The IMC-CAN

Defend the Defenders: Yes on Question 2

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:34:43 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action August 26, 2026

This fall, the IMC-CAN is devoting weekly action alerts about the upcoming 9 Ballot Questions on the November Ballot.

This week, we are tackling Question #2: Massachusetts Question 2, Permit Collective Bargaining for Committee for Public Counsel Services Employees Initiative (2026).

Supporters of Ballot Question 2 for the November election argue that Massachusetts cannot maintain a strong and effective public-defense system without supporting the people who do this essential work.

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is the state agency that provides court-appointed legal representation to low-income Massachusetts residents. CPCS attorneys, social workers, investigators, paralegals, interpreters, and other employees protect the constitutional rights of people facing incarceration, family separation, involuntary commitment, and other life-altering consequences, yet CPCS employees have historically been excluded from the collective-bargaining rights available to many other public workers in Massachusetts. The inability to unionize has resulted in abysmally poor wages, burnout, high turnover, and interrupted court proceedings because of staffing shortages.

Question 2 would allow eligible CPCS employees to organize and bargain collectively over wages, benefits, and working conditions. Supporters contend that giving these workers a meaningful voice in their workplace can help CPCS recruit and retain experienced professionals, reduce instability in an already strained public-defense system, and strengthen the quality and continuity of representation available to people who cannot afford an attorney.

At a time when Massachusetts courts are straining under heavy caseloads and an unprecedented immigration-enforcement push is placing even more people at risk of detention, deportation, family separation, and loss of fundamental rights, a strong, stable, and adequately supported public-defense system is more important than ever.

Source

Vote Yes on 2 Coalition

Background

What is the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS)?

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is the state agency in Massachusetts that provides legal representation to people who cannot afford an attorney. CPCS provides free legal help to low-income people in criminal and civil cases where the law requires legal representation. CPCS attorneys represent Massachusetts sex offender registry cases, appeals, and post-conviction advocacy. CPCS has a staff of about 500 public defenders (staff attorneys) and a panel of 3,000 certified private attorneys (Bar Advocates) who work under this program.

Immigration Supports: CPCS operates an Immigration Impact Unit (IIU) that advises CPCS staff and appointed counsel about immigration consequences of state cases. CPCS now also participates directly in the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI), which provides representation to eligible detained and non-detained Massachusetts residents in federal removal proceedings. CPCS currently has MACI attorneys representing clients in Immigration Court, before the Board of Immigration Appeals, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and in some federal-court matters.

Why is Question 2 important?

Court-appointed attorneys for low-income Massachusetts residents are a critical component of our legal system and Constitutional guarantees. When someone has the legal right to an attorney but cannot afford one, the Commonwealth must provide qualified legal counsel. Without adequate legal representation, the most vulnerable in our communities would be defenseless against malicious prosecutions, unfounded accusations, and state overreach. Our justice system does not work if it cannot protect constitutional rights and ensure access to legal counsel.

Question 2 concerns the employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), Massachusetts’ public defender agency. It would bring CPCS employees under the Commonwealth’s public-sector collective-bargaining law, allowing eligible employees to organize and bargain collectively with CPCS over wages, hours, and working conditions. It would also require CPCS, after reaching a collective-bargaining agreement, to request from the Governor the appropriation necessary to fund that agreement. Question 2 does not determine salaries or other contract terms itself. Advocates for Question 2 note that the vast majority of Massachusetts state employees – like MBTA workers, Department of Children and Families (DCF) social workers, teachers and so many more – already have the right to form a union. This ballot measure would give CPCS employees that same right to collectively bargain. A stronger voice for public defenders means a stronger, more effective defense of the constitutional rights that protect us all.

A public-defense system under strain

Massachusetts relies on two groups of attorneys to provide court-appointed representation: salaried CPCS staff attorneys and private attorneys, commonly known as Bar Advocates, who accept cases through CPCS. Although Bar Advocates are an essential part of the CPCS system, they are independent contractors and would not receive collective-bargaining rights under Question 2.

The distinction became especially important during the public-defense crisis that began in May 2025. At the time, Bar Advocates were paid only $65 an hour for District Court cases, while also paying for their own office expenses, malpractice insurance, health insurance, and other professional costs. They could not bill for all of the time required to operate their practices. Bar Advocates estimated that a lawyer relying primarily on this work could net only about $42,000 before taxes, based on their assumptions about billable hours and expenses. By any measure, this compensation rate is abysmally low for such important public service work.

Beginning May 27, 2025, many Bar Advocates, particularly in Suffolk and Middlesex Counties, stopped accepting new appointments to seek higher compensation. The resulting shortage left thousands of defendants awaiting counsel and triggered the Supreme Judicial Court’s Lavallee protocol. Under that protocol, defendants held for more than seven days without an attorney can be released, and charges against defendants who remain without counsel for more than 45 days can be dismissed without prejudice (meaning charges can be refiled later).

According to a June 2026 report by Massachusetts Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro, more than 9,000 unrepresented defendants were reported during the crisis. Courts conducted more than 2,300 Lavallee hearings, resulting in 1,689 cases being dismissed without prejudice and 213 defendants being released from custody. Some dismissed cases involved serious charges, although prosecutors were permitted to, and in many instances did, refile them.

The Legislature responded in August 2025 by increasing compensation for private appointed attorneys by $20 an hour over two years and providing funding for a major expansion of CPCS’s salaried staff. As of August 1, 2026, the statutory rate is $85 an hour for District Court cases, $105 for Superior Court non-homicide cases, and $140 for homicide cases.

The 2026 Inspector General report nevertheless concluded that Massachusetts’ indigent-defense system continues to have serious structural problems. The IG criticized CPCS for failing to meet the Legislature’s requirement that staff attorneys handle at least 20 percent of indigent cases and called for changes to caseloads, oversight, eligibility screening, and private-attorney compensation. CPCS strongly disputed parts of that analysis, arguing that raw caseload numbers do not adequately account for case complexity, staffing needs, or the constitutional requirement to provide effective representation. The dispute underscores a larger point: Massachusetts’ public-defense system depends on recruiting and retaining qualified attorneys and other professionals enough to provide constitutionally adequate representation.

Advocates for Question 2 note that public defenders in New York, Hartford, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit are all unionized. Massachusetts, in comparison, languishes alongside states like Texas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Maintaining a robust legal defense system requires attracting and retaining qualified attorneys. Too often, however, new law school graduates leave Massachusetts to seek employment in states with better compensation systems. In addition, the current CPCS system of staff attorneys and Bar Advocates is overburdened and cannot provide all the critical services needed here.

CPCS attempted to unionize three times, in 1979, 1993, and 2015. Each time, labor boards told organizers that they could not organize without a change in state law, granting the right to collectively bargain. State legislators have considered bills to recognize the right to unionize six times (2013, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025) but the legislation stalled and was never brought to a vote. This year, more than 100,000 signatures from Massachusetts voters are getting Question 2 on the November ballot.

What Question 2 would change

CPCS employees have sought collective-bargaining rights for years. Unlike most employees covered by Massachusetts’ public-sector labor law, CPCS employees have historically been outside the statutory framework that allows public employees to organize and bargain collectively. Previous attempts by CPCS employees to obtain recognition under existing labor law were rejected because CPCS was not included as a covered public employer.

Question 2 would change that. It would allow eligible CPCS employees—including attorneys and other professional and support staff—to organize and collectively bargain with CPCS over employment conditions.

Supporters of Question 2, including labor leaders, argue that giving CPCS employees a collective voice could improve recruitment and retention, provide greater stability in compensation and working conditions, and strengthen an agency responsible for protecting the legal rights of hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents. The ballot measure itself, however, does not set salaries, guarantee raises, or change the compensation paid to private bar advocates.

Learn More

Public defenders, facing abysmal pay, attempt to unionize, Boston Globe, 7/2/15

Massachusetts private attorneys, seeking pay raise, refuse criminal defense work, WBUR, 5/27/25

Public defenders in Massachusetts and other states demand a pay raise, NPR, 8/5/25

SJC says out of bar advocate push for pay raise, defers to Legislature, Boston Globe, 3/16/26

Mass. watchdog calls public defense system ‘broken’, GBH, 6/10/26

Millions owned to criminal trial experts in Massachusetts will now be paid, 6/12/26

Progressive Mass Ballot Question 2 Information

About CPCS

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

LOOK BEFORE YOU VOTE: JUNGLE PRIMARIES BALLOT QUESTION!

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:02:16 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action August 12, 2026

LOOK BEFORE YOU VOTE: Jungle Primaries

This summer and fall, the IMC-CAN will be looking at each of the Ballot Questions in the upcoming November election.

Question 3 deserves especially careful scrutiny because it would fundamentally change how Massachusetts chooses candidates, and it has generated significant debate even among progressives and Democrats.

Supporters present the all-party, top-two primary as a pro-democracy reform that would broaden participation, reduce party gatekeeping, increase competition, and give progressive and other grassroots candidates access to a larger electorate.

The proposal, however, is strongly opposed by a coalition of progressive groups across Massachusetts. Critics point to California’s experience and research findings that when two candidates from the same party reach the general election, the system can favor the more moderate candidate, who can build a winning coalition that includes independents, voters from the opposing party, and more moderate/conservative members of their own party. Worse, the top-two system leaves open the possibility that a broad field of Democratic candidates in a blue-leaning state could split the vote and enable two Republican candidates to advance to the November general election!

Because Question 3 is being promoted as a democratic reform while raising legitimate questions about representation, strategic voting, and who gains influence over the selection of Democratic candidates, voters should understand both the case for the proposal and the evidence and arguments against it before deciding how to vote.

Background Information

What does Ballot Question #3 Do?

Question 3 would eliminate Massachusetts’ separate Democratic and Republican primaries for most state and federal offices and replace them with a single “top-two” primary open to all voters and candidates. Every candidate, regardless of party, would appear on the same ballot. The two candidates receiving the most votes would advance to the November general election, even if both belong to the same party.

Often described as a “jungle primary,” the system would apply to races including Governor, U.S. Senator and Representative, state legislators, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and other state and county offices, but not the presidential primary. California and Washington currently have a similar system, as do some other jurisdictions with similar-but-different setups (e.g., Louisiana, Alaska).

A YES vote adopts the new system beginning in 2028. A NO vote keeps Massachusetts’ current party-primary system.

What Do Proponents Say?

Supporters of Question 3 argue that Massachusetts elections are unusually uncompetitive and give too much power to party insiders and the relatively small number of voters who participate in partisan primaries: they note that 52% of covered races from 2014–2024 were uncontested and that roughly 65% of Massachusetts voters are unenrolled. They argue that an all-parties, top-two primary would give every voter the same ballot and allow everyone to choose among all candidates, producing more meaningful competition, higher participation, and greater accountability because candidates would have to appeal to a broader electorate rather than primarily to a party’s most active voters. They also contend that the system would reduce party gatekeeping, give independent, minor-party, and less-established candidates greater visibility, encourage broader electoral coalitions, and ultimately produce elected officials who are more responsive and representative of their districts.

Partners in Democracy and the Coalition for a Healthy Democracy are spearheading this ballot initiative.

What Do Critics Say?

Progressives in Massachusetts voice grave concerns about how an open primary system would function. The open primary system is being promoted as a pro-democracy initiative, but it also has the financial backing of wealthy donors.

Although the stated objective is to encourage a more diverse slate of candidates outside of the two-party apparatus, several related mechanisms could disadvantage progressive candidates that lack corporate backing and big donors:

Moderation Effect: The decisive election moves from the party electorate to the whole electorate. Imagine a Massachusetts district that is 70% Democratic. Under the current system, a progressive candidate could win the Democratic primary 55–45 and then be overwhelmingly favored in November. Under a “jungle primary” model, a progressive and a moderate Democrat might finish first and second. In November, Republican voters would have no Republican candidate, so many may naturally vote for the more conservative Democrat. The progressive candidate would have effectively won the Democratic contest but would lose the general election. A scenario such as this could result in a more right-leaning candidate winning out in a predominantly blue-leaning state.
Vote Splitting: If five progressives or liberals divide essentially the same pool of Democratic voters, one well-known more conservative candidate could consolidate Independent/Republican support and displace the more progressive candidates from the November election. In the worst-case scenario, the vote-splitting bumps all of the Democratic candidates off of the November ballot, leaving only two Republican or Independent candidates in the general election.

Groups like Fair Vote and Voter Choice Massachusetts argue that Ranked Choice voting is a much more democratic and pluralistic approach to voting. Ranked-choice voting works differently: voters can rank those candidates, allowing support to transfer rather than simply being divided. California has repeatedly experienced the possibility of one party being shut out because too many candidates from that party divided its vote. In 2020, a Ballot Initiative to institute Ranked Choice Voting in Massachusetts failed.

