TODAY’s Joint Ways and Means Committee Hearing
Apologies for the late notice, but consider this a spontaneous opportunity: TODAY the Joint Committee on Ways and Means is holding its annual public hearing on the state budget, beginning at 11 am. Tune in here if you can. And you can sign up to testify virtually here. This is a great chance to see (and create) our democracy in action and to let the Committee know our top FY24 budget priorities.
You can also submit written testimony by next week to the chairs of Monday’s hearing Senator Liz Miranda (email address: Liz.Miranda@masenate.gov) and Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante (email address: Ann-Margaret.Ferrante@mahouse.gov.)
The Network’s written testimony is here. If time is too short, feel free to send along the Network’s letter with your own cover note to the effect of “As a Network partner from [your location and your org, if applicable], I urge you to consider these Network priorities.” That totally counts!
RESTORE Eviction Protections NOW!
Secondly, Chapter 257 eviction protections were allowed to expire on March 31 without any state action to protect a family from getting evicted while their rental assistance application is pending. This is totally unacceptable as evictions continue to rise and the demand for rental assistance is as constant as ever (over 150 applications EACH DAY in the western 4 counties alone!).
The campaign has now shifted from “extension” to “restoration.” Please sign and share this updated online action: https://tinyurl.com/ch257action (thanks to our partners at the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless for making this tool possible). We need our legislators to demand action!
