Joseph McCabe, a town meeting member, accompanied by Peter Metz, presented a citizen petition urging the Town of Needham to adopt a resolution calling on Massachusetts and federal elected officials to pursue a ‘Back from the Brink’ platform to reduce nuclear risk and work toward elimination of nuclear arsenals.

McCabe described the petition as a follow‑up to a 2019 town‑meeting article that urged federal leaders to prioritize nuclear non‑use and disarmament. The petitioners said specific federal and state bills now exist that Town Meeting can endorse; McCabe identified H.Res. 317 (U.S. House) introduced by Representative James McGovern and S.1649 in the Massachusetts Senate (sponsor named in presentation) as examples. Petitioners asked the Select Board to recommend the article for Town Meeting and to direct staff to prepare an amendment at Town Meeting to add the up‑to‑date bill numbers.

Presenters framed the petition as a moral and practical appeal: they said rising nuclear arsenals and recent geopolitical tensions increase the risk of nuclear use and cite humanitarian and climate‑scale consequences of even a limited nuclear exchange. In response to Select Board questions about the political effect of a town resolution, petitioners said local endorsements are part of a longer campaign to build municipal and state pressure on federal leaders and to strengthen a national conversation about negotiation and risk reduction.

Select Board members discussed the petition’s scope and efficacy. One member asked whether more narrowly targeted federal actions (for example, restoring New START negotiations) might have greater practical effect; petitioners responded that the resolution’s aims encompass negotiations and technical steps as part of a broader platform. The Select Board said it would take up the request and make a recommendation at a subsequent meeting or at next Select Board meeting.