Money Talks: Money and name recognition can have an outsized influence in an open primary system. A candidate has to survive a multicandidate primary and potentially fight another expensive campaign against a member of their own party. Research reviewed by New America found that California’s switch to top-two was associated with increased campaign contributions and concluded that money can become particularly important when voters must distinguish among multiple candidates carrying the same party label. A well-funded incumbent or establishment candidate can, therefore, have an advantage over a lesser-known ideological challenger.
Strategic voting: A voter may decide not to vote for their favorite candidate because they are worried about which two candidates will survive (i.e., that their vote will contribute to the vote-splitting phenomenon noted in #2 above). The scenario is that Democratic voters seeing six Democrats and two Republicans might feel pressure to consolidate behind whichever Democrat appears most likely to prevent a Republican-Republican vote in the November election, rather than voting for the candidate they genuinely like the most. California Democrats confronted precisely that concern in the 2026 governor’s race.

No on 3, Progressive Mass

Vote No on 3 Coalition is opposing this measure. Thus far, this broad, progressive coalition includes Progressive Mass, Progressive Dems of Massachusetts, Mass Alliance, MassDems, and several major unions.

Progressive Mass’s Guide to 2026 Ballot Initiatives

News and Commentary on Top-Two “Jungle” Primaries

“The Nation’s Most Democratic State Might Elect a Trump-Friendly Governor” The American Prospect, 2/9/26

“AP Decision Notes: What to expect in California’s state primary” AP News, 6/1/26

“The top-two primary was supposed to change California politics. Did it flop?” CalMatters, 6/4/26

“The Right Voting Reforms—and the Wrong Ones” The American Prospect, 6/10/26

“Is California’s top-two system working? Crowded primary for governor’s race brings renewed scrutiny.” ABC7/KGO, 6/13/26

“Why Hasn’t the Top-Two Primary Been More Transformative?” New America

“Top Four” Fair Vote

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

All Eyes on Hanscom!

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 22:28:30 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action August 6, 2026

The De-ICE Hanscom Coalition is calling on activists to send postcards or letters to Massport and Governor Healey demanding publicly viewable webcams at Hanscom Field, New England’s principal transfer point for ICE detention flights. Cameras could help attorneys determine whether clients have been placed on flights, help families locate loved ones, and bring transparency to transfers that now occur largely out of public view. Download a postcard design and suggested messages, then tell Massachusetts officials: ICE flights at Hanscom must not remain hidden.

Source

De-ICE Hanscom Coalition

Action Details

The De-ICE Hanscom Coalition is asking activists to write letters or send postcards to the Massport Authorities and Governor Healey, calling for the installation of webcams at Hanscom Field (See Background Information for more details).

Use the link below for images that can be downloaded and printed at home for DIY postcards, as well as suggested scripts/text for messages to send to Massport and Governor Healey.

Link to Action: Postcards for the De-ICE Hanscom Webcam Campaign

Letters/postcards can be sent to:

Board of Directors

Mass Port Authority

One Harborside Drive, Suite 200S

East Boston, MA 02128

Example Message: ICE is violating due process rights at Hanscom! Install a camera system so that people can be identified before they are flown out-of-state.

Office of the Governor

State House, Room 280

Boston, MA 02133

Link to email the Governor’s Office

Background Information

What is the De-ICE Hanscom Coalition doing?

The De-ICE Hanscom Coalition is trying to stop Hanscom Field from serving as New England’s principal transfer point for ICE detention flights. Its work is broader than holding protests. It combines public demonstrations, flight monitoring, legal research, political pressure, and corporate campaigning.

1. Weekly standouts at Hanscom Field

The coalition has held peaceful demonstrations at the Hanscom Rotary since October 2025. The current schedule is Fridays, 1:00–2:30 p.m., at Hanscom Drive and Old Bedford Road in Lincoln. Participants watch ICE vans and buses enter the airport, display signs, speak about detainees’ experiences, and maintain public attention on flights that otherwise occur largely out of view.

2. Tracking ICE flights and ground movements

Coalition volunteers use flight data and direct observation of planes, vans, buses, and support vehicles. They are involved with Habeas Flight Watch, a system developed to predict and document ICE flights so that attorneys, families, journalists, and activists may learn when detained people are being moved.

As of July 31, the coalition said its verifiers had documented 114 ICE flights from Hanscom since October 7, 2025, estimating that between 2,221 and 4,310 people had been transported. Those passenger figures are coalition estimates based partly on observed vehicles, not official Massport or ICE counts. Many of these people have no criminal record and have had no bond hearing or access to legal counsel.

3. Pressuring Massport and Governor Healey

Massport owns and operates Hanscom Field, so it is one of the campaign’s central institutional targets. The Coalition and its partner organizations have organized repeated letter, email, petition, and postcard campaigns directed at Massport executives, its seven-member board, and Governor Healey. An earlier campaign generated more than 1,740 communications. Subsequent rounds have pushed the total above 2,000.

4. Seeking publicly viewable cameras and independent observation

The Coalition’s newest major campaign asks Massport to install livestream cameras showing the portions of Hanscom where ICE passengers are boarded. Cameras could help lawyers and families determine whether a particular person has been placed on a flight. The Coalition also calls for neutral legal observers, review of passenger manifests, and positioning planes and boarding ramps so that boarding is visible.

Following a Coalition presentation, the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission (HFAC) introduced a motion requesting cameras. A formal vote was postponed until its August 2026 meeting. The Advisory Commission is a regional public advisory body that serves as a liaison between Massport and the communities surrounding Hanscom: Bedford, Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln. Although the Commission does not have regulatory authority over ICE flights, the Commission can make a formal request of the Massport Board.

5. Developing a legal and regulatory argument against the flights

The Coalition argues that Massport can restrict the large ICE charter aircraft by enforcing an existing Hanscom regulation, 740 CMR 25.03, that generally prohibits commercial passenger aircraft with seating capacity above 60 seats. Organizers contend that the rule predates federal airport-noise preemption and is therefore grandfathered. Massport has taken the position that federal law limits its ability to exclude the flights. The Coalition disputes that conclusion.

6. Targeting the companies servicing the flights

The Coalition has also supported pressure on Signature Aviation, the fixed-base operator reportedly providing fueling or ground services for ICE charter flights at Hanscom and elsewhere. The De-ICE Hanscom Coalition and the nationwide Ground ICE Campaign are asking Signature to refuse that business and urging Massachusetts pension officials and investment managers to use their shareholder influence. Governor Healey has called on Signature Aviation to stop supporting the flights.

The Coalition is asking Massport to install a publicly viewable webcam system so that lawyers can identify their clients and families can locate their loved ones. A similar system has successfully monitored ICE flights at King County Airport in Seattle since 2023, providing a strong precedent for this request.

What is Massport?

Massport is the common name for the Massachusetts Port Authority. It is a state-created, quasi-public authority that owns and operates major transportation facilities, including:

Boston Logan International Airport
Worcester Regional Airport
L.G. Hanscom Field
Conley Container Terminal
Flynn Cruiseport Boston and other Port of Boston properties

Massport is not an ordinary state agency or private company. It is a public instrumentality of Massachusetts with its own governing board, authority to charge fees, enter contracts, acquire property, and issue revenue bonds. It is largely self-financing through airport, parking, rent, shipping, cruise, and concession revenues rather than annual state appropriations.

Learn More

ICE AIR: Inside America’s Secret Deportation Network, a documentary film that exposes a multi-million-dollar domestic flight system run by ICE, July 2026

Prisons in the sky: Human trafficking at Hanscom airport fueled by complicity with ICE, Bearing Witness @ ICE, 8/2/26

Ground ICE Campaign

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

Save Our Healthcare System Before It’s Too Late

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 01:31:26 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action July 15, 2026

Massachusetts has one of the best healthcare systems in the country, but our health and safety are at risk in the coming year due to looming federal Medicaid cuts. The loss of Medicaid dollars and coverage in 2027 endangers hospitals, clinics, and access to care for all of us. If the healthcare system collapses, hospitals close, and doctors shutter their offices, it won’t matter what kind of insurance we have. A single-payer health care system is both economically feasible and popular. The Massachusetts State Legislature can and must act before it is too late!

This action urges Massachusetts voters to call their state representatives and demand movement on the Medicare for All legislation, S.860/H.1405. The House bill has been awaiting a report from the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing since its June 2025 hearing, and the reporting deadline has been extended to July 31, 2026.

Constituents should press their representatives to urge Speaker Mariano and Committee Chair John Lawn to issue a favorable report, oppose another extension or study order, and create a path through Ways and Means to a recorded House vote. Voters whose representatives serve on the committee

The campaign also encourages supporters to build local Mass-Care Hubs, attend the July 18 Mass-Care conference, and organize district-by-district pressure for legislative action.

Source

Mass-Care

Health Care For All Massachusetts

Action Details

Overview

Mass-Care is a coalition of over 110 grassroots organizations, representing hundreds of thousands of diverse Massachusetts residents. There are two ways to get Medicare for All in Massachusetts: a vote of the State Legislature or a Ballot Initiative. Mass-Care is working on both strategies.

Becoming a Mass-Care Hub

Mass-Care is organizing local Hubs to assist with grassroots, neighbor-to-neighbor outreach and a statewide campaign. There are two ways to get Medicare for All in Massachusetts: a vote of the State Legislature or a Ballot Initiative. Mass-Care is working on both strategies. The goal is to have at least one Hub in each State Representative District. A Hub can be a multi-issue group (e.g., an Indivisible group) or a group created just for this purpose. The objective is to mobilize support district by district.

Access this Toolkit and get involved!

Call your State Representative

Find your MA legislators’ contact information here.

Call your MA Representative, read the script to an aide, or leave a voicemail. Personalize areas in blue.

Call Script:

Hello, my name is [Name], and I’m a constituent from [Town]. I’m calling about H.1405, the Medicare for All bill. The bill received a public hearing more than a year ago, but the Joint Health Care Financing Committee still has not issued a report. The reporting deadline has now been extended to July 31.

Massachusetts families cannot afford another year of rising premiums, deductibles, medical debt, and gaps in care while this bill remains stalled in committee. Next year, Massachusetts faces a fiscal and healthcare crisis with the anticipated loss of Medicaid funding. We cannot wait for change.

I understand that [Representative Name] may not be on the Committee, but I am asking you to use your position as a House member to urge Speaker Mariano and Joint Committee on Health Care Financing Chair John Lawn to favorably report the bill, oppose a study order, and provide a pathway through Ways and Means to a recorded vote. Will the Representative take those actions and report back to constituents?

Thank you for your time and for working to protect Massachusetts communities.

[Your name]

If leaving a message, be sure to leave your full street address, name, and contact information.

Bonus Actions

Bonus #1: Attend the 2026 Mass-Care Conference, Clark University, 7/18/26

Bonus #2: Amend the script if your legislator is on the Joint Committee for Health Care Financing

Check this list to see if your Representative is on the Joint Committee for Health Care Financing. If they are, add to your script:

Because Representative [NAME] serves on the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, I am asking for a clear commitment to:

Vote “ought to pass” on H.1405 when the House members of the committee are polled;
Ask House Chair John Lawn to hold the committee poll and issue a favorable report immediately, rather than waiting until the July 31 deadline;
Oppose another extension, a study order, or any other action that would prevent the bill from advancing;
Publicly state how the representative intends to vote and urge the other House members of the committee to support a favorable report; and
Press Speaker Mariano and House leadership to provide a path through any subsequent committees and to a recorded vote in the House.

Can you tell me now whether Representative [NAME] will vote “ought to pass” on H.1405? If the representative has not yet decided, when will constituents receive a clear answer?

Background Information

What is the Medicare for All Proposal in Massachusetts?

Single-payer health care systems exist worldwide and are widely popular. In Massachusetts, Medicare for All bills have been submitted multiple times over the years, only to languish in committee with no action. Two versions of “Medicare for All” single-payer healthcare reform have been introduced into the Massachusetts Legislature in this legislative session (S.860/H.1405). In the Legislature, 37% of the State Representatives and 48% of the State Senators co-sponsored this legislation.

Click here for a list of the co-sponsors.

The Senate version of the bill was sent to “study,” effectively preventing it from advancing in this legislative session.

The House version had a public hearing on June 18, 2025. The House Health Care Financing Committee, chaired by Representative John Lawn, must release a report on the bill, but it has extended the deadline three times, most recently to 7/31/26, the last day of formal legislative sessions for the year. You can watch a recording of the hearing here.

The next needed step would be a favorable report from this Committee, rather than more extensions or study orders.

Getting your legislators to sign on as co-sponsors, if they have not yet done so, is one way to signal to the Legislature that action is needed. A favorable committee vote, however, is just the next step. After that, the bill would go to the House Ways and Means Committee for further review and analysis.

As of today, the Joint Committee has yet to release a report on its findings and recommendations.

