ORGANIZING NOTES
April 21, 2026
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Franklin County Continues the Political Revolution: Planning for what comes after No Kings Day 3. April 12, 2026
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Please send us your affilaite pictures, we’d love to share the work your doing!
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Are you thinking about how AI might change your life? Or the lives of children growing up now? Have you wondered how many people might lose their jobs? Or that AI will invade your privacy? Do you think that it might alter our social interactions? Or imperil democracy? And, if any of these possible changes are on your mind, do you think they will come in two months, two years, or two decades? Bernie Sanders raised these questions, and more, in a recent speech on the Senate floor. You can see it here.
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“Dark Money” Cuts Democratic Massachusetts Progressive Candidates off at the Knees
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While most elected officials in Massachusetts are Democrats, their values and policies are not uniform. Some conservative Democrats believe that an unregulated free market builds prosperity by increasing individual and corporate wealth, while others advocate for progressive taxation and a stronger state role in housing, healthcare, education, and social life. Which kind of Democrat gets elected in a primary determines which set of values gets implemented. And who gets elected can be determined by “Dark Money,” anonymous donations to Super PACs (Political Action Committees), which unlike regular PACs, are not government regulated. To state the obvious, rich donors wishing to preserve their wealth and business practices are more likely to donate to the Super PACs of more conservative candidates. They want to defeat candidates who favor curbing corporate power and a more equal distribution of wealth. Progressive Democrats are organizing to curtail Dark Money in primary elections. In August of last year, the Democratic National Committee, (DNC), decided to ban all dark money in Democratic Primary elections. A recent DNC meeting formed a Task Force to study the implementation of the policy. In New Mexico, the state Democratic Party has already banned Dark Money in primary elections. In Massachusetts, Platform in Action, a group of activist Democrats,is asking Democratic Ward and Town Committees to demand that all candidates in the September primary pledge to refuse Dark Money. They are asking Democrats throughout the Commonwealth to adapt the Resolution passed by the Somerville Democrats and send it to all Democratic candidates in the primary election. Nicky Osborne, the acting chair of Platform in Action, asks that a copy also be sent to Platform in Action as the organization will consider submitting a Charter Amendment banning Dark Money to the Convention in May if there are significant numbers of DTCs and Ward Committees who endorse.
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Over the summer, reports from around the country revealed that Flock Safety, a manufacturer of automated license plate readers (ALPRs), was granting ICE and other federal agencies access to its database. In response, the Cambridge City Council, which had installed readers early in 2025, suspended the use of its cameras pending an investigation of these allegations. In November, the city learned that despite this suspension, Flock installed two new cameras without informing the city. The outcome was an immediate cancellation of the contract with Flock. Natick, and Watertown, have also terminated their contracts and removed the cameras. About 80 Massachusetts cities and towns use automated license plate readers (ALPRs) provided by Flock Safety. Typically, the technology is viewed as an aid to crime prevention, although some residents see it as a police intrusion on privacy. Massachusetts users include Chicopee, Easthampton, Fall River, Framingham, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Quincy, Revere, Waltham, Wellesley, and West Springfield. Recently, While Flock Safety claims there are safeguards to prevent abuse of its databases, it will not agree to prevent access by ICE or other agencies. If you would like to remove Flock cameras from your town, find out what you can do by contacting the Massachusetts ACLU, initiating a call for your town to cancel here.
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Massachusetts Stipend Reform
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75,000 signatures Needed! Please volunteer! Massachusetts voters deserve a legislature that works for them, not one where their elected representatives must bend to leadership’s will or risk loss of pay. The 2026 ballot initiative ties reasonable compensation to performance, promoting a more transparent, accountable, and effective legislature. With your support, we can deliver a major win for democracy, while building momentum for even more progress. To get this initiative onto the ballot, we need 75,000 signatures from MA voters. We have just 2 months to gather the signatures. Please volunteer!
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“Jews Against ICE” Campaign Ways You Can Take Action with JALSA Right Now
In addition to the upcoming April 30 action, there are a number of other ways that you can take action right now to take part in JALSA’s “Jews Against ICE” campaign. They include:
1) Request Corporate Targets Postcards Communicate directly with the corporations supporting ICE actions against the immigrant community by requesting “Jews Against ICE” postcards. We will provide detailed instructions on how to address these cards.
