Progressive Mass

@progressivemass.bsky.social

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Member-based advocacy group fighting for a more equitable, just, sustainable and democratic Commonwealth https://progressivemass.com

Party line vote
Montigny + Velis join Republicans
Collins + Montigny with Republicans
Democrats Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford), Michael Moore (D-Millbury), and John Velis (D-Westfield) joined the five Republicans in voting no.
Rachael Boyce, climate justice and resilience manager at Better Future Project, said there has been a lack of appetite from the governor and State House leadership for funding streams that could realistically pay for projects such as the Army Corps’ flood plan. Boyce supports a climate superfund law, which would allow the state to charge large emitters of carbon for damages caused by climate change. “These temporary funding streams they’re throwing at the problem are not sufficient for the scale of the problem that we are facing,” Boyce said.
#1 (Comerford): Protect Constituents From Unreasonable Utility Profits, which studies studies the amount of profit utilities are being allowed to get from ratepayers #25 (Gomez): Addressing Biomass, which removes highly-polluting woody biomass as an eligible fuel under the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standard for Municipal Lighting plants #26 (Gomez): Halting Gas Expansion, which prevents the expansion of gas infrastructure near EJ communities and plans for a just transition away from fossil fuels #37 (Creem): Prohibition on Charging Ratepayers for Goodwill or Institutional Advertising, which prevents utilities from charging their customers for institutional advertising, which is public relations aimed at enhancing the company’s image #62 & #162 (Howard): Data Centers & Data Center Tax Credits, which establish safeguards around data center development for energy, water, health, and people’s bills #77 (Eldridge): End Gas Line Extension Subsidies, which stops charging of all ratepayers for new gas line extension allowances #78 (Edwards): Labor Peace for Thermal Energy Networks, which would require management to stay neutral in unionization efforts on publicly owned network geothermal projects #82 (Rausch): DPU Clarification, which would remove section allowing “renewable natural gas blending” in the gas distribution system for commercial customers #106 (Eldridge): Self-Attestation of Income, which keeps self-reporting for low and moderate-income households in Mass Save
Preventing Gas System Expansion: No ban on large gas pipeline expansions by gas companies. Stopping Ratepayers from Paying for LEA (Line Extension Allowances): No ban on ratepayers subsidizing line extensions for new construction/new customers. Protections from Data Centers: No inclusion of protections from data center development (the House included modest protections around clean energy and increases in costs to ratepayers)
Income Verification: Mass Save programs must verify household income for moderate-income rebates. This creates further bureaucratic hurdles for low and moderate-income customers, who can currently qualify for programs via self-attestation -- which has been hugely successful. Mass Save Budget Caps: Mass Save budgets are capped for each 3 yr. Plan, preventing mid-budget increases. Corporate Representation in Mass Save Governance: The bill adds business representatives to the Mass Save Energy EfficiencyAdvisory Council) Weakened Renewable Portfolio Standard: The bill reduces the state’s annual RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standards), i.e., the requirement for utilities to build renewables, increase from 3% to 1%. Counts Biomass as Renewable Energy: Woody biomass (trees, shrubs, etc), a highly polluting source of energy, are included as a clean energy source under the eligible Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standard for Municipal Lighting plants.