The proposed reform legislation would establish a statewide, publicly administered single-payer health-care system through a Massachusetts Health Care Trust. It would cover all Massachusetts residents regardless of income, employment, immigration status, or preexisting conditions. Coverage would include medical, hospital, prescription drug, behavioral health, dental, vision, hearing, reproductive care, home health care, and long-term care. There would be no premiums, deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or other patient cost-sharing, while protecting patient choice in providers.

The system would replace private health insurance financing with dedicated taxes on employers, employees, the self-employed, and certain forms of unearned income, while consolidating existing state and federal healthcare funding streams into the Trust. The Trust would negotiate reimbursement rates and prices, establish budgets, and oversee statewide implementation.

How can Mass-Care be affordable?

Under the proposal, Massachusetts would not be creating an entirely new $99 billion health-care expense. Residents, employers, and government already spend an estimated $128.57 billion annually on premiums, deductibles, copayments, public programs, insurance administration, and medical care. The proposal would redirect much of that existing spending into one publicly administered Massachusetts Health Care Trust.

Economists predict the system would involve massive cost savings that would benefit residents, employers, and municipalities (whose local budgets are being crushed by rising employee healthcare costs). The current, privatized health insurance system is inefficient and wasteful. Savings would come from eliminating billions in unnecessary or excessive spending, negotiating lower prices with hospitals and physicians, lowering drug prices, and increasing overall system efficiency. Even with increased coverage and services, the overall costs of this model are predicted to be lower than those of the existing patchwork quilt of insurers and health plans.

A 2024 analysis found that this system would save municipalities a total of $2.4 billion. Businesses, which now pay billions to provide workers' healthcare, would stand to benefit. A simple tax would replace the escalating costs that employers pay to private health insurers who are only motivated by their own profits. For more information, see this business savings calculator.

See Mass-Care’s 2026 Economic Feasibility Report.

Paying for Medicare for All Video, 2026

Why Isn’t the Legislature Doing Something?

In 2024, a non-binding ballot initiative about single-payer healthcare won in all 11 districts with 64% of the vote. The ballot measure directed the state legislature to take action, yet change is still not on the horizon. Why is this?

The answer is not simple, but this institutional caution appears to be due in part to intense lobbying by health insurers, hospital owners, and pharmaceutical companies that might see changes to their bottom lines. At the same time, many Massachusetts physicians support universal coverage and a single-payer system because it would expand patient coverage, save time on authorizations, and simplify billing processes.

The Crisis is Coming

In 2027, mandated cuts to the federal Medicaid program begin. Beginning January 1, 2027, unless Congress acts, new work-reporting and eligibility reviews every 6 months will kick in. In September, 2025, BCBS of Massachusetts and the Urban Institute published estimates that 141,000-203,000 MassHealth (Massachusetts Medicaid) members could lose coverage, with 110,000-180,000 becoming uninsured during the following year. As large numbers of people lose MassHealth coverage, hospitals and health centers will lose substantial revenue while treating increasing numbers of uninsured patients.

This is an unsustainable situation that will lead to hospital and clinic closures, staffing cuts and freezes, longer wait times, and increasing pressure to cut services for everyone. The state budget will also be stressed. The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation estimated that federal healthcare cuts in fiscal year 2027 could cost Massachusetts $1.39 billion. Governor Maura Healey’s FY2027 proposal already contemplates freezing many provider rate increases and program expansions, while making targeted MassHealth benefit reductions.

FY2028 will only be worse if we don’t act now.

Federal changes affecting MassHealth members

Over 200,000 people could lose MassHealth under coming federal changes, report says, March 27, 2026

Past CAN on Single Payer Healthcare in Massachusetts

July 16, 2025

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

Good Trouble Lives On In Massachusetts: "TEACH! REACH! PREACH!"

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:06:01 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action July 7, 2026

GOOD TROUBLE LIVES ON IN MASSACHUSETTS:

“TEACH! REACH! PREACH!”

A Long Weekend of ACTIVISM

Whether you’re outraged by attacks on civil rights, the gutting of essential services, disappearances of our neighbors, or the assault on free speech and our right to organize, we invite you to join us in making good trouble.

Good Trouble Lives On (GTLO) is a national campaign, rooted in the leadership of late civil rights hero John Lewis—but built for today’s fight. From July 17 to July 19, communities across the country will take to the streets, courthouses, and community spaces to carry forward John Lewis’ fight for justice, voting rights, and dignity for all.

This year’s GTLO is a three-day national mobilization to honor the legacy of Congressman John Lewis by doing what he loved most - organizing, acting, and registering voters.

The weekend will serve as a kickoff for voter engagement, community education, and actions to support and remind our friends, families, and neighbors that we still have the power and freedom to vote. Join one of the planned teach-ins, protests, or outreaches. If your community is not listed, there’s still time to get involved and host an event, whether it is a video watch party, a stand-out, or a teach-in.

Join us by pledging to take action the weekend of July 17 - 19!

Source

Good Trouble Lives On

Mass50501

De-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition

Action Details

Go to the Good Trouble Lives On national hub to find an event near you or to sign up to host one!

Visit the GTLO Massachusetts hub for local events.

TEACH: Friday, July 17

Register for an in-person or virtual screening of Love, Joy & Power + Post-Viewing Panel, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM. Love, Joy, & Power is a feature-length documentary about the founders of the Black Voters Matter Fund, the work they are doing to empower African-American communities, and the crucial role they played in flipping Georgia from red to blue in 2020.

Bonus Action: Resources for hosting a watch party.

REACH: Saturday, July 18

Attend WOKESTOCK Festival, Riverstage at Herter Park, Allston, Noon - 9:00 PM

PREACH: Sunday, July 19

Check the GTLO Mass Preach page for events and resources. If you belong to a faith community, ask your faith leader to sign the GTLO PREACH Pledge, committing to lift up the moral imperative for all of us to fight for voting rights and democracy!

Background Information

What is Good Trouble Lives On?

On July 17-July 19, six years after the passing of Civil Rights hero John Lewis, activists across the country will continue the fight for voting rights with the Good Trouble Lives On Weekend of Action, a national nonpartisan, nonviolent effort where communities across the country will come together for a weekend of voter engagement, civic education, and faith-based organizing.

For several months, Congress attempted to force through legislation that would block millions of Americans from voting, and state legislatures have been advancing similar bills at the state level. Now, many voters will face new rules and requirements to vote in November, including new documentation requirements, changes to vote-by-mail, and more.

In the wake of a widespread Jim Crow-era effort to restrict the rights and voices of Black and Brown communities, now is the time to bring more people into the movement for civil rights and democracy for all.

What is Teach-Reach-Preach?

This year’s action is anchored by non-partisan voter engagement, civic education and faith-based organizing, under the banner of “Teach! Reach! Preach!”

“Teach! Reach! Preach!” is a national civic engagement framework and rallying cry inspired by the late civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis. This three-pillar framework for civic engagement and community organizing advocates teaching about history and rights, reaching through trusted relationships, and preaching a message of hope and collective action. It is widely used by grassroots organizations and faith communities to mobilize action for voting rights and social justice.

The weekend will bring together grassroots organizations, legal advocates, faith leaders, and community members for a unified collective push to support one another in making our voices heard.

Schedule of National Actions

TEACH (Friday, July 17): Teach-ins, Non-Partisan Voter Education, Radio Broadcast, Candlelight Vigils, Faith Services

REACH (Saturday, July 18): Civic Education and Community Events, Votercades, Faith Services

PREACH (Sunday, July 19): Faith Services, Civic Education Events

July 17 to 19: “Good Trouble Lives On” National Weekend of Action Engages Black and Brown Voters Amid State Voting Rights Attacks, Public Citizen

July 17 Good Trouble Lives On, League of Women Voters of MA

Bonus Action

Saturday, July 18, is the next De-ICE Citizens Bank National Day of Action.

Click here to find a local event or to sign up to host one.

Past IMC-CANs on the De-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

Stop the Billionaires’ Revenue Cap Grab!

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 12:52:24 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action June 24, 2026

Corporations and billionaires want nice things for themselves but not for the rest of us!

A corporate-backed ballot initiative is headed for Massachusetts voters this fall, and it threatens to drain billions from our schools, hospitals, public transportation, local aid, and emergency services. Backed by wealthy investors and CEOs, the proposal would rewrite Chapter 62F to trigger tax refunds far more often and in much larger amounts—creating a permanent squeeze on state revenues and making devastating budget cuts more likely, especially after economic downturns. Experts warn that the measure could undermine critical investments that strengthen Massachusetts, from free school meals and community college to infrastructure and public health. A few extra dollars in individual refund checks are not worth the billions that could be stripped from our schools, hospitals, transportation systems, and local communities.

The Legislature has the power to stop this dangerous proposal before it reaches the ballot by repealing Chapter 62F altogether.

Take action now and tell your legislators: don’t let special interests rig the rules for the wealthy while everyone else pays the price.

Source

Raise Up Massachusetts

Protect Massachusetts’ Future

Action Details

Read the background information below.

Use this LINK to send a letter to your state legislators, telling them to stop the dangerous ballot initiative due to be on the ballot this fall by repealing 62F. Repealing 62F would prevent any strict “revenue cap” on Massachusetts that would slash funding for critical services across the state.

Background Information

What is Chapter 62?

A ballot initiative is headed for voters this coming fall that will harm the state budget. Backed by a conservative coalition of business groups called the Mass Opportunity Alliance, this proposal would change the state’s Chapter 62F annual tax revenue cap.

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 62F, or “62F”, is often called the tax revenue cap law or taxpayer refund law. Although rarely used, the 62F formula is not without its problems. Historically, the mandated tax refunds disproportionately benefited more affluent taxpayers. In 2023, the state legislature made it more progressive by requiring that refunds be distributed equally among taxpayers rather than in proportion to the taxes paid.

What is wrong with the Ballot Initiative?

The new Chapter 62F proposal would revise how Massachusetts calculates the tax revenue cap, which was established by a 1986 ballot initiative. Since enactment, the maximum tax revenue has been capped at the previous year’s limit plus the three-year average wage growth. Exceeding the cap triggers an automatic, across-the-board refund, which has only happened twice. The new cap would be based on a new formula that would, in practice, lower the annual revenue limit and trigger more frequent refunds.

According to a report from the Tufts University Center for State Policy Analysis, this proposal would make annual refunds 3x-5x more likely and 5x-15x larger. The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation said that if the revenue-cap proposal had been in place over the past 10 years, refunds totaling $7.9 billion would have been drained from the state’s revenues.

The proposed Ballot Initiative, being promoted by corporate CEOs and wealthy investors, would strain the state’s “rainy day fund” and drain funding for teachers, police officers, firefighters, hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. Labor advocates warn that this Initiative would destabilize the Massachusetts economy and labor market.

According to Phineas Baxandall, Director of Research and Policy Analysis at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center: “The ballot initiative would make the already flawed mechanism of the 62F law far more constraining over time. By ratcheting down the growth of Computed Maximum State Tax Revenues whenever actual revenue growth is slow or reduced the next year by a 62F refund, the policy would tend to continually reduce the cap on state revenues available for budgetary purposes. The result will be more unpredictable budget cuts and the abandonment of planned public investments. On top of that, because the triggered diversions of revenue into 62F payments will tend to follow a recession, the new rules will impair the state’s ability to make investments at just the time when they are most needed to jumpstart the economy.”

This Ballot Initiative is designed to benefit the 1% in our state, but it could be enacted, especially if its corporate sponsors outspend community groups in the campaign and push a misleading narrative. The corporate backers for the initiative have such deep pockets that community groups like Raise Up Massachusetts and others are unlikely to have the resources to combat the corporate spin that threatens future state revenues and services.

What can the State Legislature do to address the issue?

If the State Legislature repeals Chapter 62, as many community groups are calling for, the Ballot Initiative would become moot.

H.3087, “An Act repealing chapter 62F”, was sponsored by State Rep. Michelle M. DuBois. The bill’s stated purpose is straightforward: repeal Chapter 62F of the Massachusetts General Laws. It was referred to the Joint Committee on Revenue and later sent for study in April, 2026. During the 2023-2024 Legislative Session, a similar repeal bill (S.1797) was filed by State Senators James Eldridge and Mike Connolly. While no bill is currently under active consideration, the rules of the State Legislature do not restrict legislators from taking action on this proposal during this Legislative Session.

Under the Massachusetts initiative-petition process, a ballot question generally becomes unnecessary if the Legislature enacts the same or substantially similar policy before the election. The Legislature can repeal Chapter 62F entirely before the election. If Chapter 62F were repealed, the statutory framework that the ballot initiative seeks to tighten would no longer exist. The Legislature could replace it with a different fiscal policy or no revenue-cap mechanism at all.

Repeal would prevent a future constitutional-style constraint on state budgeting and preserve the Legislature’s ability to use revenue growth for schools, transportation, health care, local aid, and other public investments.

