ORGANIZING NOTES
November 18, 2025
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Stop the Democracy Meltdown!
Protect Democracy and Safe Energy
Tell Your State Senator and State Representative to REMOVE Section 45 from H. 4144
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Governor Healey’s proposed energy affordability bill, H.4144, includes some provisions that will benefit consumers — AND it includes an undemocratic and extremely dangerous “poison pill” called Section 45. Section 45 repeals a 1982 state law, passed by 67% of Massachusetts voters, prohibiting construction of new nuclear power reactors until certain basic safety conditions, among them a secure way to dispose of radioactive waste and workable evacuation and decommissioning plans, as well as voter approval of the specific project.
Consider the 100+ “once in a lifetime” accidents that could have been another Chernobyl or Fukushima. And that radwaste has to be isolated from the environment for 220,000 years (that’s longer than written history). Voters in 1982 asserted their right to decide whether they wanted to face these risks. Click here to tell your legislators YOU have this right and want to keep it.
We support real clean and renewable energy solutions to combat climate change. But nuclear fission, with many more problems than we can mention here, is not that solution. And our energy independence should not sacrifice our democratic principles. To foster public trust and public safety, we need transparency, robust public discourse, and voter consent.
Don’t strip the people of their right to weigh in on this vital matter. Please contact your State Senator and State Representative to remove Section 45 from H.4144 and to keep the protections codified in the 1982 referendum.
Limited time? Click here to tell your legislators to preserve Democracy
More time?
Use this link to find your legislator: and then CALL them:
House 617-722-2030 — Senate 617-722-1572
Tell them: Re: H.4144—Keep Democracy Alive! Remove Section 45!
Thank you for taking action!
The ORMA Climate Crisis Working Group
(Prepared by Shel Horowitz and Cliff McCarthy of Commonwealth Coalition for Democracy and Safe Energy. For more info, please visit Citizens Awareness Network, www.nukebusters.org or Cape Downwinders)
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Can You Be An Effective Party Leader If You Don’t Know And Respect Your Own Membership?
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Between the presidential election years of 2008 and 2024, the Massachusetts Democratic Party lost 15% of its membership. This year, the losses continue. You would think that leaders of the party, such as Party Chairman Steve Kerrigan and Governor Maura Healey, would attempt to bring the lost voters home to the Party. You would expect them to reach out to those who are angry at the Party’s failure to embrace policies that better the lives of the poor and moderate income families. You might hope that the Party leaders would sense the disgust with their continued support of Israel’s genocidal attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
At the very least, you might hope that Healey and Kerrigan would have noted that the 2100 delegates to the Democratic State Party Convention in September had overwhelmingly rejected the tepid platform draft they proposed.
Sadly, the facts are that Steve Kerrigan and Maura Healey have learned nothing from this painful series of events. Truly, they learned nothing. The evidence for this? The letters they each wrote to Mass Dems, congratulating them on local victories in the state elections the week before and, more importantly, key victories in several national elections: the governorships of Virginia and New Jersey, and redistricting in California. That’s it. Those are the only significant Democratic victories they each cited.
Ah, you noticed it, too; neither of them mentioned that Zorhan Mamdani is the mayor-elect of New York. Just when Kerrigan and Healey have an easy route to embrace the progressives of the Party, those most committed to a pro-working-class agenda, they each make a point of writing them out of the Party. We should recognize this as a signal to organize for new Party leadership. And if that fails, look for a new party.
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When Governor Healey is asked about climate progress, she says that Massachusetts “will not sit back, we will lead.” Her administration claimed that they would “protect our residents and uphold our commitment to future generations.” However, last Wednesday the Massachusetts House members of the Joint Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Committee voted 7 to 0 (with 4 members refusing to vote) on a climate rollback bill championed by Braintree Representative Mark Cusack. Cusack’s pitch for the bill is that it would set up an “affordability and competitive standard” for state energy decisions and cut the budget of Mass Save. Continue Reading...
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Email your legislators today and urge them to co-sponser An Act Combatting offshore Tax Avoidance, H.3110/S.2033. It’s time to combat offshore tax dodging and make the world’s most profitable mega corporations pay their fair share in state taxes.
Take 2 minutes to email the Governor and your legislators in support of GILTI and using the Rainy Day fund here: raiseupma.us/gilti-email.
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Phonebank for Safe Communities Act and Immigrant Legal Defense Act
November 19 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Sign up here to join a virtual phonebank.
The Legislature has scheduled a hearing for the Safe Communities Act on Tuesday, November 25 in Gardner Auditorium at the State House. Even if you’re unable to attend the hearing, there are actions you can take now to urge our state legislators to pass important bills to protect immigrants. Last month, ICE detained nearly 1,500 people in Massachusetts, including longtime residents, workers, taxpayers, parents, and neighbors who contribute deeply to our communities – tell your legislators they need to act!
You can email your legislators here to ask them to co-sponsor and support the Safe Communities Act and the Immigrant Legal Defense Act.
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Stop Trump’s Attack on Nonprofits and Charitable Foundations
Urge Governor Healey to Act Now!
President Trump’s new directive, NSPM-7 is an outrageous threat to advocacy groups like Indivisible. It labels views like opposition to racism, inequality, or religious extremism as potential signs of “domestic terrorism”— and directs federal agencies to investigate nonprofits and donors based on their beliefs. That’s not national security — it’s political intimidation!
Please call and/or email Governor Healy and urge her to issue an executive order protecting our state’s nonprofits and charitable foundations from politically motivated targeting. The ACLU has already drafted a model executive order for her to sign.
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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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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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12 of 13 Progressive Candidates Elected for 2026-2027 Term in Medford
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Medford stood up on November 4th and loudly proclaimed that it will keep building a city where everyone is lifted up and no one is left behind. 12 of 13 OR Medford candidates won.
Emily Lazzaro, Zac Bears, Anna Callahan, Justin Tseng, Matt Leming, and Liz Mullane will be Medford City Councilors for the 2026-2027 term.
Jenny Graham, Erika Reinfeld, Jessica Parks, Aaron Olapade, Mike Mastrobuoni, and Paul Ruseau will be Medford School Committee Members for the 2026-2027 term.
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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 29th.
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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