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128 of the 351 cities and towns in the state have had a change in their local clerk or chief election official since the 2020 presidential election, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of State. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Turnover in MA election officials as presidential election nears

Heightened scrutiny and harassment are helping fuel an increasing turnover rate of election officials in Massachusetts and beyond, according to a new …

Supporters of a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution said it is needed to protect future generations from crippling federal debt but opponents countered it could limit lawmakers' ability to cope with economic recessions or respond to national emergencies. (Adobe Stock)

Voting rights groups call constitutional convention efforts a threat to democracy

Lawmakers in Massachusetts are considering a resolution to convene a Convention of States, a process voting rights groups said could put civil …

Uninsured people are more likely to support public health insurance programs, but are less likely to vote than people with health insurance. Studies show this trend has contributed to a lack of Medicaid expansion in states that could benefit from it. (Adobe Stock)

Doctors say voting is critical to improving U.S. health care system

Voting is not only good for democracy - it's also good for your health, according to one of the nation's largest medical associations. The American …

There were 45 book challenges in Massachusetts in 2022 affecting 57 titles, however no books have been banned in the state, according to the American Library Association. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

Legislation aims to classify book bans as federal civil rights violations

New federal legislation would classify discriminatory book bans as violations of federal civil rights law. The Books Save Lives Act would ensure …

A 2021 poll conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst found 65% of residents support same-day voter registration, compared to 28% who oppose it. (Adobe Stock)

MA groups push same-day voter registration to replace provisional ballots

Voting rights groups in Massachusetts say provisional ballot data from the 2022 statewide election highlight the need for same-day voter registration…

Media experts say to avoid being duped by disinformation, double and even triple check the source of a story, and then try to find this information elsewhere in other reputable places, like mainstream news outlets. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Tech Companies Scale Back Efforts to Control Election Disinformation

Introduced federal legislation aims to counter the growing threat of election disinformation as social media platforms scale back efforts to control i…

When voters sit down and talk to each other about electoral reform, their support for ranked-choice voting increases to nearly 60%, both for state primary and general elections, according to a poll by Stanford University's Deliberative Democracy Lab. (Adobe Stock)

Boston Joins National Ranked-Choice Voting Movement

The push for ranked-choice voting is gaining momentum in cities across the country, including Boston - where organizers say it will help increase …

The federal civil rights complaint filed by Lawyers for Civil Rights states that nearly 70% of Harvard's donor-related and legacy applicants are white, and they receive a substantial admissions boost based on their status. (Adobe Stock)

Civil Rights Complaint Challenges Practice of Harvard Legacy Admissions

Following the Supreme Court's decision to end race-based affirmative action, a Boston-based civil rights group is working to end the practice of …

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., says police brutality is a crisis plaguing Black and brown communities. Despite comprising only 13% of the U.S. population, Black people accounted for 26% of those killed by police in 2022, according to the nonprofit Mapping Police Violence. (Office of Rep. Pressley)

MA Lawmakers Aim to End Qualified Immunity, Let People Sue Police

Massachusetts lawmakers in Congress have reintroduced legislation which would allow people to sue police officers and other state and local government…

Nearly 60% of Massachusetts' incarcerated population is Black - but Black residents make up less than 20% of the Commonwealth's population, according to the Democracy Behind Bars Coalition. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Bills Aim to Restore Vote for People Incarcerated for Felony Convictions

Lawmakers in the Commonwealth are considering legislation to restore voting rights for people incarcerated on felony convictions. One bill would …

Callers to the newly launched Abortion Legal Hotline at 833-309-6301 can leave specific call-back or messaging instructions and someone will call or message that person back within two to three business days to gather information about the caller's legal questions. (Adobe Stock)

MA Launches Free Legal Advice Hotline Regarding Abortion Care

The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office has announced the launch of a new hotline for abortion-care providers and people seeking confidential lega…

Facial-recognition technology companies, which originally partnered with law enforcement, are now working with schools and universities to increase safety and prevent shootings by denying campus access to people who have been banned, or to monitor activity inside school buildings. (Adobe Stock)

MA Bill Would Tighten Restrictions on Facial Recognition Technology

Lawmakers in the Commonwealth are considering legislation to ensure police use of facial-recognition technology also protects people's privacy and civ…

A Poor People's Campaign report examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic found the 300+ counties with the highest death rates have a poverty rate of 45%, which is 1.5 times higher than in counties with lower death rates. (PPC)

Advancing MLK’s Dream of Economic Justice in MA

Advocates for low-income workers in the Commonwealth said today is a reminder of the need to continue to advance Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream …

Consumer advocates say the power-wheelchair market is dominated by two national suppliers, both of which are owned by private equity firms, able to increase profits by limiting what they spend on technicians and repairs. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

MA Lawmakers Urged to Strengthen Wheelchair Warranty Protections

Advocates for people with disabilities say lawmakers in the Commonwealth must strengthen wheelchair warranty protections to ensure wheelchair users ar…

MA Orgs Push for Increased Voter Access, Fight for ‘Fair Share’

As the state's June 7 filing deadline for primary candidates running in federal races approaches, a growing number of Massachusetts organizations …

Sheriffs in Massachusetts are responsible for more than half the state's incarcerated population. (Mark Sardella/Flickr)

MA Campaign: Do You Know Who Your Sheriff Is?