Testimony in Opposition to the Two Anti-tax Ballot Initiatives: Cutting the Personal Income Tax & Amending Chapter 62F, Mass Budget and Policy Center, 3/30/26

New report says tax refund ballot question could create costly problems for Beacon Hill, MASSterlist, 3/26/26

Share this link: SUBSCRIBE TO THE CAD

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

Bigger Than Dobbs: Stop The MAGA War On Women!

The IMC-CAN — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:28:57 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action June 17, 2026

Bigger Than Dobbs: Stop The MAGA War On Women!

The “Bigger Than Dobbs: Stop the MAGA War on Women” campaign is a statewide week of action organized by the Indivisible Mass Coalition’s Feminist Action Team to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision and to highlight what organizers view as broader threats to women’s rights beyond abortion access. We are pushing back on the rollback of reproductive rights, which is part of the larger MAGA agenda affecting bodily autonomy, gender equality, education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and women’s participation in public life.

Activists across Massachusetts are being encouraged to attend local rallies between June 20 and 28, create signs, and recruit friends. We need to sound the alarm; the War on Women is a war on all of us!

Action Summary

Sign up for and attend a Bigger Than Dobbs: Stop the MAGA War on Women protest near you.

June 24, 2026, marks four years since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and its federal protections for abortion. Over the week of June 20-28, Indivisible groups and allies across MA will shine a spotlight on the MAGA War on Women.

Estimated time: 1-3 hours (depending on how far you travel to a Bigger Than Dobbs II event, the duration of the chosen event, and time spent on sign-making)

Read the brief background info below
Find an event and register for it
Make your sign
Invite 3 friends
Show up!

Source

Indivisible Mass Coalition - Feminist Action Team

Action Details

Read the background information below.

Find your local Bigger Than Dobbs action using this link to the Indivisible Mass Coalition calendar or the Mobilize platform here. Look for linked events between June 20 and 28. Check back often, as links will be updated as new events get listed.

Make a sign.

Suggested messages:

“Fight for Our Rights”

“Bodily Autonomy is a Fundamental Right”

“This is Bigger than Roe”

“Protect Civil Rights & Democracy”

“My Body, My Choice”

“Dobbs is the Tip of the Fascism Iceberg”

“No War on Women”

Decide which 3 friends you will invite to join you. Then ask them to each invite 3 friends.

Check out the Life in a Post-Roe America Toolkit from the IMC Feminist Action Team
Connect with the IMC Feminist Action Team
1. Join the Action Team’s Friday Zoom calls - register here.
2. Join the IMC Women’s Rights Slack Channel
3. Contact the Feminist Action Team at

MA Event Details

BONUS ACTION:

Check out the Feminist Action Team’s Toolkit

Support these organizations if you are able:

Background Information

Indivisibles Say Dobbs Was Just the Beginning.

Groups Across State to Mark 4th Anniversary of Roe v Wade Overturn with Events Warning of Worse to Come

Massachusetts activists are alarmed at the Trump administration’s implementation of Project 2025-26 and its attacks on the rights and freedoms of women.

During the week of June 20-28, activists at more than 15 locations across the Commonwealth will protest the Trump administration’s implementation of policies that aim to remove long-fought-for freedoms and opportunities for women and girls. These repressive policies follow the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling in 2022 that overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade decision that women had a Constitutional right to abortion. The Dobbs decision leaves abortion regulations up to each state.

Indivisible Mass Coalition’s Feminist Action Team and individual Indivisible groups from Cape Cod to Springfield will call out the increasing threats to women’s rights during the week of actions. Those threats are laid out in the extreme-right religious ideology of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise,” and its newest iteration, Project 2026, “Saving America by Saving the Family: A Foundation for the Next 250 Years.” Examples of the administrations’ actions to date include the Department of Education’s downgrading of degrees in fields mostly filled by women and the DOGE elimination of extensive funds for research grants focusing on women’s studies, in addition to increased federal funding of “crisis pregnancy centers” and defunding of legitimate clinics.

“This is an all-out war on women,” says Laurie Veninger of the IMC Feminist Action Team, “and Dobbs was the first salvo. Without the fundamental right to bodily autonomy, all other rights are in jeopardy.”

For the reactionary right, Saving America by Saving the Family means returning to a time when wife and mother were the only roles for women. At a time when women are excelling in higher education and across professions, some seek to limit educational and career opportunities for women and girls. It aims to disenfranchise and remove women from public life and to return to times when husbands were head of households.

The IMC Feminist Action Team warns that administrations’ next steps against women’s rights may be even bigger than Dobbs.

Seven Ways the Trump Administration is Hurting Women, Common Cause, March, 2026

Reproductive Rights Litigation Since Roe Fell: Dobbs’ Impact on Other Areas of Law, Center for Reproductive Rights, June, 2026

Dobbs vs. Jackson Health Organization, Center for Reproductive Rights

Three Years After Dobbs – Abortion Battle Deepens Across Courts, Clinics, and State Lines

Abortion in the United States

Birth Control in the US is Under Threat

Check out Plan C for information about abortion pill access.

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

NO NEW NUKES IN MASSACHUSETTS!

The IMC-CAN — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 21:07:08 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action June 11, 2026

No New Nukes in Massachusetts!

For 44 years, Chapter 503 has guaranteed Massachusetts residents the right to vote on any proposal to build a new nuclear power plant in the Commonwealth. The proposed H.5175 would repeal those protections, removing both voter approval and legislative findings on nuclear waste, safety, emergency planning, environmental impacts, and long-term costs.

Supporters argue the repeal is needed to advance Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), but these reactors remain commercially unproven and raise unresolved questions about cost, radioactive waste, security, and decommissioning. Before Massachusetts abandons a voter-approved safeguard adopted by 67.5% of voters in 1982, lawmakers must hold a transparent public debate—not quietly repeal it as a provision buried deep within a massive energy bill. Use this Action Alert to contact your State Senator NOW to tell them not to repeal Chapter 503.

UPDATE: See Step Two below to sign important petition.

SOURCES

Citizens Awareness Network

Cape Downwinders

Commonwealth Coalition for Democracy and Safe Energy

Climate Action Now Western Mass

Clamshell Alliance

ACTION DETAILS

Step One: Find your State Senator’s contact information:

https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

If you reach an answering machine and leave a voicemail, be certain to leave your full name, address, and phone number so that your call is tallied

Step Two: Sign the Petition

Petition Link

Step Three: Call Your State Senator

Call Script: (personalize all items in blue):

Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I am a constituent from [Your Town].

I’m calling to urge Senator [Name] to oppose any repeal of Chapter 503 in the Senate version of the proposed energy bill, currently being reviewed by the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Chapter 503 was enacted directly by Massachusetts voters in 1982 and requires that any new nuclear power plant or low-level radioactive waste facility receive approval from Massachusetts voters, as well as legislative certification of safety and waste-disposal findings.

My concern is not simply about nuclear power itself. It is about democracy and transparency. Repealing such an important piece of legislation should not be made through a last-minute provision buried in a large energy bill. If legislators want to revisit the 1982 law, they should do so through a transparent public process with hearings, public debate, and voter involvement.

Please oppose the repeal of Chapter 503 and preserve the public’s right to decide Massachusetts’ nuclear future. Tell the Leadership of the Ways and Means Committee that you do not support this provision!

Thank you.

[Your Name]

Step Three: Email or Call Senator Michael Barrett

(Email: Mike.Barrett@masenate.gov, Phone: 617-722-1572)

State Senator Michael Barrett is Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy in the Massachusetts Senate and a leading advocate in the fight against climate change. He is also heavily involved in drafting the Senate version of the energy bill. He will serve on the conference committee to reconcile the House and Senate versions. The Senate bill is expected to be completed very soon. Urge Senator Barrett to REJECT any language that repeals the citizen initiative, Chapter 503.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

What is Chapter 503?

Chapter 503 was approved as a ballot initiative in 1982 by 67.5% of voters in a highly visible statewide election. For 44 years, Chapter 503 has given Bay Staters the right to vote directly on new nuclear power plant construction. It requires that any new nuclear power plants in Massachusetts meet rigorous legislative findings on waste disposal, safety, emergency planning, environmental impacts, and long-term costs before construction can proceed.

What happened?

On February 26, 2026, wittingly or unwittingly, and under pressure from Governor Healey, House Representatives voted for H.5175, a bill that would repeal Chapter 503. The repeal is tucked deep within the 113-page bill (see H.5175, p. 97, line 2096). No commentary or explanation was provided, nor were any public hearings held to discuss this repeal. The public was completely blindsided, as were many legislators who reportedly did not even know this language existed in the bill. State Representatives Scarsdale and Sabadosa attempted to strike this language with a proposed amendment to the bill, but the amendment was not even considered before the vote. The House approved H.5175 by a vote of 128 to 27 (with 3 not voting).

Environmental advocates and pro-democracy activists are decrying this move as an assault on principles of democracy and transparent government. With no public input or legislative debate, the House voted to forfeit its own authority to oversee nuclear development, opening the door to a new era of underregulated nuclear expansion in Massachusetts. As the Trump administration secretly weakens federal nuclear safety regulations, this House bill is not what we need.

Why is this happening?

The Healey administration is actively supporting nuclear development. H.4144 was Governor Healey’s original “Energy Affordability, Independence and Innovation Act” filed in May 2025. It was a broad energy bill aimed at lowering electricity costs, modernizing energy procurement, reforming Mass Save and other clean-energy programs, expanding energy supply options, and streamlining energy infrastructure development.

Environmental activists have vehemently criticized this bill and the subsequent House version, H.5175. Both bills significantly weaken the highly popular MassSave energy efficiency program. A key provision of the Governor’s bill, regarding nuclear power, was Section 45, which would have repealed Chapter 503. Healey argued that the voter-approval requirement is unique to nuclear power and creates a significant barrier to the consideration of advanced nuclear technologies, such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

SMRs are a new type of reactor that are as yet experimental and untested. The nuclear industry is hyping them as though they are ready for prime time when they are not. They are not yet commercially available and remain an unproven technology with unresolved questions about cost, security, radioactive waste disposal, decommissioning, and long-term performance. Weakening oversight protections for this technology benefits developers (and their billionaire investors) while potentially increasing risk for Massachusetts residents. If regulatory safeguards are weakened, SMRs could be sited throughout the state!

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

De-ICE Citizens Bank: While Detainees Hunger Strike, Banks Keep Profiting! Who’s Behind the Ad? The Voters Have the Right to Know! Pass Voter Registration and Rent Stabilization Laws Now!

The IMC-CAN — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 20:37:43 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action - June 3, 2026

About the IMC-CAN Weekly Action:

The Coordinated Action Network (CAN) Team is an Action Team of the Indivisible Massachusetts Coalition (IMC).

Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form. It works with legislative experts (Indivisible, ACLU, Common Cause, Progressive Mass, MIRA, and many others) to vet and prioritize a short list of actions for the week. These are sent to dozens of newsletter editors and individuals each Wednesday through IMC’s “Coordinated Action Dispatch.”

SUBSCRIBE TO THE IMC-CAN SUBSTACK that we keep FREE of subscription price.

This Week’s Top Three Priority Actions:

De-ICE Citizens Bank: While Detainees Hunger Strike, Banks Keep Profiting!

The De-ICE Citizens Bank Campaign is keeping up the pressure in response to the rapidly expanding immigration detention system in the United States. ICE detention populations surge, and private prison corporations are raking in profits off the suffering of others. Citizens Bank has played a major role in providing loans, underwriting bonds, and extending credit to private prison companies, including GEO Group and CoreCivic, helping facilitate billions of dollars in financing for detention operations.

At the same time, detainees at multiple GEO facilities in New Jersey, California, and Michigan have launched hunger strikes and labor strikes to protest reported overcrowding, inadequate medical care, inadequate and spoiled food, poor living conditions, slave labor, and other alleged abuses. These protests underscore the growing humanitarian crisis within the detention system and highlight why financial accountability campaigns are becoming an important tool for change.

The campaign’s centerpiece is the June 6 National Day of Action, when more than 120 peaceful demonstrations are planned outside Citizens Bank branches across 15 states, demanding that the bank end its support for the private detention industry. This event builds on the energy of previous standouts in January, March, and April (at the Annual Shareholders Meeting).

Participants are also encouraged to join the “Not With Our Money, Citizens!” withdrawal pledge campaign, contact bank leadership directly, and build long-term pressure on the institution.

Additional opportunities to get involved include two upcoming virtual workshops, the IMC Immigration Justice Action Team event on June 10 featuring representatives from the De-ICE Coalition, and a June 17 Lunch and Learn workshop focused on helping organizations participate in the campaign.

At a moment when detention capacity is expanding dramatically, and reports of inhumane conditions continue to emerge, the De-ICE Citizens Bank Campaign is challenging the financial infrastructure that enables mass detention, demonstrating that there are reputational consequences for cruelty, greed, and inaction.

