Press Release: 5/7/2026
Our Annual Lobby Day + Senate vote on the PROTECT Act
Tomorrow is a big day. The MA Senate will be voting on their draft of the PROTECT Act (more on that below), and it's our annual lobby day.
Join us at the State House TOMORROW as we advocate for priorities from our Legislative Agenda.
We need the MA House to take action where the MA Senate has already: by strengthening data privacy protections and reining in politically motivated book bans.
We need the MA Senate to take action to strengthen the PROTECT Act and protect our immigrant communities, and to rein in utility profiteering and pass an energy bill that doesn't scapegoat Mass Save.
We need both chambers to say NO to corporate extortionists trying to get themselves ANOTHER massive tax cut.
We need both chambers to commit to investing in people not prisons and not let the prison moratorium that advanced out of committee in both chambers stall.
And rather than wait until the November ballot, we have the opportunity to get the Legislature to pass rent control and Same Day Registration.
Progressive Mass 2026 Lobby Day
Thursday, May 7, 10 am (Doors open at 9:30 am)
Massachusetts State House
All are welcome, whether it's your first time or your fiftieth time at the State House.
In solidarity,
Jonathan Cohn
Policy Director
Progressive Massachusetts
Support & Strengthen the PROTECT Act
The MA Senate is voting tomorrow on the PROTECT Act (S.3072), which takes important steps to protect immigrant communities in Massachusetts, such as banning new 287(g) agreements, preventing law enforcement from asking about immigration status or using resources for civil immigration enforcement, limiting information sharing with ICE, protecting courthouses and other sensitive locations, and more.
The MA Senate has the opportunity to strengthen the bill by adopting the following amendments:
Amendment #7 (Gómez): Effective Date Support, which reduces the implementation timeline of the provisions limiting law enforcement collaboration with ICE from 180 days to 30 days from passage
Amendment #10 (Edwards): Courthouse Curtilage Support, which extends courthouse protections to the walkways, alleys, driveways, and sidewalks adjacent to the courthouse plus 300 additional feet
Amendment #11 (Eldridge): Protect Immigrant Victims of Crime and Trafficking, which helps immigrant victims get faster decisions on certifications they need to apply for immigration relief, especially if they are facing deportation, and makes it clear they can get legal support
Amendment #55 (Brady): Language Access and Community Education, which requires translation of model policies for sensitive locations in the Commonwealth's top 5 languages and requires annual Know Your Rights trainings at schools and covered health care providers.
Can you send your state senator an email in support? (Or leave them a message?)
Even better than emailing or calling your rep? Showing up in person tomorrow for our lobby day! :)
The Tech Billionaires Are Coming for Fair Share. Here's How to Fight Back.
The corporate lobby in Massachusetts is backing two ballot questions that, combined, would cut 10% of the state budget, defunding essential programs on which we all depend, hobbling the state economy, and exacerbating the damage from federal cuts to health care and food assistance. All of this to enrich themselves.
But labor, faith, and community groups are fighting back. Harris Gruman from the SEIU State Council explains what's at stake and how to join the fight.
Join us next Wednesday, May 13, at 7 pm!
Missed Our Recent Events? Check Out the Recordings.
- Listen to Mallory Hanora of Families for Justice as Healing talk about the Prison Moratorium campaign and the work of imagining what community safety really looks like. Recording & Info
- Listen to an impressive panel of young advocates talk about what got them involved and how to better empower young people in advocacy and activism. Recording & Info
2026 Massachusetts Education Justice Convening
Saturday, May 16, 9 am to 4 pm, Lowell, RSVP here
Let’s RISE UP together to win for our students, schools, and communities!
Get ready for training on organizing, noncooperation, and building campaigns! Together, we’ll learn more about education issues through workshops for youth, parents, caregivers, educators, organizers, and community members. It’ll be a great day full of opportunities to connect and strategize with the many amazing folks working on education justice across the state.
This convening is a space for parents/caregivers, educators, students, and community activists to come together to:
- share ideas, skills, lessons, strategy and inspiration;
- learn how to build power and sustain our work for transformative change;
- strengthen relationships to advance the movement; and,
- amplify the local and state K-12 and higher education issues that impact our students and communities.