowell is a chapter of Progressive Massachusetts. Join at: https://www.progressivemass.com/donate/
Saturday, May 7, 2-4pm
Ladd & Whitney Memorial, Lowell, MA. (in front of City Hall)
Frustrated at the proposed Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade? Come make a visible statement standing up for your right, and the right of others, to bodily autonomy.
If the Supreme Court decides that rights must be determined at the state level, rather than the national, it will affect more than the right to make decisions about pregnancy.
See you Saturday! Bring friends and family and signs!
The following day begins the national Mother’s Day Strike, a week of action running from May 8 to May 14. We need to make those who would deny us bodily autonomy understand that we have a significant impact in the world by our deliberate absence. Money talks. Visit the site for suggestions on how to support it, even if you can’t afford to not work for a week.
http://www.mothersdaystrike.com
Sunday April 24 at 5:30pm on Zoom
Speaker: TBD
Topics: Coordinating Committee Candidate nominations
In April, we’ll be voting on Coordinating Committee members. Three of the seats are up for re-election each year. But we are not at capacity; there are openings for up to three more people. Anyone interested who has questions is welcome to contact any of the Coordinating Committee members (Amy Baranoski, Caroline Snow, Chris Offerman, Dee Halzack, Joseph Boyle, Lisa Arnold) or email the Committee at contact@solidaritylowell.com.
Time commitment is moderate: the general meeting plus 2 committee meetings a month (prepping and debriefing the general meeting) and occasionally some tasks helping with events or actions.
Not required, but we would welcome someone interested in reviving our former monthly Demonstrate, Dine, and Discuss events, where we demonstrate at City Hall on an issue of interest to local progressives and then meet at a local restaurant to support local business while continuing discussion on the issue.
To help you decide whether you’d like to run, here is what the by-laws say about the Coordinating Committee:
Tuesday April 5, 6:30-8:00pm
Sign up at: tinyurl.com/LEJA2022
This is a chance for the school community to talk about the impacts of the pandemic and the return to school.
LEJA also invites people to answer some questions ahead of time, to be found in the padlets at:
https://linktr.ee/LowellEducationJusticeAlliance
Responses will be shared at the forum.
Saturday, April 9, Framingham
Rallies to help get the bill to stop the new women’s prison out of committee before 4/15!
Other ways to help:
Phone bank Thursdays 5-7pm
…or join a weekend canvass to ask constituents to call their legislators.
Sign up here: https://secure.everyaction.com/p/NJ9kQ4FfG0eDCHcxWm3b-A2
Saturday, April 9, 11am – 1pm
Boston Common at the Parkman Bandstand
RSVP: https://bit.ly/csrallyrsvp
This event will be family-friendly, free to attend, and will include bus transportation with snacks/beverages provided from key points across MA. Please see the RSVP form for more information: https://bit.ly/csrallyrsvp
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) invites you to attend public meetings focused on the work of the Commission on Clean Heat and related policies for building decarbonization. The meetings will be virtual and include a short presentation, followed by a period for public comment. There will be two sessions on each date with the same presentation, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.
Public Meeting #3: Thursday, April 14, 2022
Option 1: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Link to register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vprO7JFbQOGC-gHuOEjt4g
Option 2: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Link to register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_F-GdaeFtTiSppEntXPdJBg
Accommodations: Accessibility accommodations and language services will be provided free of charge to those who request them and subject to availability. Requests must be either submitted during registration or via email a minimum of two business days prior to the meeting. Services include documents in alternative formats, translated documents, assistive listening devices, and interpreters (including American Sign Language). For more information or to request reasonable accommodations and/or language services, please email GWSA@mass.gov.
Stop the state of Texas from murdering Melissa Lucio for her child’s accidental death: Write physical letters to support her. Deadline for receipt: April 18.
Details here https://tinyurl.com/2p8985dm ; more on Youtube at https://youtu.be/9joo8vuW1TI
An important step for our democracy is to make sure that the Legislature is a safe working environment.
In 2018, amid the #MeToo reckoning, the Massachusetts House of Representatives created a new position, an “independent” Equal Employment Opportunity officer to examine allegations of harassment or discrimination while protecting the confidentiality of accusers and witnesses. They filled the job in June 2019, but the officeholder left for a new job in November 2020. It has been vacant ever since.
That’s right: for 15 months, this office, which remains essential in ensuring that the MA State House is a safe and welcoming workplace for all, has remained empty. The position was created because of numerous complaints of harassment and discrimination.
The House cannot run out the rest of the legislative session without filling this position. Let your state rep know that this isn’t acceptable–and that such an office needs more than just nominal independence.
Use the link to write to your state representative:
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/everyone-deserves-a-safe-workplace
An Act Providing for a Gender Neutral Designation on State Documents and Identifications (H3126) has already passed the Senate, and needs to clear the House in order to become law. Sign here to help get this bill across the finish line:
https://tinyurl.com/yc33aefp
Both Senator Kennedy (Lowell) and Senator Friedman (Billerica) are co-sponsors of the bill, which would make for safer roads by extending 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. By removing unlicensed driving as a key entry point to the deportation pipeline, it makes it safe for undocumented residents to get the training they need to be safe and insured drivers.
