In 2015, the Center for Public Integrity gave Massachusetts a grade of D+ as part of its comprehensive assessment of state government accountability and transparency.
Among the categories where the Commonwealth received poor marks were state budget processes, legislative accountability and public access to information. Massachusetts is the only state where the governor’s office, Legislature and judiciary all claim to be exempt from the state’s public records law.
Things have not improved much after it was revealed that a special legislative commission on public records, formed after passage of a 2016 law overhauling public records, had failed to meet for 2017 and then began meeting behind closed doors earlier this year.
When lawmakers convene at the Statehouse in January, one of the first items of business they will consider are the rules governing the House and Senate for the 191st session of the Great and General Court. We urge our area delegation — Sen. Adam Hinds, Sen.-elect Jo Comerford and Reps.-elect Natalie Blais, Daniel Carey, Mindy Domb and Lindsay Sabadosa — to support rules reforms that will result in more open government and greater democracy.
Some key improvements would include:
■A strong Code of Ethics for legislators and legislative staff.
■Abolishing “consolidated amendments” in the annual state budget debate that take place off the House floor in Room 348 or in the Senate president’s office, which is out of view of the public and the media. The entire state budget debate should be conducted in the House and Senate chambers as was done prior to Rep. Thomas Finneran’s speakership.
■Reinstating term limits for speaker so that no member shall hold, for more than eight consecutive years, the office of Speaker of the House.
■Independent audits of House and Senate financial accounts to be conducted for each fiscal year. Copies of these audits would be made available to the general public upon request.
■Requiring that whenever a legislative committee votes to give any legislation a favorable or adverse report, there shall be a recorded vote of the full committee.
Public trust in government is polling at historic lows. We hope our newly-elected legislators will show initiative and strength in standing up for long-overdue reforms to improve the process of crafting public policy on Beacon Hill.
Matt L. Barron of Chesterfield, Jean O’Neil of Williamsburg and Norene Roberts of Goshen are members of Indivisible Williamsburg.