Transparency
My campaigns platform is informed by thousands of conversations with people in all four of our new districts’ communities. Should I be elected, I will bring the community with me and work in collaboration to increase public participation in our state government. Focusing on the issues that constituents feel are the most important is, by definition, the work of a representative.
Massachusetts is known throughout the Commonwealth and the nation as a progressive state but our House of Representatives (with a few notable exceptions) does not reflect our Commonwealth’s reputation or the wishes of its citizens.
I feel that one of the reasons our House does not, to a large extent, represent its constituents is a tragic absence of transparency. Massachusetts, once the leader in transparency, is now officially the nation’s least transparent state.
Our state is the only state where our representatives are not required to tell us how they vote on any bill or any issue. Ours is the only legislative body that has legally exempted itself from having to respond to public records requests. A total lack of transparency makes accountability impossible, and without accountability the constituents have no power to make sure they are actually being represented. This means no matter how noble the objectives of any candidate might be, there is little chance of it happening unless we first pull back the curtains and restore transparency to actions of those on Beacon Hill.
In Massachusetts, Once A Leader In Government Transparency, Key Votes Are Hidden From The Public
It’s time to bring transparency to the Legislature
Let The Sun Shine In: It’s Time To End The Legislative Exemption To The State’s Public Records Law