Click here to take action!

Bonus Item! Click this link for a list of critical immigration justice actions to take this week!

Who’s Behind the Ad? The Voters Have the Right to Know!

Massachusetts voters deserve to know who is spending money to influence ballot questions before they cast their votes—not months later. The bipartisan Ballot Spending Transparency Act (H.868/S.507) would close a major loophole in state law by requiring more timely disclosure of the money flowing into ballot-question campaigns. Over the past decade, ballot question committees have raised more than $340 million, yet current reporting rules leave an extended period during which major contributions and expenditures can occur without real-time public disclosure. Whether you support or oppose a particular ballot question, voters have a right to know who is trying to shape the outcome.

Contact your state representative and senator and urge them to support the Ballot Spending Transparency Act.

Transparency is essential to a healthy democracy. Just as we expect openness from government, we should expect openness from campaigns seeking to influence statewide votes. This common-sense reform will help ensure that voters have the information they need to make informed decisions at the ballot box.

Click here to take action!

Just Pass Them!

If you have been to a farmers market, community event, or grocery store lately, you’ve probably seen volunteers collecting signatures for measures that could appear on this fall’s ballot. With a record number of questions potentially headed to voters, the ballot is becoming a substitute for action that Beacon Hill could take itself.

Two of the most prominent proposals, rent stabilization (H.2328 / S.1447) and Same-Day Voter Registration (S.505), reflect policies already supported by the Massachusetts Democratic Party platform. The platform recognizes that rising rents are displacing families and seniors from their communities, and that eligible voters should be able to register or update their registration when they vote, as they can in most neighboring states. If Democratic legislators believe in these priorities, they shouldn’t leave them to the ballot box. Write to your state legislators and urge them to pass these reforms now. It’s time to make the party platform mean something.

Use this action alert to write to your state legislators to urge them to just pass them!

Click here to take action!

Sign These Petitions on Your Supermarket Sidewalk!

The IMC-CAN — Thu, 28 May 2026 20:40:53 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action May 28, 2026

Sign These Petitions on Your Supermarket Sidewalk!

This Action Alert urges supporters to help qualify two Massachusetts ballot initiatives for the November 2026 ballot by signing petitions locally or downloading, signing, and mailing them to organizers by early June so they can be certified in time for state deadlines.

The first initiative would establish Election Day Voter Registration, allowing eligible voters to register or update their registration at polling places on Election Day to ensure that no voter loses access to the ballot due to outdated registration information. This is a pro-democracy no-brainer!

The second initiative would expand Massachusetts public records laws to cover the Legislature and the Governor’s Office, which are currently exempt, to increase transparency and public oversight of state government while still protecting certain policy-development and constituent-service communications. Removing these two exemptions is essential to ensuring that voters and advocates have a full understanding of how decisions get made here in Massachusetts.

While these two ballots gathered enough signatures in December, they now face another round of signature collection, per the Massachusetts ballot initiative process. This second signature-gathering phase must be completed before the June 17, 2026, deadline to file signature sheets with city and town clerks.

Use this Action Alert to read up about these measures. If you cannot locate a canvasser, you can download the petitions yourself, sign them, and then snail-mail them to the organizers, ideally no later than June 10, 2026.

The “Bonus Action” section encourages readers to be cautious and research petitions before signing them, specifically, regarding a proposed “All-Party” or “jungle primary” ballot initiative backed by the Coalition for Healthy Democracy. Under that proposal, all candidates, regardless of party, would compete in a single primary, with only the top two advancing to the general election. While supporters argue it would encourage broader competition, opponents cited in the alert—including Progressive Mass and Democratic Party organizations—warn that it could split progressive votes, advantage wealthy or better-known candidates, and potentially result in general elections without Democratic candidates even in a heavily Democratic state, as critics argue has become possible in California’s system.

SOURCES

Progressive Mass

Progressive Dems of Massachusetts

ACTION DETAILS

Read up on the Election Day Voter Registration and Public Records Law Ballot Initiatives below.

Find a canvasser in your local area to sign these petitions before mid-June. Canvassers can be found at high-traffic locations such as supermarkets and local fairs.

If you don’t have access to a canvasser, download the petitions, sign them, and mail them to the address listed on the petition with enough time for them to reach the organizers between June 5 and June 12, so the signatures can be submitted to the local election officials. Note: the petitions below must be printed exactly as they appear in the downloadable documents (white paper, double-sided, no watermark, no added text).

Click HERE for a copy of the Same-Day Voter Registration Petition.

Click HERE for a copy of the Public Records Law Initiative Petition.

See these instructions for how to sign a petition properly.

Mail your signed petitions to the addresses printed on the petition, ideally by June 5, 2026.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

#1: Massachusetts Permit Election-Day Voter Registration Initiative

The initiative would permit election day voter registration in the state. As of 2026, Massachusetts voters must register to vote 10 days before an election to be permitted to cast a ballot in that election.

The full text of the ballot measure is available here.

No eligible voter should be turned away at the polls due to an error in or out-of-date voter registration. Election Day Voter Registration allows all eligible voters to register or update their registration in person on Election Day, eliminating the longstanding and arbitrary voter registration cutoff period.

Under the measure, voters could register to vote on election day at their polling place by providing an election official with proof of residency and then taking a written oath that they are eligible to vote.

Someone who wishes to register to vote on election day and cannot provide identification would be permitted to cast a provisional ballot, conditional upon their ability to provide the required identification.

Under the initiative, those who register to vote at a polling place on election day would also be registered to vote in subsequent elections.

Supporters:

Massachusetts Needs Same Day Voter Registration, Progressive Mass, 3/31/26, testimony about a proposed state bill.

Massachusetts Voter Table

Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts

Massachusetts Democratic State Committee

#2: Massachusetts Public Records Requirements for Legislature and Governor’s Office Initiative

Public records laws, like all “Sunshine Laws,” are a critical component of democracy. Without information, particularly about backroom decision-making, voters and constituents are unable to advocate. Unfortunately, the Massachusetts state government is not particularly transparent. The Massachusetts Legislature and the Governor’s Office have long been criticized for their lack of transparency, the concentration of power within the Legislature’s leadership, and roadblocks to public efforts to engage in oversight and advocacy. If government actions, spending, records, and deliberations are hidden from public view, citizens cannot effectively evaluate their leaders, hold them accountable, or make informed choices at the ballot box.

The ballot initiative would make records held by the state legislature and the governor’s office public records.As of 2026, books, papers, financial statements, and other documents held by government agencies are considered public records and subject to access requirements under Massachusetts law, but documents held by the state legislature and the governor’s office are exempt from this requirement.

The initiative includes two exceptions for types of documents held by the state legislature and the governor’s office that would not be subject to the public record law. Those include:

documents related to the development of policy positions of legislators or the governor; and
communications between a legislator’s office and their constituents concerning a constituent’s access to government services.

Ten Problems On Beacon Hill

Testimony on Expanding the Public Records Law, Progressive Mass, 6/24/25

Supporters:

Act on Mass

Progressive Mass

Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio

The Ballot Initiative Process in Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, citizens can place proposed laws or constitutional amendments on the statewide ballot through the initiative petition process. For a proposed law, supporters first file a petition signed by 10 registered voters with the Attorney General by the first Wednesday in August of the year before the election (i.e., 2025). If certified by the state, organizers must gather roughly 75,000 signatures by early December. The proposal then goes to the Legislature in January, which can enact it, substitute its own version, or do nothing. If lawmakers do not enact it by the first Wednesday in May, supporters must collect an additional roughly 12,400 signatures by early July to secure a place on the November ballot.

Right now, for the 2026 cycle, Massachusetts is in the post-legislative phase: the Legislature’s May 5, 2026, deadline to act on certified petitions has passed, so campaigns that survived are now gathering the second round of signatures needed for the November 2026 ballot. The next major deadline is June 17, 2026, when those additional signatures must be submitted to local election officials for certification, followed by the final filing deadline with the Secretary of State on July 1, 2026.

BONUS ACTION

Look before you sign!

Not all petitions are alike, and sometimes they require a deeper dive in order to understand their ramifications.

The Coalition for Healthy Democracy is putting forward an “All-Party” Primary System as a ballot initiative. On the surface, this effort appears to support democratic norms. This proposal would eliminate party primaries and place all candidates, regardless of party, on a single primary ballot, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election. Advocates for the All-Party primary system, sometimes called a “jungle primary,” argue it would increase competition and force candidates to appeal beyond their base.

Opponents, including Democratic Party organizations, Progressive Mass, and others, contend that this system would risk promoting conservative GOP candidates in fields with multiple progressive Democratic candidates. In theory, even in an overwhelmingly liberal state, two Republican candidates could advance to the general election. Critics note that this system gives candidates with greater name recognition and huge corporate donations an unfair advantage.

In California, where this system exists, there has been public reporting of a possible upset victory for the Governorship that would exclude any Democratic candidates from the general election.

The case against an all-party primary in Massachusetts, Boston Globe Opinion, May 7, 2026

Read our 10/15/25 IMC-CAN about the Primary Ballot Initiative

Share this link to SUBSCRIBE TO THE IMC-CAD with everyone you can (we are keeping this subscription free–it’s ok to skip the “Pledge” button that appears).

Protect Our Privacy!

Today, technology has far outpaced privacy law. Data brokers and Big Tech companies can collect, analyze, and sell vast amounts of our personal information, including precise cellphone location data that can reveal where we live, work, worship, seek medical care, protest, or spend time with our families.

Recent reporting shows that federal immigration authorities, including ICE, have purchased location data from private companies to track people without a warrant. These unchecked surveillance practices threaten everyone’s privacy and safety, but they especially endanger immigrants, LGBTQ people, abortion patients and providers, protesters, survivors of domestic violence, journalists, and other vulnerable communities.

The Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act (H.4746) would establish some of the strongest digital privacy protections in the country. The bill would ban the sale of precise geolocation data, limit how companies collect and process personal information, strengthen protections for minors and sensitive data, prohibit digital discrimination, and create meaningful accountability for powerful corporations that profit from surveillance.

The Massachusetts Senate already unanimously approved a strong version of this legislation, and the House Advanced IT Committee favorably reported the current bill in November 2025. Since then, however, the bill has stalled in the House Ways and Means Committee with no vote scheduled. Now is the time to contact your State Representative and demand action to move this critical privacy legislation forward. Use this CAN to advocate with your State House Representative, urging them to get these needed reforms done now!

As a bonus action, activists are also urging legislators to oppose proposed social media age-verification and youth social media restriction bills, including H.4229, “An Act protecting children from addictive social media feeds”. Critics, including more than 50 human rights, civil liberties, privacy, and LGBTQ advocacy organizations, warn that requiring users to verify their ages through government-issued identification or biometric systems would undermine anonymity, chill free expression, create major data privacy risks, and place vulnerable young people, especially LGBTQ youth, at greater risk rather than keeping them safe. The Senate adopted its own version of the bill, which does NOT include the concerning age verification requirements.

SOURCES

Progressive Mass

ACLU of MA

Fight for the Future

ACTION DETAILS

Step One: Find your MA House Representative HERE.

Step Two:

Call Script: (personalize all items in blue):

If you reach an answering machine and leave a voicemail, be certain to leave your full name, address, and phone number so that your call is tallied

“Hi, my name is [Name], and I’m your constituent in [Town]. I am calling to urge [Rep Name] to support the Consumer Data Privacy Act, H.4746, and get it to a vote as quickly as possible.

Massachusetts families deserve safety, privacy, and fairness, not ICE collaboration, not data brokers, not corporate loopholes. This bill is important for protecting our personal location data and keeping everyone safe.

This bill is a critical step to not only protect our privacy, but to keep people in Massachusetts safe from exploitation, harassment, or violence – including immigrants, seniors, children, people seeking abortion and gender-affirming care, survivors of domestic abuse, veterans, elected officials, and law enforcement.

The Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act would stop unnecessary and invasive online surveillance by creating meaningful limits on the collection and use of our personal data and prohibiting companies from selling our precise location information.

Please act to protect our privacy and personal safety by passing the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act as swiftly as possible.

Thank you.

[Your name]”

Alternative Option

Use this link from the ACLU to send an email to your state House Representative.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Recent reports have shown that ICE has been buying cell phone location data to track people at work or at home. Currently, no laws prevent data brokers from buying and selling our sensitive data, like location data, on the open market. Strengthening our data privacy protections is essential. Big Tech companies like Facebook and Google, which have been buddying up to the Trump administration, are lobbying to water down the Massachusetts bill. If adopted, this data privacy bill would be the strongest protection in the country!

The House Advanced IT Committee released H.4746 with a favorable report. Now, it sits in the House Ways and Means Committee, with no sign of movement on the bill.