GOOD: Preserves funding for Mass Save: This is in contrast to the House bill, which cut $1 billion from Mass Save. The Senate bill caps administrative costs at 5% and removes gas companies from administering the program. It also adjusts the scope of the program to include solar, battery storage, and other clean energy technologies that save customers money. 20% of Mass Save is designated for LMI programs, codifying in law a recent equity allocation win in the latest Mass Save 3 year plan. Phases Out the Gas System Enhancement Program (GSEP): Instead, utilities would be required to do advanced leak repair where feasible, as opposed to costly and unnecessary full pipe replacements. Increases Clean Energy Procurement: DOER (Department Of Energy Resources) is authorized to procure 20 GW (Gigawatts) of renewable energy, including 10 GW of solar and 10 GW of wind, by 2040. Regulates Predatory Third Party Suppliers: The bill enables municipalities to ban scammy third party electricity suppliers, who often rip off vulnerable communities with misleading offers. Third-party supply prices are capped for discount rate customers with bans on automatic renewals, cancellation fees, and variable rates. Expands Geothermal: The bill authorizes gas companies to create thermal energy networks (networked geothermal) with worker protections. Reins in Utility Profiteering: The bill bars the use of ratepayer funds for promotional and political advertising; trade-association dues; charitable giving; lobbying; board/officer travel, lodging, entertainment, gifts, food/beverage, aircraft; tax penalties; non-regulated product marketing. Bans Heat Wave Shut Offs: The bill bans electric shutoffs during heat waves, similar to the heating shutoff ban we have during cold weather. Promotes Gas Transition Planning: The bill requires DPU to conduct integrated energy planning to facilitate transition off gas and requires disclosure of how infrastructure investment decisions (e.g. substation constructio…
Michael Lachenmeyer is a teacher, journalist, and organizer who is running to champion policies like reducing wealth inequality, single payer health care, and making state government more democratic and transparent. He is running against a conservative Democratic incumbent who voted against the Fair Share Amendment, the 2020 police reform bill, and the ROE Act. Learn more about Michael at https://electlachenmeyer.com/.
Tom Hendrickson is an Agawam City Councilor, who has led local initiatives on Community Choice Aggregation and Council transparency, and has worked to elect progressives across Western Mass. He is running to be a champion for public schools, workers' rights, taking on corporate power, and single payer health care. He is running against a 16-year conservative Republican incumbent who has never broken 28% on our Scorecard. Learn more about Tom at https://www.tomhendrickson.org/.
Celina Reyes is a Lawrence City Councilor, a family child care provider, and a leader of her local in SEIU 509. Through her work with SEIU 509, she has championed greater investments in child care and rent stabilization, and organized to help pass the Fair Share Amendment. She is running against a Democratic incumbent who joined Republicans in voting to weaken the protections for reproductive and gender-affirming care in the Shield 2.0 law, owns so many properties that he can't remember how many, and has opposed efforts like a local option real estate transfer fee to address the housing crisis. Learn more about Celina at http://www.celinareyes.com.
Lora Wondolowski is the Greenfield City Council President, a role in which she has been able to shepherd a number of progressive policy initiatives. She got into local politics to fight cuts to Greenfield public schools, and she has been a reliable champion of public education. She was the founding executive director of the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters, where she helped pass the state's Global Warming Solutions Act, and currently works for the Peace Development Fund, investing in grassroots organizing efforts. She would bring a much-needed mix of progressive values, policymaking knowledge, and organizing experience to the State House. Learn more about Lora at https://wondoforrep.org/.
Mike Connolly has been a strong progressive ally since we first endorsed him in 2016. On our Progressive Scorecard of the State Legislature, his scores have ranged from 95% to 100%. Mike has fought for stronger tenant protections, social housing, and revenue for affordable housing, as well as workers' rights, bold climate action, voting rights, transparency, and more. Mike is willing to speak out against bad, rushed legislation, and to push the State House to be more ambitious in all of its policymaking. Learn more about Mike at https://www.mikeconnolly.org/.
Patrick Roath is a democracy and voting rights advocate, having served as the former board chair of Common Cause Massachusetts. In that role, he was active in the rights for automatic voter registration, universal vote-by-mail, and same day registration. He is running on an omnibus Working Families Affordability Package, including tackling the costs of health care, housing, and child care, and Trump-proofing our government in order to rein in corruption and the abuse of power. He is running against 22-year incumbent Stephen Lynch, one of the few Democrats left in the US Congress to have voted against the Affordable Care Act. Lynch is the only member of the Massachusetts delegation to have voted for the Laken Riley Act and has repeatedly voted with Republicans this Congressional session to roll back protections for our immigrant communities. Patrick has also been endorsed by our chapters JP Progressives, Neponset Valley Progressives, True North Action Alliance, and Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale.
