Category: State Issues (LWVMA)

From LWVMA: Interested in supporting immigrant families?

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The Massachusetts Office of Refugees and Immigrants (ORI) is organizing meetings on Zoom to try to match the needs of immigrant organizations with potential volunteers. 

The next two meetings will be on Friday, September 26 at 12:00 p.m. and Monday, September 29, at 5:00 p.m. 

The meetings are designed to inform you about volunteer opportunities with non-profit organizations that need help assisting immigrants in the Commonwealth. Each non-profit will show a slide outlining their volunteer opportunities, and there will be a sign-up sheet in the chat. Depending on the organization, further training or background checks may be required. 

You can register for the meeting on September 26th here. 

You can register for the meeting on September 29th here. 

New “Witness Wednesdays” from LWVMA

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Fifteen hundred residents of Massachusetts were kidnapped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in May; half of whom have no criminal record. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office maintains an Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) with ICE to jail ICE detainees–the only one in the Commonwealth. The Sheriff’s office shuttles detainees to Hanscom Field, where they are then transferred to detention centers in Texas and Louisiana. Read THIS WBUR article for more details. Join us for Witness Wednesdays starting July 23 from 1:00-2:00 PM at Plymouth County Correctional Facility (26 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, MA), where we will peacefully protest against due process violations and show support for ICE detainees. 

Town Hall Meeting with Jake Auchincloss on April 28th

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Zoom with LWV members and US Representative Jake Auchincloss for a virtual Town Hall Meeting on Monday night April 28th at 7:15-8:15 PM. This will be a relatively rare opportunity to hear directly from a member of Congress about what it is like to do the day-to-day work of legislating in the current rapidly changing political climate.  

Representative Auchincloss has specifically asked to hear from voters about what concerns them most, about what he and his colleagues in Washington can do to improve the lives of voters in Massachusetts. This will also be a golden opportunity to discuss how recent executive orders might impact each of our towns and the region as a whole. We hope lots of League members and leaders can join us Monday evening for a lively discussion!

One of the issues with local impact is the recent executive order requiring in-person voter registration. According to the order entitled Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections issued on March 25th, registration by mail or at voter registration at events such as those held by the League of Women Voters will no longer be allowed. It is also not clear what the implications of keeping copies of required registration documents like passports, birth certificates, and naturalization papers will be for staffing and filing space at clerk’s offices will be, since it is not clear whether maintaining electronic copies will be sufficient for compliance with the order. 

The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3517728800?pwd=0aCYvqiBrUUTr7cFX3PkZb1DIUI8Y1.1&omn=86483393120

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3517728800?pwd=0aCYvqiBrUUTr7cFX3PkZb1DIUI8Y1.1&omn=86483393120

From LWVMA: “How the Legislature Works” on April 15th, 2025 at 7 pm (updated)

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Part 1: How the Legislature Works with Senator Joan Lovely Town Hall – April 15, 7:00pm, via Zoom

Please join us on Tuesday, April 15 at 7:00 PM for Part 1 of our Town Hall Series: How the MA Legislature Works featuring Senator Joan Lovely . Senator Lovely chairs the Joint Committee on Rules, the Senate Committee on Rules and serves as a member of numerous joint committees including agriculture and elder affairs. Senator Lovely has represented the Second Essex District since 2013, and is the Senate Chair of the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators. Register HERE.

Part 2: Supported and Opposed Legislation Town Hall – April 17, 7:00pm, via Zoom

April kicks off the legislative hearing season on Beacon Hill. Are you curious about our legislative agenda? Please join us on Thursday, April 17 at 7:00 PM for a virtual Town Hall: LWVMA Supported/Opposed Legislation 2025-26. We will showcase several bills we are advocating for this session. Register HERE. 

Hands Off! National Day of Action, Saturday, April 5th

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On April 5, LWV and organizations nationwide are coming together to organize a national mass activation. The goal of Hands Off! is to demonstrate that people are taking action to stop corruption and a power grab.

Hands Off! rallies are being held in Framingham, Waltham, Hudson, and Holliston as well as other nearby communities. For times and more information, visit the event website. View the list of more than 115 national organizations that are supporting these rallies HERE.

Remember – Democracy is not a spectator sport!

