Legislative Action Committee (LAC) in Action

LWVMA’s priority legislation is on the move as we head towards the finish line of the formal legislative session on July 31. What is the Legislative Action Committee doing right now to advance our priority bills? We are...

• Cheering on conference committees for wage equity, firearms, and preventing abuse and exploitation, including coercive control. Three members from each chamber are meeting to iron out differences between versions of the bills. We urge the conferees to report out quickly. Each chamber must vote up or down on the final bill before it reaches Governor Healey’s desk.
• Applauding Senate passage of the Healthy Youth Act, Common Start, and increased access to disposable menstrual products for all. We now urge the House to take quick action on these critical bills. Missed our Healthy Youth Act Action Alert? There’s still time to urge your representatives to call for a floor vote to ensure students receive medically accurate sex ed.
• Ensuring firearms are banned from polling stations. Missed our firearms Action Alert? There’s still time to contact your legislators and ask them to urge the conference committee to ensure safety at polling stations.
• Asking lawmakers to reject Governor Healey’s request in the municipal bond bill so that public meetings remain public virtually or hybrid. Missed our hybrid meeting Action Alert? There’s still time to urge lawmakers to act to make public meetings more accessible. And see the Boston Globe editorial: Maura Healey's hybrid-meeting proposal doesn't go far enough (bostonglobe.com).
• Requesting the Affordable Homes Act and the FY’25 budgets include money for a statewide access to counsel program.
• Signing coalition letters to committee chairs to support electrification of public transportation as well as to remove subsidies for woody biomass energy in proposed climate legislation.
• Lobbying with coalition partners including Election Modernization Coalition, Jane Doe Inc., MA Coalition for the Homeless, and MA Public Health Association.  

Questions about legislation or actions you can take? Email specialists@lwvma.org.

Talking About Death Won't Kill You Virtual Forum April 11

Join the League of Women Voters of the Cape Cod Area and Compassion & Choices Action Network via Zoom on Thursday, April 11, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM to learn how passage of H2246/S1331, An Act relative to end of life options, would ensure that terminally ill individuals have the option to avoid unnecessary pain and suffering at the end of life, if they choose. Hear from family members of terminally ill patients, leaders of the faith-based community and medical professionals about the importance of this bill and its safeguards, and why people with disabilities support it. Register here.

MA Public Health Association Lobby Day May 2

Join us to advocate for passage of H4101, Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community (SAPHE 2.0), on Thursday, May 2 at 10:00 AM in Room 428 at the State House. H.4101 will transform our state’s fractured local public health system and ensure strong public health protections for all residents, regardless of race, income, or zip code. Register here. Read a summary of what the bill does here.

Welcome Fiona Schultz!

LWVMA is pleased to welcome Fiona Schultz as our new Administrative & Program Associate. Fiona is taking over for Lily Sweeterman who left the position in February to become Director of Constituent Services for Boston City Councillor, Sharon Durkan. Fiona is a recent graduate of Denison University and a new Boston resident. She became civically engaged as a high schooler in Minneapolis, advocating for climate justice. She has experience working with non-partisan, non-profit organizations as well as great communication, research, writing and tech skills. She begins work on Tuesday, April 9.

2024 LWVMA Council June 22

Please save the date for the 2024 LWVMA Council!

• Saturday, June 22
• 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
• Zoom

We hope you can join us. Registration information, including delegate information and a full agenda will be circulated soon.

Questions?

Please call or email us (857) 452-1715 or lwvma@lwvma.org

Lotte E. Scharfman Grant Applications Due April 12

Is your League planning an event/program/project and do you need some money to offset costs? The Scharfman grant program is here to help. Grants can provide up to $400 for a single League and $800 for two or more Leagues working together. The deadline for this cycle is April 12. The guidelines can be found on the LWVMA website. The grant applications will be reviewed and voted on by the Scharfman Board at its April 24 meeting.

LWVUS Convention

LWVUS Convention is taking place in Washington, DC and will be a hybrid event. Here is the Convention webpage where you will find all of the information including registration costs ($550 for in-person and $125 for virtual) and hotel blocks.

The number of local League delegates to Convention are determined by League size. Click here for a chart showing how many delegates each League in Massachusetts is allotted. Any member is welcome to attend Convention, but voting during Convention is reserved for delegates.

Welcome to the DEI corner. This dedicated section on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will serve as a platform for sharing stories, initiatives, trainings and updates related to DEI efforts within the League and the broader community. 

This Earth Day month of April, we focus on Environmental Justice and show how you can work toward positive change in this area. As defined by the MA Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs, “environmental justice is the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits.” READ MORE