Fewer than one in five Bay State voters can correctly name their local sheriff, according to a recent survey. To fill that knowledge gap, the …

The 2020 census overlooked 0.24% of the U.S. population, compared with 0.01% in 2010. (Antwon McCullen/Adobe Stock)

Report: Census Undercounted BIPOC Communities, Young Children

A new analysis of the 2020 census finds that Latino, Black and Native American populations were statistically significantly undercounted. …

A total of 385 hate crimes were reported in Massachusetts in 2020, and advocates note that's an undercount. (Sam Cheng/Adobe Stock)

MA Groups: Local Hate-Crime Enforcement Needs Beefing Up

This week marks two years since the killing of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, and the three men convicted for his murder have now been found guilty of …

Just 2.3% of plumbers in the United States are women. (Monkey Business/Adobe Stock)

Pay Equity Coalition: With Job Creation, Increase Access for Women

Many backers of the bipartisan infrastructure package hail the number of jobs it's supposed to create - an average of 1.5 million jobs annually for 10…

According to The Pew Research Center, liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans are more likely to have heard about

MA College Course Explores Holding People Accountable with Respect

By Sonali Kolhatkar for Yes! Media. Broadcast version by Lily Bohlke for Commonwealth News Service reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service …

Massachusetts raised the age of criminal responsibility from 17 to 18 in 2013, the fourth state to do so. (Flickr)

Report: 'Raise the Age' Law in MA Reduced Youth Detention

BOSTON - The number of kids and teens detained in Massachusetts has decreased since the state started treating arrested 17-year-olds as juveniles rath…

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

BOSTON -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by both the US …

Black and Indigenous women die at rates three to four times the rate of Caucasian women due to pregnancy-related causes. (Wikimedia Commons)

Sen. Warren, Rep. Pressley Push Anti-Racism in Public Health

BOSTON -- Massachusetts members of Congress are among the sponsors renewing the push to pass the Anti-Racism in Public Health Act. It would expand …

The Voter Protection Corps, a national nonprofit led by Quentin Palfrey in Quentin, Mass., launched in 2019 to address voting difficulties ahead of the 2020 election, including Election Night. (David/Flickr)

Voting Experts’ Recommendations for a Smooth Election Night

WESTON, Mass. - Election experts, including a secretary of state, recently spoke with Massachusetts-based Voter Protection Corps about how election …

The new Harvard Kennedy School and Brookings Institution report,

Harvard-Brookings Report Outlines Vision for Universal Voting

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Voting is required in a lot of countries, but not the U.S. A new Harvard and Brookings Institution report considers what universal …

A parishioner from St. John's Episcopal Church in Lafayette Square, photographed after the church had been defaced with graffiti this weekend. (St. John's Church/Facebook)

Episcopal Bishops Denounce President's Church 'Photo Op'

BOSTON -- New England's Episcopal bishops unanimously are calling out President Donald Trump's appearance in front of St. John's Episcopal Church in …

Discrimination based on natural hairstyles disproportionately affects black women and girls. (Whoisdejalynn/Pixabay)

MA Bill Banning Hairstyle Discrimination Gets Public Hearing

BOSTON -- A bill banning discrimination based on natural hairstyles is getting a public hearing today at the Massachusetts Legislature. State …

The ACLU of Massachusetts, ACLU of New Hampshire and the law firm Mintz recently won a case in New England with broad implications for immigrant detention practices. (javacolleen/Creative Commons)

Big Changes in Immigration Hearings Benefit New England Immigrants

BOSTON – Starting now, immigration courts in New England can no longer detain undocumented immigrants in bond hearings without the government …

A new national report says progress is being made in closing racial gaps in prison populations. Among women, the disparity in black and white imprisonment rates has dropped from 6-to-1 to 2-to-1. (Ichigo121212/Pixabay)

Racial Gap Remains in MA Prisons, Despite National Progress

BOSTON – There's been positive movement in reducing racial gaps in prison populations across the United States, according to a new report…

The new Voter Protection Corps expects the 2020 election to be more volatile than past races, and says states face a variety of challenges to ensure everyone can cast a ballot. (Voter Protection Corps)

Voter Protection Group Launches Ahead of 2020 Election

WESTON, Mass. – Massachusetts is home to the man who heads the Voter Protection Corps, a new national nonprofit that has launched to address …

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks at a presidential forum hosted by the Service Employees International Union. (Facebook)

Warren Supports ‘Sectoral Bargaining.’ Here’s What That Means

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is getting some attention for her recently released labor platform…

