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Transportation and Climate Initiative – May 20th at 4:00PM

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Join League members from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island for this special, tri-state League sponsored event to learn how we can all help reduce pollution that causes respiratory diseases such as asthma while investing equitably in modern, clean, regional transportation solutions.

When: Thursday, May 20th, 2021 from 4:00-5:00pm

RSVP at: tinyURL.com/lwv2021tci

Cosponsors: League of Women Voters of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, Transportation Team of LWV US Climate Interest Group, The Acadia Center, Ceres, Green Energy Consumer Alliance, and Transportation for Massachusetts

 

Redistricting in Massachusetts: Training Opportunities

The Massachusetts redistricting process is underway.   Training opportunities conducted by Drawing Democracy and CHARGE designed for all levels of expertise are now available.  At these trainings, you will learn about how to engage in redistricting with other community members and how to use presentations and materials provided to you to help organize your community.

The CHARGE Redistricting Community College training is designed for all 50 states.  The Drawing Democracy training is Massachusetts specific.  Either training is valuable for anyone interested in working on redistricting in your communities or region.

Read more →

How Does the MA Legislature Work?

How the Massachusetts Legislature WorksJoin the Massachusetts League of Women Voters and Beacon Bloc on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 7:00 PM via Zoom for a briefing by current legislative staffers who comprise Beacon BLOC (Building Leaders of Color). Read more about Beacon BLOC and their mission.

Submit your questions ahead of time or bring them with you for an interactive discussion.

Register here.

Happy 100 Years LWV Massachusetts! And Congratulations to our “Formidable Woman” Bonnie Carter!

Linda and Bonnie celebrating 100 years of the LWV 12/13/20

On December 13, 2020, the LWV of Massachusetts celebrated its 100th birthday with a birthday gala attended by over 250 people.

At that celebration, LWVMA honored the “formidable women” from local leagues.  LWVN’s very own Bonnie Carter was recognized as one such “formidable woman” for her over 40 years of work with the league.

We are so proud of you, Bonnie!!

A video montage of the LWVMA’s last 100 years can be viewed below. Read more →

Climate Action – LWV US & MA

Coalition Letter Urges Action on Electrification of Vehicles as COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights the Dangers of Air Pollution

The Massachusetts Zero Emission Vehicle Coalition and its partners, which includes the Newton EV Task Force and League of Women Voters Massachusetts, recently sent the Department of Transportation and Department of Environmental Protection a letter urging the following action by the State: “Set a goal and create an action plan for all vehicles to be electric by 2040. Commit to all electric transit and school bus fleets by 2035. Commit to complete electrification of state and municipal fleets by 2035. Establish goals and incentive programs for the conversion of private vehicle fleets.”

The COVID-19 pandemic makes the transition to cleaner electric vehicles even more urgent as, “People with COVID-19 who live in US Regions with high levels of air pollution are more likely to die from the disease than people who live in less polluted areas.”  Middlesex County has the second highest level of air pollution particulate matter in Massachusetts, much of it concentrated along the Mass Pike and 128 (A Clean Transportation System for my Patients).

Transportation accounts for the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts.  Setting a goal and creating an action plan for electrification of vehicles is an important step toward achieving the State’s ambitious net zero emissions limit. It’s time for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to make good on the Governor’s  Earth Day 2020 pledge for an aggressive, science-based, net-zero emissions limit.

Newton’s Climate Action Plan, officially adopted on November, 11, 2019, as a part of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, includes the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.  Recently the City made a step towards this goal by converting the NewMo, senior transportation vehicles, to hybrid vehicles.

At the LWVUS Convention in June, the League of Women Voters of Araphoe and Douglas Counties proposed a resolution that calls for an immediate, wide-scale, mobilization by the United States that restores, protects, and funds an ecologically sustainable environment and climate, based on an interrelated approach that is environmentally sound, science-based, just and equitable, and dedicated to appropriately addressing the speed and scale of the global climate change emergency.  This resolution was passed at the convention by an overwhelming majority, thereby reenforcing the LWVUS commitment to the environment.

Read the complete letter from the Massachusetts Zero Emission Vehicle Coalition.

Opportunities for Action & Learning

The Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence invites you to attend Engaging Gun Owners in Gun Violence Prevention on Tuesday, May 12th at 7 pm via Zoom. Did you know that the vast majority of gun owners support several key gun control laws, but do not feel comfortable getting involved in the GVP movement? Join Dr. Mike Siegel and Claire Boine from the Boston University School of Public Health for an interactive presentation where they will dispel myths about gun owners and show us how to craft effective messaging to engage them in gun violence prevention work. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aVikwm_cSMmSwSIWNAhZtA

Moderator Training Webinar:   LWVMA is offering moderator training through a webinar Monday, May 11, at 1 p.m. We will have time for questions and will be coordinating small group follow-up sessions for role playing to get more comfortable with the rules. Please register here. The webinar, presented by Jo-Ann Berry and Elizabeth Foster-Nolan, is open to anyone who would like to be trained as a moderator or would like a refresher on the rules and learn about moderating a forum in the era of Zoom. It will be recorded and available later on the LWVMA website.

Urge Legislature to Revise Election Practices:  Please email your Senator and Representative and urge them to make needed changes in the way Massachusetts conducts elections before the Sept. 1 primary election and Nov. 3 general election. While we all hope the COVID-19 virus will have abated by fall, we need to plan to conduct our elections as if it will not. That particularly means greatly expanded vote by mail outreach while continuing to offer in-person voting that is safe for voters and poll workers. LWVMA and our Election Modernization Coalition partners will file a bill in the legislature shortly to address these issues based on the recommendations in a Coalition letter to the legislature. In the meantime, ask for general support of such reforms. LWVUS offers these talking points on the League strategy of making voting more flexible and providing options such as vote by mail for voters.

Help with Census 2020:  The 2020 Census count and the outreach to ensure a complete count in Massachusetts continues. You can help by volunteering to phone bank to increase the count. MassCounts will conduct phone banks through the end of June every Tuesday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Wednesday from 5-7 p.m., Thursday from 5-7 p.m., and Saturday from 1-3 p.m. to call residents of census tracts with the lowest self-response rates. You can sign up to join a virtual phone bank. You’ll need a computer and a cell phone; a 15-20-minute training and a script are provided. Please note you need to sign up for each day you would like to phone bank.

Ask Congress to Fund Election Needs:  LWVUS is working to ensure elections and equality are prioritized as Congress drafts stimulus bills for COVID relief. The three provisions we are asking for are:

  • Ensure that $4 billion in election funding is included to help states to make the remaining primaries and the November general election safe for all to participate.
  • Ensure that all families and individuals receive aid from the government, regardless of their immigration or tax status.
  • Ensure that Washington D.C. is treated like a state and not a territory in funding distribution.

You can help ensure these provisions are included in the next relief package by taking action with this LWVUS action alert and sharing our memo to Congress.  

Participate in a Webinar

Many of our members are enjoying participating in webinars while sheltering at home. Consider these webinars offered by LWVMA in the next month:  

Raising Civic Engagement Among Younger People

  • Nancy Thomas, Director, Institute for Democracy & Higher Education, Tufts University, Thursday, May 21, 4 p.m. Register here.

New England Regional League Conference 

  • Voter engagement panel with Yanna Krupnikov, Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition Executive Director Mufalo Chitam, and New Hampshire state senator Melanie Levesque, Monday, May 11, 2 p.m. Register here.

How Leagues are handling the pandemic and the challenges for elections, Monday, May 18, at 2 p.m. Register here