2) Join the Immigrant Justice Synagogue Council (IJSC) The IJSC is a group of synagogue leaders who initiate actions in their own communities and lead others to join the movement. (The IJSC’s next meeting is Thursday, April 30.) This is a project of JALSA, Jewish Family Service of Metrowest, and RAC-MA.
3) Support Local Protests Protests are more fun with friends! If you would like to build or join a community of protesters in your area, we can help connect you with other JALSA volunteers. And, participate in the “No Work, No School, No Shopping” economic one day shutdown day on May 1.
4) Schedule a 1:1 with an Organizer Unsure where to start? We can help guide your personal energy for advocacy.
Sign up for any of these actions and learn more at this link. Contact JALSA Organizers Rachel Scarpino and/or Noah Lanckton with any questions.
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This May Day is more important than ever — not just to save America but to save the rest of the world too. It’s all about building local power, joining with neighbors and allies, and strengthening our movement’s capacity for noncompliance to wield the power that it’s going to take to topple this regime.
Our demands for May Day 2026 are, in a nutshell, to tax the rich, No ICE-No War, and to protect our elections. It’s workers over billionaires!
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Turning Up the Heat on Citizens Bank
Help turn up the heat on Citizens Bank for financing ICE prisons. The De-ICE Citizens Bank coalition, which includes dozens of Indivisible groups across the eastern United States, is holding two major events in April to crank up pressure on the only major bank bankrolling the country’s two largest ICE prison companies, CoreCivic and The GEO Group.
On April 23, from 8 to 10 AM, the coalition is holding a major protest at the bank’s corporate annual meeting at its headquarters in Providence. The coalition is looking to have hundreds of protesters singing and chanting as shareholders enter the annual shareholder meeting, which starts at 9 AM. Sign up HERE.
A People’s Shareholder Meeting to De-ICE Citizens Bank will be happening from 8 AM to noon outside the building. We’d love to have your support!
You can find out more at De-ICE Citizens Bank.
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The funeral of Palestinians killed in an attack on Al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza. April 7, 2026. Photo by Moiz Salhi/Anadolu via Getty Images.
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Not Another Dollar. Not Another Vote: Operation Consequences For decades, politicians in Washington have taken money from American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and voted to send billions in OUR U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund Israel’s interests, wars, occupation, and devastating military campaigns. Now, it’s time to turn our outrage over that fact into action. This pledge is one clear commitment: If a politician now chooses AIPAC and endless war, we pledge NOT to vote for them. If a politician votes to fund Israel’s war crimes, we pledge NOT to vote for them. If they represent foreign lobby interests over their own constituents, we will send them home. For too long, elected officials have taken lobby money and funded military actions that have killed enormous numbers of civilians and violated international law without facing consequences at the ballot box. That era is over. This is about representation. This is about democracy. This is about putting American voters first. We are telling our elected officials: If YOU’RE going to be THEIR representative instead of OUR representative, WE’RE going to replace you. Operation Consequences: We pledge to never vote for you if you take money from the Israeli lobby or give one more dollar to Israel.
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Local Visibilities Schedule
Watch for weather and wind chill 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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Folks can sign up for De-ICE Hanscom’s contact list at this link.
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No Fear Street Theater stands out on Burlington Mall Road every Saturday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm with signs, costumes, and flags to show support for our immigrant neighbors. We are not there merely to make propaganda against ICE. We are there to make propaganda against fear. This is a creative, participatory protest. If you support immigrants and their constitutional rights, join us! SIGN UP HERE
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Fairhope protester Renae Gamble Cleared of Charges After No Kings Rally!
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Jeana Renae Gamble was found not guilty of disorderly conduct, resising arrest, violation of municipal code and giving offficers a false name. Judge Haymes Snedeker presided over the bench trial. Gamble faced up to six months behind ars ad a $500 fine. “That’s not going to happen.” Snedeker said before testimony began. Read More…
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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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Please send requests for action items, articles or upcoming events
for the next Organizing Notes to
beccobrien.orma@gmail.com by Saturday, May 2nd.
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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