Editorial Staff

Time to End MA State Legislature’s Exemption from Public Records Law

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by Editorial Staff
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

The purpose of transparency laws is to promote more effective, accountable and responsive government. Engaged citizens are essential for our form of government to thrive over the long-term. According to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, “the founding fathers of our nation strove to develop an open government formed on the principles of democracy and public participation. An informed citizen is better equipped to participate in the process.” Yet, despite this paramount need for the long-term health of the Commonwealth, our transparency laws remain deeply flawed.

The Public Records Law expressly states that the law “shall not apply to the records of the general court” Meaning the state legislature “exempted” itself from a most important law. Although the Supreme Judicial Court upheld the application of the legislature’s blanket exemption, it has never ruled specifically on the constitutionality of the provisions. We at Pioneer Institute believe the legislature’s exemption to this law is unconstitutional. The legislature’s exemption from public records law undermines the rights reserved to the people in the state Constitution and makes it impossible for citizens to uphold their end of the bargain by being engaged in the democratic process.

Read our Public Testimony, delivered by Mary Connaughton, Pioneer’s Director of Government Transparency, on May 4th, 2018 before the Special Legislative Commission on Public Records.

Download Public Testimony

Recent Posts:

A look at Massachusetts updated public records legislation

0 Comments
/
 A version of this article appeared on MuckRock. In September,…

UMass Amherst Athletics’ Spending: Costing the Taxpayer Money

0 Comments
/
College sports have long been a major and growing attraction…

How Legislators’ Late Session Scramble affects Government Transparency

0 Comments
/
Now that there has been sufficient time for experts and the media…

DCAMM Leasing Responds to Agency Needs

0 Comments
/
The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM)…

What do Property Taxes Mean for your Town?

0 Comments
/
Earlier this year, the Boston Globe published an article comparing…

Community Policing: A Success Story?

0 Comments
/
Boston, the city on a hill, has always been defined by its history,…

Opioid Usage in Massachusetts: A Painful and Tragic Trend

0 Comments
/
In March, Governor Baker signed An Act Relative to substance…

Casino Revenue Projections: A Roll of the Dice?

0 Comments
/
As the Wynn Resort Casino breaks ground in Everett tomorrow,…

Newly Proposed Theater Tax Credit All-Too Familiar

0 Comments
/
As Pioneer reported earlier this summer, there have been questions…

Pool Time and Part-Time

0 Comments
/
It’s official; we’re in a heat wave. Earlier this month,…

The Mysterious World of NCAA Apparel Contracts

0 Comments
/
The world of collegiate athletics is, besides great entertainment,…

Volatility and Expansion at the MassCEC

0 Comments
/
This blog entry was edited from its original version on July…

Pioneer Institute Public Statement to the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board

0 Comments
/
Earlier this week, Fox 25 News reported that Michael Mulhern,…

Public Records Reform: Our Take

0 Comments
/
The public records bill that was signed into law by Governor…

OpEd: Shine a light upon MBTA pension fund

0 Comments
/
By Mary Z. Connaughton and Charles Chieppo Guest Columnists Originally…

Remembering Barbara Anderson

Barbara Anderson’s passing marks the loss of a good friend…

Study: Are Drug Prices Driving Healthcare Cost Growth?

Study: Requiring Drug Companies to Disclose Price Methodologies,…

Judicial Branch Holds Transparency in Contempt

0 Comments
/
In yet another Massachusetts public records milestone, the Center…