As a public school educator, Jeromie Whalen understands the importance of investing in our future, of building a culture of civic engagement, and of creating a community and a country where all are welcome. He is running to rein in corporate power over our economy and our elections, make sure the wealthy are paying their fair share, and ensure that everyone has access to high-quality health care and higher education without cost. He is running against 37-year incumbent Richard Neal, who is one of Congress’s biggest recipients of corporate PAC money. Jeromie has also been endorsed by our chapter Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution.
Gun Violence Prevention on the ballot Monday, June 15, 7 pm
Ben Ewen-Campen has been a reliable progressive ally and a leader on key issues on the Somerville City Council. As an advocate for affordable housing, he helped found the statewide coalition fighting for a local option real estate transfer fee. He led the passage of Somerville’s Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) District, and he spearheaded the work on Somerville’s rent control home rule petition. He led the passage of ordinances to ban tear gas and heavily restrict the use of other “non-lethal” crowd control techniques, require Council approval of surveillance technologies, and make Somerville the second city in the US to prohibit the usage of facial recognition technology by the local government.
Tram Nguyen has a proven track record of fighting for working families and brings the lived experience of both an immigrant and a union member. As an attorney for Greater Boston Legal Services, she advocated for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, veterans, immigrants, low-wage workers, and people with disabilities. Since defeating a conservative Republican incumbent in the State House in 2018, she has been a reliable champion of legislation to protect workers, from expanding unemployment benefits during the pandemic to increasing the minimum wage to protecting injured workers from retaliation. At a time when immigrants’ rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, workers’ rights, and climate action are under attack every day from the Trump administration, Tram can be counted on to fight back.
Lorena Betts is first and foremost an organizer. She is the founder of The Peacemakers Network, a grassroots movement of peacemakers in Massachusetts focused on building bridges through education, community building and policy advocacy, and has organized the local No Kings rallies in her community. She has State House experience as a legislative aide, and that experience has led her to understand how badly the State House is broken and the need for organizers inside working with those outside to make real change possible.
Ravi Simon brings policy experience, organizing skills, and strong progressive values. As the legislative aide to Rep. Carmine Gentile, he worked on PM priorities like debt-free higher education, a local option real estate transfer fee, and same day registration. He has served as a member of the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee, and he was an organizer with the State House Employee Union, fighting for better workplace conditions for himself and fellow legislative staff.
Jack Richardson became the youngest person ever elected to the Falmouth Select Board, and he immediately got to work. He led the effort to ban ICE from town property without a judicial warrant and secured funding for a Portuguese-speaking social worker. He has championed measures to make Falmouth more affordable, vibrant, and more climate-resilient at the local level and is ready to fight for housing affordability and climate action at the State House.
Latoya Gayle has an impressive background in activism and advocacy, a clear commitment to social justice and progressive values, and a rootedness in her community. She is currently the Senior Director of Advocacy and Family Partnerships at Neighborhood Villages, where she advocates for early education and child care investments and empowers parents to do the same. She is a former chair of the BPS City-Wide Parent Council and organized March Like a Mother—a 1,000-person rally and vigil after the murder of George Floyd. She is an organizer who understands the urgency of addressing the housing crisis, the climate crisis, and the growing inequality in the state.
A working mom and active BPS parent, trained as a lawyer and social worker, Persis Yu is an experienced consumer rights attorney and champion for families and workers. During her nearly two decades as a consumer rights attorney and advocate, she has secured billions of dollars in student debt relief, filed class action lawsuits that directly cancelled hundreds of thousands of dollars in predatory employer debt, and led campaigns that resulted in worker protection laws in more than a dozen states. She combines expert knowledge, a proven track record, and strong progressive values.
Gun Violence Prevention on the ballot Monday, June 15, 7 pm
Don't leave us hanging! Door hanger Cat photo
Don't leave us hanging! Rent Control and Same Day Registration are in the Mass Dems platform. Beacon Hill should pass them.
5. “Secret Agent Man” by Johnny Rivers 4. “Our Lips Are Sealed” by The Go-Go’s 3. “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell 2. “Every Breath You Take” by The Police 1. The sweet sound of people calling their legislators to demand action on data privacy (It’s music to my ears)