Friend,

It is with a heavy heart and utterly mixed emotions that I write this, my very last, precious Saturday Scoop. Starting this Friday, I will be transitioning out of my role as Executive Director of Act on Mass. 

When I started at Act on Mass three and a half years ago, it was to co-manage our first big advocacy campaign: Transparency is Power. Getting to work with that energetic team of organizers, volunteers, and partner organizations, all while building real power to take on the status quo on Beacon Hill, was my absolute dream job come to life. 

The eventual concession in the House Rules and Joint Rules proposal was the icing on the cake.

And that was just the beginning. It has been a pleasure and an honor to shepherd this movement and to work with the amazing staff, interns, volunteers, and donors who make up Act on Mass. Your passion for democracy, justice, and holding power accountable has kept me going even when faced with Beacon Hill-sized challenges. I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and I cannot wait to see what is to come.

Personally, Act on Mass has given me the chance to learn and grow in so many ways that I absolutely cherish and will carry with me for the rest of my life. It almost makes up for the fact that I am now cursed with exhaustive knowledge of the inner workings of the Massachusetts Legislature. 

In my new role I’ll be serving as Associate Programs Director at All In Energy, a Massachusetts-based green energy nonprofit focused on environmental justice and equity. I’ll get to train and manage early career staff, and design and facilitate workshops on community outreach—in a nutshell, some of my favorite things I've gotten to do at Act on Mass. Plus I'll be doing it all in the service of the transition to renewable energy. What more could a gal ask for?

When I was hired, Act on Mass’ sole initiative was the Voters Deserve to Know Pledge. Since then, we have quintupled in size, run three rules reform campaigns, put our policy question on the ballot in 35 House districts where they passed with 87% support, provided skill-building workshops to hundreds of activists, and launched a legislative campaign resulting in a landmark favorable committee report for the Sunlight Act. 

Oh, and we started a little newsletter called the Saturday Scoop. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “No more Scoop?? Whatever shall I do!” Well, friend, rest assured: the Scoop will go on, courtesy of our indomitable Organizing Director Brenna Ransden, who will become Acting Executive Director in my stead. 

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of working or volunteering with Brenna, you know as well as I do that she is a multi talented powerhouse. I could not be leaving Act on Mass in more capable hands. Scoop-wise, you might not even notice a thing, save a sharp rise in emojis and Gen Z slang usage. 

All right, that’s about enough of that. We have a Scoop to get to.

---

State House Scoop

FY2025 Budget now in closed-door conference committee

The Senate passed their version of the FY2025 budget last week after multiple days of “debate” in which they dispensed with 1100 amendments. Like the House, the decisions about which amendments will pass, and which won’t, are made by leadership in closed-door conversations. In classic Senate fashion, their process is slightly more transparent than the House (but let’s be clear: that’s a low bar); instead of five unanimous “yes” votes on misleading consolidated amendments that don’t include all the amendments they claim to, the Senate bundled most of their 1100 amendments into 10 “yes” or “no” piles, so at the very least each amendment is kinda sorta voted on. A few dozen received individual roll call votes. 

But get this: there was some actual debate. I know, I’m as shocked as you are! Two amendments, one about tolling and the other about the MBTA Communities Act, sparked a total of 80 minutes of debate on the floor. Wowee! Then again, it didn’t make much difference – the outcomes pre-determined by Senate leadership prevailed both times. 

Now that each chamber has passed their version of the budget, the final version will be negotiated in a closed-door conference committee. The deadline to pass the budget is July 1st – a deadline our Legislature has barrelled past 13 years in a row. But hey, maybe this time will be different!

Despite their comically near-identical bottom lines (the House’s budget totals $58 billion whereas the Senate’s comes in at a much tighter $57.999 billion), there are some key differences they will need to hash out in conference committee on topics like free community college, RTA funding, and the online lottery. We’ll break down the final budget once it’s revealed. And by “we” I mean Brenna 🥲.

--

Missed a Scoop or two? You can find a full archive of all past Saturday Scoops on our blog.

--

House unanimously passes veterans benefits bill

Passed by the House just before Memorial Day, the HERO Act increases veterans’ access to different types of health care including behavioral and mental health services, increases the amount of aid that can be received by disabled veterans, and increases annuities for Gold Star families. 

However, the House’s version did not include a key component of Healey’s original bill: language addressing LGBTQ+ veterans being denied benefits for reproductive services. Thankfully, the VA has actually adopted new policies to address this issue since Healey’s proposal surfaced in November. With the bill having been passed by the House, it is now on its way to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means where it joins a growing pile of bills the Legislature needs to tackle before the end of session on July 31st.

Fair Share Amendment to blow past revenue projections

In a major victory for the progressive movement, reports now show that the Fair Share Amendment is on track to double its original revenue projections by the end of the fiscal year. $1.8 billion has been collected from the surtax in the last nine months — $800 million more than anticipated. All told, this means we now have about another billion dollars to allocate to future projects for roads, bridges, public transportation, early education and care, and public schools and universities. And especially in the wake of the $1 billion tax cut last year, thank Cod for that.

--

Take Action

Canvass for our Endorsed Candidates!

Our endorsed candidates Evan MacKay and Tara Hong need our help to reach as many voters as possible ahead of the September primary election. 

--

Thursday 6/13: Act on Mass Transparency Teach-In in Cambridge!

Join Act on Mass and Evan MacKay, candidate for State Representative, for a teach-in on transparency in the Massachusetts State House. We'll discuss the impacts of consolidating power, democratic dysfunction, and the lack of transparency on issues that matter most to Cambridge residents and Bay Staters at large: housing, public transit, climate change, and more. No prior knowledge is necessary, all levels and backgrounds welcome!

  • What: Transparency Teach-In
  • When: Thursday 6/13, 6:00PM
  • Where: The Democracy Center, 45 Mount Auburn St, Cambridge

RSVP >>

--

Alas, we've come to the end. Not to get all sappy on you, but I really will miss writing this newsletter. Most of all, though, I'll miss this community. Then again, this isn’t really goodbye; in one form or another, I’ll never stray too far from the Act on Mass movement. I don’t think I could if I tried. Consider me a fellow volunteer. 

And a monthly donor, of course. 

Don’t be a stranger, 

Erin Leahy
Executive Director, Act on Mass