The MCDPA (H. 4746) builds on a bill unanimously passed by the Senate in September. Both bills include strong data minimization rules that set meaningful limits on the personal data that companies can collect and the sensitive data they can use, offer enhanced protections for minors’ personal data, ban the sale of precise geolocation data, and have strong civil rights language to prohibit digital discrimination. The House bill also includes:

A private right of action under Massachusetts’ Consumer Protection law (chapter 93A) for large data holders, offering a critical enforcement option against the most powerful companies that collect large volumes of personal data;
A requirement that the processing of non-sensitive personal data be consistent with the consumers’ reasonable expectations;
A stronger definition of “affirmative consent” narrows the exemption for publicly available information;
The addition of union membership and veteran status to the definition of “sensitive data”;
A strong data security rule that requires companies to delete personal data when it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected; and
A requirement that browsers offer a global opt-out signal to consumers, mirroring a protection just enacted in California.

Your State Representative needs to hear from YOU about the importance of getting a strong bill passed as soon as possible.

Progressive Mass’s Data Privacy Links, 2026

Bill History

Sep 2025: The MA Senate voted 40-0 to pass the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act, which would ban the sale of sensitive data (including location data). Senate Fact Sheet.

Nov 2025: The Location Shield Act bill was folded into a new draft, (H.4746) “ Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act,” a broader omnibus privacy bill. This bill contains broad privacy rules that treat precise geolocation data as sensitive. The ACLU of Massachusetts supports the bill’s consumer protections, including bans on selling sensitive information (like precise location data) and protections for people vulnerable to exploitation, harassment, or discrimination. The bill is currently before the House Ways and Means Committee, but it could come to the House floor for a vote soon.

Recent reports from the ACLU indicate that DHS/ICE is buying location data that it would ordinarily require a warrant to access.

Mass House Committee Releases Strong Privacy Bill, Nov 17, 2025

ACLU of Massachusetts Applauds House Data Privacy Bill

Previous IMC-CANs (7/02/25 & 8/27/25)included action alerts for a previous version of this law, the Location Shield Act (H.86/S.197).

BONUS ACTION

Oppose the Unconstitutional Social Media Ban and Age Verification Requirements. nnolly

50+ human rights groups release letter urging Massachusetts lawmakers to reject age verification bills, hold press conference with Rep. Mike Connolly, Fight for the Future, 5/13/26

Human rights advocates rally against proposed youth social media ban in Mass., WGBH, 5/13/26

25 Reasons to Oppose Age-Based Social Media Bans, Mass50501

👉👉👉CLICK HERE: 4/15/26 CAN Action Sheet

About the IMC-CAN Weekly Actions:

The Coordinated Action Network (IMC-CAN) Team is an Action Team of the Indivisible Massachusetts Coalition (IMC). We work with legislative experts and advocacy groups (Indivisible National, ACLU, Common Cause, Progressive Mass, MIRA, and many others) to vet and prioritize a short list of actions for the week. These actions are sent to thousands of individuals each Wednesday through IMC’s weekly newsletter.

Please share these priority IMC-CAN actions with your networks each week to amplify our impact! Click on the Action Sheet links below for everything you need!

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

SUBSCRIBE HERE TO THE FREE IMC-CAN SUBSTACK

Share this link to SUBSCRIBE TO THE IMC-CAN with everyone you can (we are keeping this subscription free–it’s ok to skip the “Pledge” button that appears).

Protect Our Privacy!

The IMC-CAN — Fri, 15 May 2026 20:05:02 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action May 15, 2026

Protect Our Privacy!

SOURCES

Progressive Mass

ACLU of MA

Fight for the Future

ACTION DETAILS

Step One: Find your MA House Representative HERE.

Step Two:

Call Script: (personalize all items in blue):

If you reach an answering machine and leave a voicemail, be certain to leave your full name, address, and phone number so that your call is tallied

“Hi, my name is [Name], and I’m your constituent in [Town]. I am calling to urge [Rep Name] to support the Consumer Data Privacy Act, H.4746, and get it to a vote as quickly as possible.

Please act to protect our privacy and personal safety by passing the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act as swiftly as possible.

Thank you.

[Your name]”

Alternative Option

Use this link from the ACLU to send an email to your state House Representative.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The House Advanced IT Committee released H.4746 with a favorable report. Now, it sits in the House Ways and Means Committee, with no sign of movement on the bill.

A private right of action under Massachusetts’ Consumer Protection law (chapter 93A) for large data holders, offering a critical enforcement option against the most powerful companies that collect large volumes of personal data;
A requirement that the processing of non-sensitive personal data be consistent with the consumers’ reasonable expectations;
A stronger definition of “affirmative consent” narrows the exemption for publicly available information;
The addition of union membership and veteran status to the definition of “sensitive data”;
A strong data security rule that requires companies to delete personal data when it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected; and
A requirement that browsers offer a global opt-out signal to consumers, mirroring a protection just enacted in California.

Your State Representative needs to hear from YOU about the importance of getting a strong bill passed as soon as possible.

Progressive Mass’s Data Privacy Links, 2026

Bill History

Sep 2025: The MA Senate voted 40-0 to pass the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act, which would ban the sale of sensitive data (including location data). Senate Fact Sheet.

Recent reports from the ACLU indicate that DHS/ICE is buying location data that it would ordinarily require a warrant to access.

Mass House Committee Releases Strong Privacy Bill, Nov 17, 2025

ACLU of Massachusetts Applauds House Data Privacy Bill

Previous IMC-CANs (7/02/25 & 8/27/25)included action alerts for a previous version of this law, the Location Shield Act (H.86/S.197).

BONUS ACTION

Oppose the Unconstitutional Social Media Ban and Age Verification Requirements. nnolly

50+ human rights groups release letter urging Massachusetts lawmakers to reject age verification bills, hold press conference with Rep. Mike Connolly, Fight for the Future, 5/13/26

Human rights advocates rally against proposed youth social media ban in Mass., WGBH, 5/13/26

25 Reasons to Oppose Age-Based Social Media Bans, Mass50501

👉👉👉CLICK HERE: 4/15/26 CAN Action Sheet

About the IMC-CAN Weekly Actions:

Please share these priority IMC-CAN actions with your networks each week to amplify our impact! Click on the Action Sheet links below for everything you need!

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

SUBSCRIBE HERE TO THE FREE IMC-CAN SUBSTACK

Share this link to SUBSCRIBE TO THE IMC-CAN with everyone you can (we are keeping this subscription free–it’s ok to skip the “Pledge” button that appears).

A World Cup Challenge for Massachusetts: Pass the PROTECT Act

The IMC-CAN — Fri, 15 May 2026 19:53:59 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action May 15, 2026

A World Cup Challenge for Massachusetts: Pass the PROTECT Act

After years of advocacy and multiple versions of similar legislation being filed on Beacon Hill, the Massachusetts Legislature is now closer than ever to passing the PROTECT Act. In March, the House passed H.5305 by a vote of 134–21, and on May 7, the Senate passed its companion version, S.3072, by a vote of 37–3.

The two pieces of legislation would establish statewide standards limiting local and state participation in federal civil immigration enforcement, prohibit or sharply restrict new 287(g) agreements, strengthen due process protections, and create safeguards to protect immigrants from civil immigration enforcement activities in sensitive settings such as schools, hospitals, courthouses, childcare facilities, and houses of worship. The bills are essential to protecting constitutional rights, public safety, and community trust by helping ensure that immigrants can seek services, report crimes, seek medical care, attend school, and participate in civic life without fear.

The next step is for House and Senate leadership to appoint a conference committee to reconcile differences between the two versions and produce a final compromise bill for votes in both chambers.

Immigration advocates are urging legislative leaders to convene the conference committee immediately — ideally by late May or early June — so that a final bill can reach the House and Senate floors well before the end of formal legislative sessions on July 31. Many advocates also hope the legislation will be enacted before the FIFA World Cup begins on June 11, 2026, when Massachusetts and the United States will be under heightened international attention.

Versions of this legislation have been introduced repeatedly for years without final passage. With overwhelming support now demonstrated in both chambers, advocates are calling on constituents to contact their State Representatives and State Senators immediately and urge them to press leadership to move the PROTECT Act across the finish line this session.

Use this CAN to contact your state legislators and urge them to act now!

SOURCES

Progressive Massachusetts

Protecting Mass Communities Campaign

Mass50501

ACTION DETAILS

STEP ONE: Find your MA State Representative and State Senator contact information HERE.

STEP TWO: Call your State Senator or leave a voicemail message.

IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied. (If you’re shy…call after hours…staffers still must log the calls)

Please personalize all the words in blue.

CALL SCRIPT

Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I live in [Your Town]. I’m calling to urge Senator/Representative ________ to communicate to House and Senate leadership that they want to see the PROTECT Act moved quickly through the conference committee process and brought to the floor for a vote during this legislative session.

The House and Senate have both overwhelmingly passed versions of the PROTECT Act, but now leadership must appoint a conference committee to reconcile the bills and produce a final version. We are urging legislators to push leadership to act immediately so this legislation does not stall or quietly die in negotiations, as similar bills have for years.

ICE has been terrorizing communities across Massachusetts, breaking up families, undermining public trust, and creating fear that keeps people from reporting crimes, seeking medical care, or accessing the courts. Massachusetts lags behind many other blue states in establishing clear statewide protections limiting collaboration between local law enforcement and federal civil immigration enforcement.

I support the Protecting Massachusetts Communities Coalition’s efforts to advance the strongest protections possible, including legislation that:

(1) bans 287(g) agreements between state, county, and local law enforcement and ICE;
(2) ensures that law enforcement does not ask about immigration status;
(3) prohibits state and local agencies from assisting ICE with civil immigration enforcement, including sharing information, facilitating arrests, or allowing ICE to use local facilities, equipment, or resources; and
(4) protects immigrants’ access to schools, hospitals, courts, shelters, and other essential services without fear.

We hope Massachusetts will pass this legislation before the FIFA World Cup begins on June 11, when the world’s attention will be on our state and country. This is the closest this legislation has come to passage in years, and now is the time to get it done.

I urge Senator/Representative ________ to advocate for quick action on the conference committee and to vote for the strongest possible final version of the PROTECT Act.

Thank you,

[Your Name]

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Updates:

On May 7, the State Senate voted to adopt its own version of the PROTECT Act, S.3072.

MIRA Announcement about S.3072

MIRA Coalition’s Analysis of Senate Bill

Progressive Mass’s Analysis of Senate Bill

On 3/25/26, the MA House passed its redraft (H.5305) of the PROTECT Act, the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus’s bill to protect Massachusetts communities from increasingly lawless behavior from ICE.

Both versions of the PROTECT Act restrict cooperation and communication between state and local law enforcement and ICE, and add additional protections. While there are differences between the two versions, a final compromise bill is critical right now.

Senate Passage of the PROTECT Act

PRESS RELEASE: Senate Passes PROTECT Act to Defend Residents from Federal Immigration Overreach – May 7, 2026

FACT SHEET: Senate PROTECT Act

PRESS RELEASE: Senate Advances the PROTECT Act – April 30, 2026

What is the process now?

When the Massachusetts House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill, the next step is to form a conference committee to negotiate a single compromise version. The Speaker of the House and the Senate President appoint the conferees, typically three legislators from each chamber, including members of the relevant committees and leadership allies.

The conference committee meets privately to resolve differences between the two bills section by section and produce a “conference report,” which becomes the final negotiated version of the legislation. Conference committees can move quickly when leadership prioritizes a bill, sometimes producing a report within days or weeks. That is why advocates are emphasizing urgency now, especially given the approaching end of formal sessions on July 31 and the desire to enact the bill before the FIFA World Cup begins on June 11.

Once the conference committee releases its report, the process changes dramatically: the House and Senate must each vote yes or no on the exact final text, and no further amendments are allowed. At that point, legislators cannot modify or strengthen the bill on the floor; the only options are approval or rejection.

This makes the current stage critically important for public advocacy. Calls and emails to State Representatives and Senators can help pressure legislative leadership to appoint the conference committee quickly, prioritize negotiations, and push conferees to produce a strong final bill rather than allowing the legislation to quietly die in negotiations, which has happened to similar immigrant protection bills for years.

Constituents must urge their legislators to communicate directly with House and Senate leadership about the urgency of moving the PROTECT Act to a final vote this session.

Past CANs on the PROTECT ACT

Protect Massachusetts Now! 2/4/26 CAN

Testify for Justice: Support the PROTECT Act, 2/25/26 CAN

Protect People. Protect Rights. PROTECT Act. 2/25/26 CAN

Learn More About the Issues

State House Press Release on Amended Protect Act

Sen. Jason Lewis, Senate pass PROTECT Act to defend residents from federal immigration overreach, 5/13/26

MA Senate Votes 37 to 3 for the PROTECT Act, 5/7/26

Immigrants’ Rights Coalition Applauds House Passage of PROTECT ACT, ACLU of MA

Protecting Massachusetts Communities Campaign, MIRA Coalition

Mass. House expected to pass bill Wednesday to block warrantless ICE arrests at courthouses

MA House Passes the PROTECT Act 134 to 21

About the IMC-CAN Weekly Actions:

Please share these priority IMC-CAN actions with your networks each week to amplify our impact! Click on the Action Sheet links below for everything you need!