Thank the Senators and ask them to urge Senate Leadership to bring the bill to the floor as soon as possible. You’ll find contact information at the end of this section.
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 senators via the link below and ask them to weigh in with the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security before May 4th! Senators Kennedy (Lowell), Friedman (Billerica), and Barrett (Chelmsford) are all co-sponsors, so be sure to thank them for their support while urging them to push the Committee.
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/engage-your-legislators-on-the-safe-communities-act
Three important bills – which if passed could be major wins for housing justice – are still on the table at the state house. Call and email your legislators today to voice your support for 1) The COVID Housing Equity Bill 2) lifting the ban on rent control and 3) the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase (TOPA) Act.
https://www.homesforallmass.org/act/
The Massachusetts Indigenous Peoples Day Bill has been extended in committee until April 14th.
That means the bill is still alive and there is hope for it this legislative session. We need everyone’s help!
Please contact the State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committee and tell them you want the Indigenous Peoples Day bill voted out favorably.
Email
Click this link to send an automated email to Committee members: https://tinyurl.com/bdf2dxrx (Feel free to add your own language.)
Call
Phone calls to committee members make a huge difference! You do not need to be an expert on the bill to let them know you support it. You will most likely get voicemail. Contact info and short script are below.
Script:
“My name is [insert name], and I’m from [insert town]. I urge you to help ensure that the Indigenous Peoples Day bill (S.2027/H.3191) is called to a vote and reported out favorably before the April 14th deadline extension. I support this bill and want to see it passed during this legislative session.”
JOINT COMMITTEE ON STATE ADMIN AND REGULATORY OVERSIGHT
CALL LIST IN ORDER OF PRIORITY
Senate Chair, Sen. Marc R. Pacheco, (617) 722-1551
House Chair, Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral, (617) 722-2017
Senate Vice-Chair, Sen. Rebecca L. Rausch, (617) 722-1555
House Vice-Chair, Rep. Christine P. Barber, (617) 722-2060
Sen. John J. Cronin, (617) 722-1230
Sen. Walter F. Timilty, (617) 722-1643
Sen. John C. Velis, (617) 722-1415
Sen. Bruce E. Tarr, (617) 722-1600
Rep. Carmine Lawrence Gentile, (617) 722-2810
Rep. Maria Duaime Robinson, (617) 722-2140
Rep. Christopher M. Markey, (617) 722-2676
Rep. Michelle L. Ciccolo, (617) 722-2210
Rep. Mary S. Keefe, (617) 722-2017
Rep. Paul J. Donato, (617) 722-2180
Rep. Paul A. Schmid III, (617) 722-2017
Rep. Steven G. Xiarhos (617) 722-2100
Rep. F. Jay Barrows, (617) 722-2488
Go to MaIndigenousAgenda.org to find out how to support the following bills also pending:
To make sure your town or city is on record on record in support of changing the racist state flag and seal, and to receive regular updates on the work of the Special Commission Relative to the Seal and Motto of the Commonwealth, go to: changethemassflag.com
Link: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/edr/
Late last month, the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted in favor of the VOTES Act, pledging their support to making permanent critical electoral reforms like mail-in and early in-person voting. However, the House chose to leave out the heart of the VOTES Act: Election Day Registration (EDR). Now, because the House and Senate versions of the VOTES Act differ, a small group of legislators are finalizing the bill in conference committee.
While this is a disappointing development, the fight for EDR is far from over. EDR has been proven to make elections more equitable and efficient in 20 states. By reducing voter registration barriers, EDR boosts voter turnout for all, especially BIPOC, low income, immigrant, and young voters. It also decreases administrative burdens of running elections by allowing election workers to update registration information on the spot.
As we continue to make our voice heard on EDR, we ask for your support by doing so too. Contact your state representative NOW and urge them to include EDR in the final version of the VOTES Act. By doing so, you’ll help make our democracy a more equitable and efficient one.
From Jonathan Cohn, Progressive Massachusetts, via News-MAGIC
Native children are under legal attack in Brackeen v. Haaland. If the attempt to have a conservative-majority Supreme Court overturn the Indian Child Welfare Act is successful, the door will be open to the total elimination of tribal sovereignty. Take action now to stop this horrific
Senator Elizabeth Warren: 617-565-3170
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.warren.senate.gov/contact/shareyouropinion
Senator Edward Markey: 617-565-8519
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
https://www.markey.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion
Representative Lori Trahan: 978-459-0101 / 202-225-3411
https://trahan.house.gov/contact/write-your-rep.htm
Representative Seth Moulton: 978-531-1669 / 202-225-8020
https://moulton.house.gov/contact
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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.
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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 at solidaritylowell.com
For more events not listed here, visit the full Events calendar: https://solidaritylowell.com/events/
March meeting notes: https://tinyurl.com/25zmyaw3
March meeting recording: https://youtu.be/ONVNwsZXqOo
See recordings of past Solidarity Lowell meetings in our YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCohwMIkVdabQdDHsVTLIGsQ
For positive news visit Solidarity Lowell Upbeat on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/326202548419687
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Solidarity Lowell is a chapter of Progressive Massachusetts. Join at: https://www.progressivemass.com/donate/