LWV Acts on Challenges to Democracy

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LWV Calls on Congress to Act

“The League of Women Voters of the United States along with our state affiliates in 50 states and the District of Columbia, write to express our strong concern about Congress’s abdication of its duty and authority under Article I of the US Constitution. We urge you to exercise your authority to protect the rule of law, defend the Constitution, and end the overreach by the executive branch of government, which is surely leading to harm for millions of Americans. We demand that you honor your oaths and protect your constituents.”

The League of Women Voters of the United States, along with all 51 state Leagues, issued a letter to Congress today urging them to exercise their authority. Read the complete letter here and the press release here.

SAVE Act Action Alert

If you haven’t done so already, please urge your member of Congress to oppose the SAVE Act using this Action Alert. LWVMA, as part of the Election Modernization Coalition, will be meeting with House Minority Whip Katherine Clark next week to discuss the SAVE Act.

LWVUS National Strategy

Please take a few minutes to watch the program recording and review the slides from Defending Democracy 2025. LWVUS CEO Celina Stewart briefed LWVMA membership on the national strategy for the first 100 days of the new administration: focus, discipline, and when the League acts, it will act with speed. LWVMA will take action at the state level to defend against threats from the Trump Administration. Be sure to review the Gold/Silver/Bronze framework on slide 6.

Reminders:

Level of League follows level of government so state and local Leagues will follow LWVUS lead.

We must not waver on our commitment to nonpartisanship: The League does not endorse political candidates or parties. But once a candidate becomes an elected official, they are accountable when they act in opposition to our positions or threaten the US Constitution. The national team is meeting with members of Congress from both parties, and we cannot jeopardize those talks by partnering with partisan organizations for local or state events.

Protest Opportunity: Economic Blackout Feb. 28

LWVUS offers a protest opportunity to join the national economic blackout on Friday, February 28. View this article to learn more. Don’t buy anything that day unless it is from a small business. Spread the word!

Happy 105th Birthday to the League

Watch LWVUS Board President Dianna Wynn’s message here. View the birthday rally here.

Stay Informed

Sign up for email alerts from the national office here. Review all LWVUS statements on the new administration here. Sign up to receive alerts from the Women Defend Democracy campaign here.

Questions? Contact specialists@lwvma.org.

Democracy – What Does It Mean in People’s Everyday Lives?

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The League of Women Voters of Wayland co-sponsored a panel discussion by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts called Democracy – What Does It Mean in People’s Everyday Lives?

The 60-minute program is moderated by Heather Hamilton, and features panelists Dr. Rachael Cobb, Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, and Tim Matthews.  For more information and a link to the recoding, click here: Democracy – What Does It Mean in People’s Everyday Lives?

More info on the 2024 Massachusetts Ballot Questions

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  • Ballot Question 1 Forum (hosted by LWVMA on October 8, 2024 at 7PM, recording HERE)
  • Ballot Questions 1-5 Informational Session (hosted by LWV Concord-Carlisle on October 4, 2024, recording HERE)
  • Ballot Question 2 Forum (hosted by LWV Newton and co-sponsors LWV Boston, LWV Brookline, LWV Harvard, LWV Needham, LWV Waltham, LWV Wellesley, LWV Weston, and LWVMA on October 7, 2024, recording HERE)
  • Ballot Question 5 Informational Forum (hosted by LWV Needham on October 9, 2024, recording HERE)
  • Ballot Questions 1-6 Forum (hosted by LWV Williamstown on October 16, 2024, recording HERE) 

Upcoming 2024 Informational Ballot Question Forums

  • Ballot Questions 1-5 Informational Forum (to be hosted by LWV Norwood on October 23, 2024 at 7 PM at the Morrill Memorial Library, details HERE)

Learn about Ballot Question 1 on Tuesday, October 8th at 7 pm on Zoom

~ League of Women Voters of Wayland ~ Leave a comment

Join the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts on Tuesday, October 8 at 7:00 PM via Zoom for an educational forum on Ballot Question 1: State Auditor’s Authority to Audit the Legislature. 

We will explore the constitutionality of the proposed audit. The focus of our discussion will be: Is the proposed audit constitutional? Why or why not? 

Our featured speakers will be General Counsel and Deputy Auditor for the Commonwealth, Michael Leung-Tat, and Central Connecticut State University Political Science Professor Jerold Duquette. 

Register HERE. 

Review the LWVMA statement on the November 2024 ballot questions HERE. View more voter education forums via the LWVMA calendar.