Our Revolution Massachusetts

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December 2017
ORMA Newsletter

   Council | Initiatives  | Affiliates | Volunteering 

Inside This Issue

  • Criminal Justice Reform
  • Reminder about the Representative Council Elections
  • Day of Action in Solidarity with Puerto Rico
  • MA Democratic State Party Endorsing Convention
  • Automatic Voter Registration Lobby Day

Criminal Justice Reform 

The Massachusetts legislature took a huge step forward in creating a more fair and humane criminal justice system. Highlights include:

  • repealing mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug crimes
  • expungement of criminal records for minors
  • CORI reform
  • solitary confinement protections and programs
  • juvenile justice
  • bail reform
  • wrongful conviction compensation
  • compassionate release
  • diversion (including Restorative Justice)
  • reducing burdensome court fines
  • prisoner medical release
  • justice reinvestment
House and Senate bills will go to conference committee and will be voted on in 2018. “It is important for ORMA members to weigh in with their State Senators and State Representatives to tell them how they feel about different parts of the bill,” said Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). Read more here.

Endorsements

Electing Your ORMA Representatives – REMINDER:

Our Revolution Massachusetts Representative Council (RC) elections are fast approaching! Please see this page for details and the special election email sent earlier in the week.
  • For affiliate* members:  Elections take place by Sunday, Dec. 17th. If your affiliate still wishes to send a representative, please contact ORMA by December 10th. You’ll need to send in a membership list of at least 10 people to qualify.
  • For unaffiliated members:  If you are a member who does not currently belong to a local affiliate and you wish to run, please send a candidate statement to ORMA by Sunday, December 10th.
  • For Caucus members*:  The Inclusion Team has assisted with the formation of seven caucus groups. These groups are eligible to elect a representative to ORMA and follow the timeline of the affiliate process. Join a caucus today!

Candidate statements and instructions for voting in the unaffiliated process will be made available on Wednesday, December 13th. Members who wish to discuss the candidates should join our Slack group and join the #unaffiliated-election channel.

*Note: this will not be the ONLY opportunity for your affiliate to elect a representative to the RC. However, participating now will allow your representative to participate in the first Coordinating Committee election.

Days of Action in Solidarity with Puerto Rico – The delayed response from the U.S. government, as well as the continued colonization and economic exploitation of Puerto Rico, has contributed to a humanitarian crisis and interfering with recovery efforts. Two events where you can help locally:


Massachusetts Democratic State Party Endorsing Convention – June 1 – 2, 2018 at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA – Caucuses to elect delegates to the 2018 convention are organized by local town and ward committees.

  • Deadline for submitting caucus dates: January 15, 2018
  • Caucus window: February 3, 2018 to March 4, 2018

Use this link to inform MassDems of your scheduled caucus date, time, and location. You can also check out the massdems website for more info and see the Caucus Training Resources page.


#DeeperThanWater Campaign is focused on the dirty water (yellow) at MCI Norfolk and highlights the need to shut down prisons, not expand them. There was an action on 11/28 to bring this issue to light. Check out the press release in Deeper than Water Facebook Group.


#NotOnePenny Campaign – Read the statement from members of the Sanders Institute about the GOP Tax Bill.

Photo by Cole Harrison, Mass Peace Action

Right after the disastrous GOP tax bill passed the senate on Saturday, December 2nd,  the Not One Penny Campaign, a coalition of partners including Our Revolution, rallied outside of Apple on Boylston Street in Boston. This was followed by a conference with leaders of the campaign as well as Mass Peace Action, Mass People’s Budget Campaign and members of Our Revolution Massachusetts. Check out next steps for this campaign, and read about the protest to Stop the GOP Tax Bill held Sunday, December 10th.


Mike Connolly Winter Fundraiser + Celebration – December 11, 2017 at 5:30pm, at Sonia 10 Brookline St, Cambridge, MA 02139. Contact Matt Miller for more info, invite others, or update or cancel your RSVP.


Raise Up and Safe Patient Limits Campaign Update – The blood sweat and tears paid off. Both campaigns delivered thousands of signatures to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office this week.

 


Automatic Voter Registration Lobby Day at the State House – January 31st, 2018. Removing barriers to voting and revitalizing american democracy are founding principles of Our Revolution. Please participate in this important day to lobby our legislature about this bill by signing up to attend.

Affiliates

If your group would like to be featured in this section, please send submission to newsletter@ourrevolutionma.com

  • Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution (FCCPR) is standing behind candidates dedicated to the issues.
  • Welcome to Our Revolution Chicopee! To join this local group, contact ormajeannette@gmail.com or visit ORChicoope on Facebook.
  • ORMA member Michael Horan was elected to the Democratic State Committee on November 18th. This will strengthen our voice on the DSC. ORMA member and head of the Randolph Democratic Town Committee, Kevin Joyce, was the runner-up.
  • Congratulations to ORMA supporter and Brandeis student, Jonathan Goldman, age 20, now the youngest member of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee. Goldman was elected to represent the Hampshire-Franklin-Worcester Senate District.    

Volunteering
  • A shout out to ORMA member Donald Green who volunteered his voice recently for an opinion that was selected by the NY Times!
  • Want to make an impact on communicating progressive ideas in a clear fashion? Join the Communications Team to help with the ORMA Newsletter!
  • Please see more volunteer opportunities on the working committees groups page.
  • The Newsletter wants to hear from you! If you’re networked into your local ORMA community and have your finger on the pulse of what actions or activities are coming up in your local area that would interest our readership, join the Newsletter team as a “Roving Reporter”. Openings for content editors, a graphic designer and copywriters.
  • Thank you to all volunteers who made phone calls, door knocked and voted in your local elections!

We Want to Hear From You!