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

SUBSCRIBE HERE TO THE FREE IMC-CAN SUBSTACK

Share this link to SUBSCRIBE TO THE IMC-CAN with everyone you can (we are keeping this subscription free–it’s ok to skip the “Pledge” button that appears).

We Need Increased Funding for Critical Immigrant Services!

The IMC-CAN — Thu, 07 May 2026 01:55:09 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action May 6, 2026

About the IMC-CAN Weekly Actions:

Please share these priority IMC-CAN actions with your networks each week to amplify our impact! Click on the Action Sheet links below for everything you need!

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

SUBSCRIBE HERE TO THE FREE IMC-CAN SUBSTACK

This Week’s Top Priority Action:

We Need Increased Funding for Critical Immigrant Services!

Massachusetts is entering a critical phase of the FY27 budget process, and decisions made in the next few weeks will determine whether thousands of immigrant residents can access legal protection and a pathway to citizenship. The House approved its version of the budget on 4/30/26. The Senate Ways and Means Committee has just released its proposed version, which will most likely be voted on later this month. After that, a final compromise budget will be developed.

The MIRA Coalition and other immigration advocates are calling on constituents to contact their State Representatives and State Senators to urge them to prioritize funding for two essential programs: $15 million for the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI), which provides free legal defense to immigrants at imminent risk of deportation, and $2 million for the Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP), which supports community-based citizenship services. Both programs are already overwhelmed at a time when our immigrant neighbors face increased ICE threats. Access to legal counsel and citizenship services saves lives.

Use this action to contact your State legislators and urge them to support the budget for these essential programs! This is a key moment where constituent voices can directly influence what gets included. Call or email your legislator today—and ask them to support robust funding for MACI and CNAP! This will help ensure that access to legal protection and citizenship does not depend on income, and that Massachusetts lives up to its commitment to fairness, due process, and strong, inclusive communities.

Click here to access the action sheet.

PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT The People!

The IMC-CAN — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:08:59 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action April 22, 2026

About the IMC-CAN Weekly Actions:

Please share these priority IMC-CAN actions with your networks each week to amplify our impact! Click on the Action Sheet links below for everything you need!

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

SUBSCRIBE HERE TO THE FREE IMC-CAN SUBSTACK

PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT The People!

The Massachusetts House has taken an important step by passing the PROTECT Act (H.5293). This legislation is designed to safeguard our immigrant neighbors and uphold fundamental rights in our communities.

Now the bill moves to the Senate, where its final strength will be decided.

This is a critical moment: we must thank our State Representatives for their leadership and urge our State Senators to deliver a final bill with no carve-outs that weaken it.

Massachusetts needs a final version that bans 287(g) agreements, prohibits state and local law enforcement from inquiring about immigration status, and prevents the sharing of nonpublic information or advance-release notifications with ICE.

The State Senate can also strengthen the bill by prohibiting courthouse arrests both inside and outside courthouses.

We are making progress, but a lot can happen before the final bill is enacted into law. We must let our legislators know that we want them to fight for the strongest protections possible. If you belong to an activist group, use the link below to sign on to the People’s PROTECT Act Platform and join the Week of Action. At stake is whether Massachusetts will truly uphold its values by ensuring transparency, accountability, and meaningful protection for all residents, including those most vulnerable to harm.

This is a critical moment, and your voice can help make a difference

SOURCES

Progressive Massachusetts

Mass50501

LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts

MIRA Coalition

ACTION DETAILS

STEP ONE: Find your MA State Representative and State Senator contact information HERE.

STEP TWO: Email or call your Democratic State House Representative to thank them for voting for the PROTECT Act. Note: A small number of Republican State Reps also voted for it. You can see the vote tally here. To thank your State House Representative, use this easy click-to-email tool; just fill out your information, and it generates a pre-written email to your legislator. We encourage you to make it as personalized as possible!

Direct link to tool: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/thank-your-representative-for-supporting-the-protect-act

STEP THREE: Call your State Senator or leave a voicemail message.

IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied. (If you’re shy…call after hours…staffers still must log the calls)

Please personalize all the words in blue.

CALL SCRIPT:

“Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I live in [Your Town]. I was thrilled to see the Historic House vote to pass the PROTECT Act this year, and hope to see the Senate take action on this bill soon.

ICE is terrorizing communities across Massachusetts, breaking up families and breaking the law. But MA lags behind other blue states in taking meaningful action to rein in police collaboration with ICE and protect immigrant communities.

Beacon Hill could pass legislation RIGHT NOW to change that. That’s why I support the Protect Massachusetts Communities coalition’s efforts to advance legislation to ban informal and formal collaboration between state and local law enforcement and ICE.

We need Beacon Hill to take action, and I urge you to talk to your colleagues and Leadership to build support for the strongest possible legislation that:

Ends Local Law Enforcement Collaboration with ICE
- Prohibits Information Sharing with ICE
- Bans all 287(G) Contracts in Massachusetts
- Ends Fusion Centers
Expands Optional Virtual Court Access
Improves the U/T Visa Certification Process

I urge you to support the PROTECT Act and work to make the final approved version as strong as possible.

Can I count on [Senator ______] to talk to leadership about the importance of passing these protections into law as soon as possible?

Thank you for your time.

[Your Name]

MIRA Coalition Email Link to Email Legislators

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

What Has Happened?

On 3/25/26, the MA House passed its redraft of the PROTECT Act, the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus’s bill to protect Massachusetts communities from increasingly lawless behavior from ICE.

The bill restricts cooperation and communication between state and local law enforcement and ICE and adds additional protections:

Prohibits law enforcement from inquiring about immigration status, with narrow exceptions
Bars the use of state and local resources for civil immigration enforcement
Limits the sharing of nonpublic information and advance release notifications by banning the *initiation* of contact with ICE
Bans new 287(g) agreements (with very narrow exceptions), i.e., which deputize state and local law enforcement as ICE agents
Limits civil arrests in courthouses by requiring a judicial warrant or order, and a review by a judicial official
Requires that employers provide written notice to employees within 48 hours of receiving a federal immigration inspection notice, such as an I-9 audit
Strengthens protections for individuals in ICE detention (i.e., requiring notice of legal rights in a person’s primary language at intake, guaranteeing confidential attorney-client communication, mandating the timely tracking of custody status and transfers with notice to counsel and designated contacts; providing interpretation services for key interactions and ensuring access to court proceedings)
Makes it easier for victims of crime and human trafficking to secure U and T visas, which provide a legal status that can lead to a green card
Authorizes the Governor to restrict civil immigration enforcement in nonpublic areas of state facilities, and requires multilingual guidance for agencies, private entities, law enforcement, and public school districts

What does the House Version Not Do?

The House version of the PROTECT Act narrowed some protections and included carveouts that immigration justice advocates say are insufficient. See the People’s PROTECT Act Platform for a full explanation of the concerns.

April, 2026 Updates

The draft PROTECT Act is now in the State Senate’s hands. They must vote on a version of this bill, then send it back to a joint House-Senate committee for reconciliation. Action on the bill is expected soon, but the final version remains unclear.

Recently, the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network and dozens of other advocacy groups across the state have been signing onto a People’s PROTECT Act Platform. This platform seeks to urge the State Senate to reinstate provisions-both from the original PROTECT Act and from a bill submitted by Gov. Maura Healey–that were not included in the House’s version.

See the organizational letter and its growing list of dozens of signatories here.

👉 If you belong to a group that wishes to sign on to this letter, have your group representative use this form.

👉Join the Week of Action Now

Past CANs on the PROTECT ACT

Now is the Moment: PROTECT Our Immigrant Neighbors, 4/2/26 CAN

Protect Massachusetts Now! 2/4/26 CAN

Testify for Justice: Support the PROTECT Act, 2/25/26 CAN

Protect People. Protect Rights. PROTECT Act. 2/25/26 CAN

Learn More About the Issues

State House Press Release on Amended Protect Act

Immigrants’ Rights Coalition Applauds House Passage of PROTECT ACT, ACLU of MA

Protecting Massachusetts Communities Campaign, MIRA Coalition

Mass. House expected to pass bill Wednesday to block warrantless ICE arrests at courthouses

MA House Passes the PROTECT Act 134 to 21

1. Tell Congress to Do Its Job and Knock on ICE's Door! 2. PROTECT The People! 3. May Day Strong: Disrupt the System!

The IMC-CAN — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:07:14 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action April 22, 2026

About the IMC-CAN Weekly Actions:

Please share these priority IMC-CAN actions with your networks each week to amplify our impact! Click on the Action Sheet links below for everything you need!

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

SUBSCRIBE HERE TO THE FREE IMC-CAN SUBSTACK

This Week’s Top Priority Actions:

1. Tell Congress to Do Its Job and Knock on ICE’s Door!

Call your U.S. Senators and Representative and demand immediate, unannounced, and ongoing congressional oversight visits to the ICE facility in Burlington! Congressman Jim McGovern successfully conducted an unannounced visit in early April, but we can’t stop here. The federal courts have affirmed Congress’s legal authority to conduct such inspections without advance notice and have held that these surprise visits are essential to prevent ICE from concealing abuses. Use this simple, 10-minute action plan, including a call script, to press your elected officials to coordinate across the Massachusetts delegation to ensure persistent, not one-time, inspections.

The urgency stems from mounting reports of inhumane conditions at the Burlington ICE Facility, which was designed as a short-term holding space but is allegedly being used for prolonged detention. Detainees have reported overcrowding, lack of beds, inadequate food and medical care, and limited access to legal support, with minors held alongside unrelated adults.

Unannounced oversight is a critical accountability tool—necessary to expose systemic problems, protect basic human rights, and ensure that ICE complies with the law—while highlighting the broader grassroots movement already mobilizing around the facility. We need our Senators and Members of Congress to work together to exercise their power collectively and refuse to give up their oversight authority in advance.

Click here to access the action sheet.

2. PROTECT The People!

Now the bill moves to the Senate, where its final strength will be decided.

This is a critical moment: we must thank our State Representatives for their leadership and urge our State Senators to deliver a final bill with no carve-outs that weaken it.

The State Senate can also strengthen the bill by prohibiting courthouse arrests both inside and outside courthouses.

This is a critical moment, and your voice can help make a difference

Click here to access the action sheet.

3. May Day Strong: Disrupt the System!

Our pro-democracy movement organizing did not stop with No Kings Day. May Day is the next step.

May Day organizers across the country are calling for a powerful, coordinated day of action on May 1—bringing together workers, immigrants, students, and community members to stand up for democracy, economic justice, and human rights. Through rallies, marches, and, in some cases, collective actions like “No Work, No School, No Shopping,” these campaigns aim to demonstrate the collective power of everyday people to challenge policies and systems that prioritize corporate interests over communities. A central focus includes defending immigrant rights, opposing detention and deportation systems, and demanding accountability from both government and corporate actors.

This is not just a single day of protest—it’s an invitation to sustained civic engagement. Organizers are urging people to show up locally, connect with grassroots groups, and take visible, nonviolent action to defend democratic institutions and push for meaningful change. Whether by attending a rally, helping organize, participating in economic blackouts or boycotts, or spreading the word, May Day is positioned as a moment to build momentum for an ongoing movement grounded in solidarity, dignity, and collective action.

May 1 will be a coordinated day of nonviolent economic disruption—a collective pause to show the power of everyday people. That means no work, no school, and no shopping wherever participation is possible. Inspired by actions in Minneapolis—where communities disrupted business as usual in response to aggressive ICE activity—Indivisible and allied groups have come together to launch the next phase of collective action: May Day Strong.

This is a chance to test and expand our movement’s capacity for a different kind of peaceful protest—one that targets the economic engine that sustains harmful policies. It’s not a formal labor strike, but it is a bold expression of civic power. When people withhold their labor, their spending, and their participation, they send a clear message: our economy—and our democracy—depend on us.

Click here to access the action sheet.

1. No More Big Brother Surveillance in Massachusetts! 2. Oppose the Unconstitutional Social Media Ban!

The IMC-CAN — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:03:09 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action April 15, 2026

About the IMC-CAN Weekly Actions:

Please share these priority IMC-CAN actions with your networks each week to amplify our impact! Click on the Action Sheet links below for everything you need!

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

SUBSCRIBE HERE TO THE FREE IMC-CAN SUBSTACK

This Week’s Top Priority Actions:

1. No More Big Brother Surveillance in Massachusetts!

Massachusetts residents are already living in a world of constant, largely invisible surveillance—where our movements, habits, and personal lives are tracked, packaged, and sold with almost no meaningful limits. Companies collect precise location data from our phones and cars. This location data doesn’t stay private—it’s bought and used by government agencies, including ICE, to monitor people as they go about their daily lives.

