On February 15, the League of Women Voters of Brookline, Newton, Needham, Sharon-Stoughton, and Wellesley hosted a Q & A conversation with Congressman Jake Auchincloss, of the Massachusetts 4th District. After brief introductory remarks, Congressman Auchincloss answered a question from each of the sponsoring Leagues, followed by questions from the audience.
A YES vote keeps the Work and Family Mobility Act as law in Massachusetts.
Question 4, which will be on the November 8 ballot, asks whether to keep the Work and Family Mobility Act as law in Massachusetts. LWVMA and LWVN is supporting Yes on 4.
The Work and Family Mobility Act ensures that all qualified state residents, regardless of immigration status, can apply for a standard Massachusetts driver’s license starting on July 1, 2023. The law was enacted on June 9, 2022. Massachusetts became the 17th state to pass such a law, joining our neighbors New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont. LWVMA supported this bill during the 2019-20 session and is an active member of the coalition, Yes on 4 For Safer Roads.
The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts and the Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA) coalition presented “Safer Roads for a Stronger Commonwealth,” an online panel discussion about Question 4. At this forum, civic, business, transportation and public safety experts talked about what this law will do – and will not do – for Massachusetts. Watch the recording here.
View and download the Yes on 4 for Safer Roads flyer.
Several of the local Massachusetts Leagues joined forces to organize informational forums for Ballot Questions #1, #2 and #3. Here are the recordings:
Ballot Question #1 (Additional Tax on Income Over One Million Dollars)
Ballot Question #2 (Regulation of Dental Insurance) & Ballot Question #3 (Expanded Availability of Licenses for the Sale of Alcoholic Beverages)
For Ballot Question #4, LWVMA and the Transportation for Massachusetts coalition (T4MA) organized an advocacy forum for Yes on 4. The panel discussion entitled “Safer Roads for a Stronger Commonwealth” took place on October 12th. LWVMA supports a YES vote on Question 4. Watch the recording here.
August 26, the anniversary of the certification of the 19th amendment, is often known as Women’s Equality Day. Yet with our voting and reproductive rights under attack, women are still not equal in our democracy.
This year, LWV is observing Women’s Inequality Day and demanding that our representatives:
1. Pass voting rights legislation;
2. Add the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution; and
3. Restore reproductive freedom to women and those who can become pregnant.
Join us in taking a stand and sharing #WomensInequalityDay across your social networks.
We may not yet be equal, but together we can’t be ignored.
LWVUS 55th Annual Convention will be taking place on June 23 – 26, 2022. Attendees will have the opportunity to join the convention in-person in Denver, Colorado or participate online. More information can be found here.
Learn more about National Convention here.
If you are a member of LWVN and would like to attend the National Convention, please Contact Us so that we can know who will be attending.
On June 12, 2022, LWVN signed on to the Common Start Coalitions’ Petition calling on state legislators from both the House and Senate to maximize funding in this year’s state budget for early education and child care contemplated in An Act to Expand Access to High-Quality, Affordable Early Education and Care, H.4795/S.2883. If the State Legislature passes this bill and the Governor signs, it will greatly improve the Commonwealth’s early education and child care system, ensuring high-quality early education and child care that is affordable and accessible for all families.
Read more information on the Common Start Coalition.
See President Marcia Johnson’s memo to the LWVN Board notifying it of this action and the reasons for taking it.
LWVN Signs on to Childcare Advocacy ActionLWVMA is also supporting funding for early education and child care in this year’s state budget and providing affordable and accessible high quality early education and childcare in Massachusetts is a LWVMA priority bill that was featured at Day on the Hill. See League testimony here and fact sheet here.
Please contact your legislators to ask them to encourage the Legislature’s budget conference committee to include the new early education and child care funding from both the House AND Senate budgets in their final conference budget. If the priorities of both chambers make it into the final budget, it would represent a substantial step toward implementing our full vision of a high-quality early education and childcare system that is affordable and accessible for all families.
Please call or email your state Senator and Representative; leave a voice message. Find your legislator’s contact information here.
Here is a suggested script:
I’m a member of the League of Women Voters of ________ and a constituent. I am contacting you about the Common Start early education and childcare funding provisions that are part of the House and Senate budget bills now in the budget conference committee. I am asking you to urge the Legislature’s budget conference committee to include the new early education and child care funding from both the House AND Senate budgets in their final conference budget, to advance the vision of a high-quality early education and childcare system that is affordable and accessible for all families in Massachusetts.
Thank you!
(Your name and your street address)