ORGANIZING NOTES
November 4, 2025
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The Democratic Party Activists of Platform in Action Present a Forum
MA Legislative Dysfunction – Where did it come from? How can we end it?
Virtual forum on Thursday, November 13, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM.
REGISTER
If you attend the Virtual Forum: “ MA Legislative Dysfunction – Where did it come from? How can we end it?” You will hear two longtime state government critics, Harris Gruman, Executive Director, MA SEIU, and former State Rep John Hecht, Founding Member of the Coalition to Reform Our Legislature, provide their historical analysis and proposed initiatives.
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You will hear how, famously, Massachusetts, a state with a Democratic governor and supermajorities in the state senate and house, has the least democratic and untransparent legislature in the country. This is the legislature that gave back to the millionaires one third of the taxes the Fair Share amendment had won for the people. A year later, this legislature refused to comply with the legislative audit that a popular vote had just mandated. And, perhaps most blatantly, the legislature has never taken a vote on creating a single payer health insurance plan despite the fact that almost 80% of voters want it and the Democratic State Platform endorsed it 40 years ago.
This frozen state legislature is a key element in the strategy of the billionaires and their corporate and political supporters to prevent the economic gains for working families that would be won by rent control, a statewide living wage, the outlawing of wage theft, an increase in taxes on overseas corporate profits, and similar progressive legislation.
Our speakers will address how to break this legislative logjam. Can we enact ballot initiatives creating guardrails that ensure democracy? Do we need to elect legislators with the courage and conviction to stand up to bullying by the leadership? And if we did elect such legislators, how would we hold them accountable?
The Democratic Party Activists of Platform in Action Present a Forum
MA Legislative Dysfunction – Where did it come from? How can we end it?
Virtual forum on Thursday, November 13, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM.
REGISTER
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Tomorrow is Election Day. 55 cities and towns across Massachusetts will be holding elections, and if you’re in one of them, you’ll be well aware that in the last week, especially the last few days, the election has become more visible.
Canvassers, lit, mailers, news coverage–the list goes on. But at this exact point when attention and visibility rise, our voter registration cutoff limits who can participate.
Our democracy is strongest when everyone can participate, but MA still puts up unnecessary barriers to participation with a 10-day voter registration cutoff. Given that the average American moves more than 11 times over the course of their lives, moving near Election Day could easily lead to disenfranchisement.
Even worse, if clerical errors exist on the voter rolls, voters can fill out a provisional ballot are left unsure if their vote will be counted. No one should ever lose basic rights due to clerical errors.
Same Day Registration can fix all of that, and MA should join our neighboring states in passing it. If Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Connecticut can all do it, why can’t we?
Can you let your legislators know it’s time to pass Same Day Registration?
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Local Visibilities Schedule
Watch for rain cancellations here! But another good way to keep up with day to day and weekly changes is to join a Signal Group
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Call Markey and Warren to Tell Them to Stand Strong in the Shutdown Fight
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Call Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey to thank them for holding the line on saving Americans’ access to health care.
See this Indivisible call for action, which includes a script and a tool to be connected with our senator |
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Write to your state legislators today to support collective bargaining rights for State House staff? Use this link.
S.1343/H.2093 (An Act relative to collective bargaining rights for legislative employees) would permit legislative staff in the House and Senate to form a union, if they want to, for the purpose of negotiating their wages, benefits, and working conditions.
To learn more about legislative staffers’ union drive, visit: https://statehouseemployeeunion.org/.
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Boston Immigration Accompanimment Network
Sunday, November 23rd
4-5:30pm on zoom
both offered in English
BJAN phone lines have been overwhelmed. They need more volunteers who can offer a few hours per week to help answer phone and text messages. Orientation is needed before folks can volunteer. Please complete the registration form at this link: https://form.jotform.com/252358517564363
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This is a rare opportunity to hear first-hand from Israel’s largest joint Palestinian- and Jewish-led grassroots movement. With the UN and a growing number of countries and human rights organizations proclaiming that Israel has committed genocide, what will it take to achieve a lasting peace? Sally Abed and Alon-Lee Green will share their experience of a period of unimaginable suffering and the reality of the struggles ahead to achieve real equality, freedom, and safety.
Please share far and wide with friends, coworkers, and your faith and activist networks.
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Zohran Mamdani’s “New York City Is Not for Sale” rally in Queens on Sunday Oct 26th, filling Forest Hills Stadium. “Tax the Rich”, shouted the crowd at the New York Governor, Kathy Hochul
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If you would like to work with ORMA Members on
- Climate Change
- Housing Justice
- Medicare for All
- Communications/InformationTechnology
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ORMA depends on your support to continue Bernie’s Political Revolution to create a society, a politics, and an economy that works for everyone, not just billionaires, corporations and the political elite.
If you value Organizing Notes and its twice a month distribution schedule, please make a donation to ensure its continued existence.
Invest in Change Now!
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Please send requests for action items, articles or upcoming events
for the next Organizing Notes to
beccobrien.orma@gmail.com by Saturday, November 15th.
We’d love to have you send us your favorite pictures of Bernie here in MA!
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Campaigns End, Movements Endure
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