It’s quiet, friend.
Too quiet.
And it’s not because there aren’t plenty of critical decisions being made on Beacon Hill this week–we just aren’t allowed to listen in. Hell, most legislators aren’t either.
The House Speaker, Ways & Means Chair, and a handful of other reps in leadership are currently drafting their version of the FY 2024 budget which will be released later this month. This small group of individuals are, more or less, determining how $50+ billion will be spent in the state. They’re deciding how much funding goes towards (or doesn’t go towards) education, transit, affordable housing, food assistance programs, and infrastructure.
And of course, they’re also deciding how much goes towards tax cuts for the top 1%--a Healey-backed policy designed to tackle a problem that we now know is non-existent in Massachusetts.
Nice democracy we got here, isn’t it?
State House Scoop
Election law-related constitutional amendments receive hearing
In one of the first big hearings of the session, legislators heard testimony this week on several voting rights issues that would amend the state constitution. Unlike regular legislation, constitutional amendments take two sessions and an election to pass. First, these amendments must advance favorably out of the joint committee on Election Laws. Then, they need to win a majority vote in two successive joint legislative sessions. Then, the amendment finally goes to the ballot (like the Fair Share Amendment in 2022), where a simple majority of voters must approve it in order to be adopted. I know what you’re thinking: that’s a lot. Yes, it is, but it can be done! And for these two amendments, it’ll be well worth the battle:
- Restoring voting rights of incarcerated individuals: The amendments put forth by Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven and Sen. Liz Miranda (H26/S8) would undo a constitutional amendment from 2000 that stripped voting rights from incarcerated people with felony charges. Before 2000, elected officials would visit their constituents in prisons to try to win their votes–something that doesn’t happen anymore, according to Senator Miranda. This is an issue of democracy as well as a racial justice; despite being just 18% of the population in Massachusetts, people of color make up 58% of our state’s prison population. By disenfranchising so many people from Black and brown communities, we weaken those communities’ voices in our government, and give white voters disproportionate sway over policy outcomes that affect all of us–a prime example of institutional racism.
- Independent redistricting: Filed by Sen. Jamie Eldridge, this amendment (S7) would take the redistricting process out of the hands of legislative leaders and put it into the hands of an independent commission, reducing the risk of gerrymandering. As we at Act on Mass often say: incumbents have an incentive and the institutional power to make it as likely as possible that they will be reelected. When the Legislature is in charge of drawing district lines, lawmakers can choose their own voters. Unsurprisingly, this, too, has enormous consequences for racial justice; the redistricted map in 2001 (yep, the very one that culminated in then-Speaker of the House Tom Finneran being convicted of obstruction of justice) was tossed out by the courts, who determined that “lawmakers sacrificed ‘racial fairness’ to protect incumbents.”
Understaffed, underfunded, and occasionally on fire: checking in on the MBTA
Another week, another grueling MBTA failure. In this week’s segment: an MBTA contractor was charged with stealing $8 million from the commuter rail in a creative combination of falsified invoices and scrapping copper wire for cash. An excellent look for an agency that is already strapped for cash (...and staff, and safe tracks, and fire extinguishers, etc. etc.). While the story itself is (god willing) a one-off, it sheds light on a much larger issue at hand: decades of privatization and defunding.
To make a long (and incredibly frustrating) story short, up until 2000, 80% of the MBTA’s funding came from fares and state government, meaning that any operating costs not covered by fares or donors was covered by the state. But then-Governor Paul Cellucci, a Republican, claimed the MBTA was too socialized and expensive, and overhauled the funding structure to remove state funding. Instead, he made the MBTA reliant on an allocated 20% of annual sales tax revenue and responsible for over $3.3 billion in transit debt, mostly tied to the Big Dig. Sales tax revenue has taken serious hits in the time since, and the MBTA has only racked up more debt and problems they can’t afford to fix. These decisions, plus Charlie Baker’s efforts to privatize more and more MBTA work, has led to the transit crisis we’re now living in.
Stay tuned for a full blog post where we delve into MBTA funding structures of past and present, how deliberate policy choices have led us to this predictable, yet grim outcome, and what we can do about it.
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Missed a Scoop or two? You can find a full archive of all past Saturday Scoops on our blog.
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Take Action
Progressive Mass Lobby Day
Our friends at Progressive Mass are hosting a lobby day on Thursday, April 13th at the State House for their legislative agenda.Whether you're a veteran activist or a first-timer, you will be supported and prepared with ample resources to lobby effectively. Before heading off to lobby, you’ll hear from several legislators about what’s possible this session, including Senators Adam Gomez and Liz Miranda, and Representatives Sam Montaño and Mike Connolly.
RSVP FOR THE PROGRESSIVE MASS LOBBY DAY >>
PDM Virtual Forum - After Fair Share: Hot Topics in Massachusetts Tax Policy
Please join our friends at the Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts (PDM) at 10AM on Friday, April 14, for an in-depth discussion of the future of the Fair Share revenue and Governor Healey’s budget. You won’t want to miss this incredible panel of experts on tax policy and politics: Phineas Baxandall (Policy Director at Mass. Budget & Policy Center), Somerville Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven (member of Joint Committee on Revenue), and Harris Gruman (Raise Up MA leader and SEIU State Council) – moderated by PDM’s in-house tax expert, Peter Enrich.
Support the ActBlue Union & call out the layoffs
This week, the progressive fundraising platform ActBlue laid off dozens of employees, mostly union members, to cut costs after executives refused an “oppressive” pay cut. Prioritizing executive profit over rank and file workers’ livelihoods does not align with our values at Act on Mass, and we call on ActBlue to freeze further layoffs until all other cost-saving options are exhausted. Act on Mass stands in solidarity with the ActBlue Union.
Folks can support the laid off workers by contributing to the solidarity fund on Venmo using the handle @AB1U_Solidarity. You can also show support by liking and retweeting the ActBlue Union’s statement, and following them for more updates and action items.
DONATE TO THE ACTBLUE UNION SOLIDARITY FUND >>
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And last, an Actually Fun Fact to kick off your weekend
Last month, the State House’s most beloved employee—Merrick the black labrador—retired after 8 years of service. Merrick served as ADA coordinator Carl Richardson’s guide dog and frequently wagged through the halls of the State House. Taking his place is a 2-year-old yellow labrador named Tigger. In training to be the next four-legged friend to grace the State House, Tigger has started traveling with Richardson to work and just finished an intensive training process. If you’re attending a lobby day this spring, be sure to keep an eye out for Tigger!
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That’s all for now! I'll be back in your inbox next week. For those of you celebrating this week and weekend, I hope you get to spend some time with loved ones.
Until next time,
Erin Leahy
Executive Director, Act on Mass
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