Urge Rep. Galvin to make State House more transparent

Dear Editor:

You might be surprised to learn that the Massachusetts legislature is one of the most secretive in the country. In a 2015 study of all 50 state legislatures, the Center for Public Integrity gave the Massachusetts state government a D+ grade on transparency and an F grade on public access to information.

Each legislative session, our state representatives vote for a set of procedural rules. They have a habit of voting for rules that are the opposite of transparent.

Under the current system, popular bills are often killed in closed committees, giving voters no oversight on the actions of their representative. On the House floor, most votes are not recorded. This results in a system where most lawmaking goes on in private. How can citizens participate in their democratic government when elected officials keep secrets?

Frustrated with our broken State House, concerned citizens have formed the organizing group Act on Mass (actonmass.org) to demand transparency. Indivisible Canton supports this effort, and members met with Rep. Bill Galvin’s staff to urge him to vote for better rules for the next legislative session.

Despite the majority of Massachusetts voters supporting transparency in their government, Rep. Bill Galvin and 121 other representatives last week voted no on an amendment that would prioritize transparency in joint Senate/House committees. It’s disappointing to see so many reps ignore the will of their constituents.

Additional rules will be voted on later this year, so there’s still time for you to support better government in Massachusetts. Your voice matters!

Tell Rep. Galvin that you want him to promote and vote for transparency. He was just named chairman of the House Committee on Rules, so he can influence this issue. Reach him at 617-722-2692 or William.Galvin@mahouse.gov.

Denise Falbo on behalf of Indivisible Canton

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