At the same time, local police surveillance tools are feeding into nationwide data-sharing systems, meaning information about where you drive in Massachusetts can end up in the hands of officials in states targeting immigrants or criminalizing reproductive healthcare. Under the policies and priorities of the Donald Trump administration, this kind of data has already been used in ways that threaten civil liberties—especially for vulnerable communities.

The solution is clear—but it’s at risk.

Bills H.3755 and H.4746 would finally put real limits on this surveillance economy and give residents enforceable privacy rights.

Despite strong public support, these reforms are facing delays, behind-the-scenes opposition, and intense lobbying from powerful industry interests that profit from our data.

This is a pivotal moment: without urgent public pressure, these protections could stall or be watered down. That’s why activists need to act now. Legislators need to hear—loudly—that Massachusetts must lead on privacy, not leave residents exposed to a system that can track, target, and exploit them without accountability. Call or email your state legislators now!

Click here to access the action sheet.

2. Oppose the Unconstitutional Social Media Ban!

Last week, the Massachusetts House advanced H.5366, an amendment to the Senate bill (S.2581), that would ban minors from social media and require everyone to go through ID verification before use, similar to the social media ban passed in Florida in 2024. There is no denying that social media can be harmful to people, including children and adults. However, requiring everyone to verify that they live in Massachusetts and are over the age of 16 before using any social media–which this bill defines it to include sites such as Substack and Wikipedia–is extreme.

Under this bill, every social media account will be linked to your real identity and can be subpoenaed and leaked. This bill also includes a parental surveillance provision requiring kids ages 14 to 15 to have a parent verify their ID.

Because this bill originated as amendments to the Senate school cell phone ban, it now moves to a “Conference Committee” to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate proposals, with members from both chambers. Let our legislators know that across-the-board bans on social media and mandated identity verification are not the solution!

Click here to access the action sheet.

CITIZENS BANK: Cruelty is Bad for Business! Justice at Every Step: Fund Deportation Defense and Citizenship Supports Now!

The IMC-CAN — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:12:19 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action April 8, 2026

About the IMC-CAN Weekly Actions:

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

SUBSCRIBE HERE TO THE FREE IMC-CAN SUBSTACK

This Week’s Top Priority Actions:

1. Citizens Bank: Cruelty is Bad for Business!

Across the country, activists are organizing coordinated, targeted protests against Citizens Bank for its financial ties to CoreCivic and GEO Group, the for-profit companies that operate ICE detention facilities notorious for safety violations, human rights abuses, and preventable deaths.

In just three months, the De-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition has expanded to 12 states plus DC, mobilizing thousands of activists. The March 7 day of action brought 70 protests across 12 states and Washington, DC, earning national attention, including a mention on The Rachel Maddow Show.

This campaign reflects well-established research on nonviolent movements, including the work of Erica Chenoweth, which shows that successful resistance efforts often target the “pillars of support” that sustain unjust policies—such as financial institutions, contractors, and corporate partners.

By focusing on banks that finance detention contractors, organizers aim to generate reputational, financial, and moral pressure that can prompt companies to withdraw support, weakening the broader infrastructure that enables harmful systems. The De-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition seeks not only to raise public awareness but also to drive institutional shifts and defections within these networks.

On April 23, the Coalition will bring its message directly to corporate leadership with a protest at the bank’s annual shareholder meeting!

Follow the steps below to stay informed and get involved. If you haven’t already, sign up for the De-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition. Join the Coalition in demanding that Citizens Bank stop profiting from the suffering of others!

Click here to access the action sheet.

2. Justice at Every Step: Fund Deportation Defense and Citizenship Supports Now!

Massachusetts is entering a critical phase of the FY27 budget process, and decisions made in the next few weeks will determine whether thousands of immigrant residents can access legal protection and a pathway to citizenship. The MIRA Coalition and other immigration advocates are calling on constituents to contact their State Representatives right now and urge them to prioritize funding for two essential programs: $15 million for the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI), which provides free legal defense to immigrants at imminent risk of deportation, and $2 million for the Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP), which supports community-based citizenship services. Both programs are already overwhelmed at a time when our immigrant neighbors face increased ICE threats.

Use this action to contact your State Representative and urge them to support the budget for these essential programs! State Representatives are currently submitting their budget priorities to House leadership, and once the House budget is finalized and brought to a vote, the window to shape funding levels narrows significantly. This is a key moment where constituent voices can directly influence what gets included. Call or email your legislator today—and ask them to support robust funding for MACI and CNAP! This will help ensure that access to legal protection and citizenship does not depend on income, and that Massachusetts lives up to its commitment to fairness, due process, and strong, inclusive communities.

Click here to access the action sheet.

Now Is the Moment — Protect Our Immigrant Neighbors! No Kings 3: Here’s How to Keep the Momentum Going!

The IMC-CAN — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:32:15 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action April 2, 2026

About the IMC-CAN Weekly Actions:

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

SUBSCRIBE HERE TO THE FREE IMC-CAN SUBSTACK

This Week’s Top Priority Actions:

1. Now Is the Moment — Protect Our Immigrant Neighbors!

The Massachusetts House has taken an important step by passing the PROTECT Act (H.5293). This legislation is designed to safeguard our immigrant neighbors and uphold fundamental rights in our communities.

Now the bill moves to the Senate, where its final strength will be decided.

This is a critical moment: we must thank our State Representatives for their leadership and urge our State Senators to deliver a final bill with no carve-outs that weaken it.

The Senate should also strengthen the bill by prohibiting courthouse arrests both inside and outside courthouses.

We are making progress, but a lot can happen before the final bill is enacted into law. We must let our legislators know that we want them to fight for the strongest protections possible. At stake is whether Massachusetts will truly uphold its values by ensuring transparency, accountability, and meaningful protection for all residents, including those most vulnerable to harm.

This is a critical moment, and your voice can help make a difference!

Click here to access the Action Sheet.

2. No Kings 3: Here’s How to Keep the Momentum Going!

The March 28 “No Kings 3” National Day of Protest—organized by groups like Indivisible and amplified through the No Kings Coalition—marked a powerful nationwide mobilization against authoritarianism and the erosion of democratic norms. With thousands of coordinated events across the country and an estimated 8 million participants turning out in cities, towns, and rural communities alike, the day demonstrated both the breadth and depth of grassroots resistance. The scale and geographic reach made clear that this movement is not symbolic—it is organized, expanding, and capable of shaping public narrative and political pressure.

But organizers are equally clear: mass protest is only the beginning. Mobilizations like No Kings 3 only work when there is an organized movement working between big, visible protest events. The next phase demands sustained action—calling and meeting with legislators, building durable local networks, organizing in our communities, and pushing for concrete policy wins.

Now is the moment to turn turnout into power—stay engaged, get organized locally, and make sure your voice is impossible to ignore. The momentum is real; what happens next depends on what we do with it.

Click here to access the Action Sheet.

Take Action Now to PROTECT Massachusetts!

The IMC-CAN — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:41:47 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action March 24, 2026

About the IMC-CAN Weekly Actions:

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

SUBSCRIBE HERE TO THE FREE IMC-CAN SUBSTACK

This Week’s Top Priority Actions:

Pass the PROTECT Act NOW!

The PROTECT Act is no longer just a proposal: it is actively moving through the Massachusetts legislature, creating a narrow window where public pressure can shape the outcome.

The House Public Safety Committee has released an amended version and advanced it, positioning the bill for a vote in the House in the coming weeks, with leadership support suggesting it is likely to pass in some form. You can view the amended bill released by House Ways and Means here: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5305

But the details of that “final” version are still being negotiated, and they matter: while the bill includes important protections like limits on cooperation with ICE and restrictions on courthouse arrests, advocates are pushing to ensure it contains strong, unequivocal bans on 287(g) agreements, which deputize local law enforcement as immigration agents.

This is the critical moment where constituent pressure can influence what survives into the House and Senate versions, and whether the final law truly prevents local complicity in federal immigration enforcement. Act now to ensure the bill that ultimately passes is not diluted, but instead delivers the full set of protections communities are demanding!

Right now, the House is scheduled to vote on it tomorrow, Wednesday, March 25. Act now!

Click here to access the MIRA Coalition’s Action Alert.

No More Forever Wars! Get Ready for No Kings 3.0 (March 28)!

The IMC-CAN — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 19:43:24 GMT

IMC-CAN Team Weekly Action March 19, 2026

About the IMC-CAN Weekly Actions:

Have a good idea for the CAN? You can suggest action items! Each week, the IMC-CAN Team receives suggested actions from a wide range of activists through its CAN Team Action Submission Form.

SUBSCRIBE HERE TO THE FREE IMC-CAN SUBSTACK

This Week’s Top Priority Actions:

1. No More Forever Wars!

Progressive activists should be urgently calling their U.S. senators and representatives to oppose the slide into another “forever war” in the Middle East, one that lacks clear legal justification, risks civilian lives and critical infrastructure, and deepens an already devastating humanitarian crisis. With credible reports indicating no imminent threat justifying escalation, continued military action raises serious concerns under international law while draining public resources, driving up energy and food costs at home, and further destabilizing the global economy. This path isolates the United States, damages its credibility, and contributes to long-term environmental harm in an already fragile region.

Now is the moment to demand accountability, reassert Congress’s constitutional authority over war powers, and push for diplomacy over endless conflict. Call your legislators and make clear that your community does not support another open-ended war!

Click here to access the action sheet.

2. No Kings 3: Show up on March 28!

Let’s keep the momentum going! On October 18th, 7 million people showed up for Last No Kings. With the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, along with the escalation of the Iran War, the ongoing Epstein cover-up, the escalating Trump Regime corruption and self-dealing, and the erosion of democratic norms, we need to show up and speak out. We are on the brink of a global war–now is the time to show up!

The protests in Minneapolis this winter showed us that people power can make a difference, but only if we all turn out in mass numbers and we keep the pressure going. THIS is what democracy looks like!

The IMC-CAN

Defend the Defenders: Yes on Question 2

This week, we are tackling Question #2: Massachusetts Question 2, Permit Collective Bargaining for Committee for Public Counsel Services Employees Initiative (2026).

Source

Background

What is the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS)?

Why is Question 2 important?

A public-defense system under strain

What Question 2 would change

Learn More

LOOK BEFORE YOU VOTE: JUNGLE PRIMARIES BALLOT QUESTION!

LOOK BEFORE YOU VOTE: Jungle Primaries

Background Information

What does Ballot Question #3 Do?

What Do Proponents Say?

What Do Critics Say?

News and Commentary on Top-Two “Jungle” Primaries

All Eyes on Hanscom!

Source

Action Details

Background Information

What is the De-ICE Hanscom Coalition doing?

1. Weekly standouts at Hanscom Field

2. Tracking ICE flights and ground movements

3. Pressuring Massport and Governor Healey

4. Seeking publicly viewable cameras and independent observation

5. Developing a legal and regulatory argument against the flights

6. Targeting the companies servicing the flights

What is Massport?

Learn More

Save Our Healthcare System Before It’s Too Late

Source

Action Details

Overview

Becoming a Mass-Care Hub

Call your State Representative

Bonus Actions

Bonus #1: Attend the 2026 Mass-Care Conference, Clark University, 7/18/26

Bonus #2: Amend the script if your legislator is on the Joint Committee for Health Care Financing

Background Information

What is the Medicare for All Proposal in Massachusetts?

As of today, the Joint Committee has yet to release a report on its findings and recommendations.

How can Mass-Care be affordable?

Why Isn’t the Legislature Doing Something?

The Crisis is Coming

Read More

Past CAN on Single Payer Healthcare in Massachusetts

Good Trouble Lives On In Massachusetts: "TEACH! REACH! PREACH!"

GOOD TROUBLE LIVES ON IN MASSACHUSETTS:

“TEACH! REACH! PREACH!”

A Long Weekend of ACTIVISM

Source

Action Details

Background Information

What is Good Trouble Lives On?

What is Teach-Reach-Preach?

Schedule of National Actions

Read More

Bonus Action

Saturday, July 18, is the next De-ICE Citizens Bank National Day of Action.

Past IMC-CANs on the De-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition

Stop the Billionaires’ Revenue Cap Grab!

Source

Action Details

Background Information

Share this link: SUBSCRIBE TO THE CAD

Bigger Than Dobbs: Stop The MAGA War On Women!

Bigger Than Dobbs: Stop The MAGA War On Women!

Action Summary

Source

Action Details

MA Event Details

BONUS ACTION:

Background Information

Indivisibles Say Dobbs Was Just the Beginning.

NO NEW NUKES IN MASSACHUSETTS!

No New Nukes in Massachusetts!

Step One: Find your State Senator’s contact information:

Step Two: Sign the Petition

Step Three: Call Your State Senator