Suicide is four times higher among African-American men than African-American women, according to federal statistics. (thaddeus coates/courtesy of Marshall Gillson)

Local Playwright Tackles Intersection of Race, Mental Health

SOMERVILLE, Mass. – Mental health and the stigma surrounding it are the topics of a new play that's getting a first read this Sunday in …

Inside courthouses such as this one in Boston, some are predicting a spike of litigation about the so-called �garden clause� in Massachusetts' new non-compete law. (Carol M. Highsmith/Public Domain Pictures)

MA Tougher Non-Compete Law Could Spur Lawsuits

BOSTON – Massachusetts now has one of the toughest laws restricting non-compete clauses in work contracts, and it looks as though they'll be a …

Only 6 percent of freshmen at publicly funded U Mass Amherst are Latino. (pxhere)

Latinos Underrepresented at Top Public Colleges

BOSTON — A new study shows that selective public colleges nationwide admit disproportionately low numbers of black and Latino students…

About 70 percent of Massachusetts voters supported preserving the state's transgender nondiscrimination law. (katlove/pixabay)

Election Showed Strong Support for LGBTQ Rights

BOSTON – Voter approval of Question 3 on the Massachusetts ballot was a victory for transgender rights in the Bay State. Approval of the …

A study found no increase in criminal incidents in public restrooms from gender nondiscrimination laws. (evitaochel/pixabay)

Study Finds No Threat in Transgender Bathroom Access

BOSTON – A study released Wednesday found including gender identity in nondiscrimination laws does not increase privacy or safety violations in …

Volunteer lawyers rallied to help Indra Sihotang, one of hundreds who have fled anti-Christian oppression in Indonesia. (QuinceMedia/pixabay)

Immigration Court Ordered to Review Denied Asylum Petition

BOSTON – A federal appeals court in Boston has ordered a review of a Bureau of Immigration Appeals ruling that denied a rehearing to a man seeki…

Sites at the bases have been used for munitions disposal and as firing ranges. (Sgt. Paula Taylor/Wikimedia Commons)

Toxic Risks at Immigrant Detention Centers Raise Alarms

BOSTON — A coalition of immigrant, labor and environmental groups is demanding details on government plans to detain migrant families at …

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, on the steps of the Supreme Court, told the crowd,

Dems Sound Off on Supreme Court Replacement

BOSTON – A fight is already brewing over the replacement for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his retirement this week…

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is hearing this week from his counterparts in more than 20 states. (Wikimedia Commons)

Mass. AG to Sessions: Stop Draconian Border Policy

BOSTON – A coalition of state attorneys general, including Maura Healy in Massachusetts, sent a letter on Tuesday to U.S. Attorney General Jeff …

The Boston Poor People's Campaign held a rally at the Massachusetts State House in Boston on Monday, calling for a $15 minimum wage, paid family and medical leave, and a

Poor People's Campaign Has Champion in Warren

BOSTON – Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., held a hearing at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday afternoon that focused on issues raised by the Poor …

Study Shows “Red-Flag” Laws Reduce Gun Suicides

BOSTON - With the state Senate poised to take up a bill to allow removal of firearms from people considered a danger to themselves and others…

The cake shop owner argued he should not be forced to create a cake for a wedding that violates his religious beliefs. (twinklelacsamana/Pixabay)

Advocates Fear More Discrimination After Supreme Court Ruling

BOSTON – Civil rights advocates fear the Supreme Court's ruling in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case will encourage more attempted discrimination ag…

Activists vow to protest the Trump administration's plan to defund Planned Parenthood as they did in 2017. (Linda Barr)

Trump Attempts Gag Rule On Reproductive Health (Again)

BOSTON – If President Donald Trump's new effort succeeds to impose a so-called gag rule on family planning centers, access to women's health …

In 2016, women working full-time earned an average of $41,557, compared with $51,640 for men. (Pixabay)

Equal Pay Day Shows Pay Gap Persists

BOSTON – Today is Equal Pay Day, marking the 99 extra days women have to work this year to equal the pay men were paid last year. Data from …

Experts say in-person family visits with people who are in jail or prison help reduce recidivism. (Boardhead [CC BY-SA 3.0)]/Wikimedia Commons)

MA Criminal Justice Bill Aims to Protect In-Person Jail Visits

BOSTON – Maintaining contact with family is important to the wellbeing of people who are incarcerated, and a bill in the state legislature …

ICE officials have carried out enforcement actions in at least 24 Massachusetts courthouses. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Civil-Rights Groups Seek to Block ICE Arrests at Courthouses

BOSTON – Civil-rights groups are asking the Commonwealth's highest court to stop federal immigration officials from arresting people at courthou…

The Trump administration has requested an expedited hearing of the DACA ruling in the Supreme Court. (MarkThomas/Pixabay)

Supreme Court to Consider Hearing DACA Appeal

BOSTON – The U.S. Supreme Court may decide Friday if it will hear oral arguments in the government's appeal of a federal court's order for a …

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MA: Civil Rights