An advocacy group that has pushed for legislative rules changes it says would boost transparency is touting support for its campaign across other levels of government.
The Boston City Council last Tuesday adopted a resolution urging the Legislature “to reconsider efforts to expand transparency and information justice through its decision-making,” citing recent House rules votes and saying that an “inaccessible process that keeps the people out” is a large part of the reason popular legislation stalls on Beacon Hill.
Councillor Julia Mejia, the resolution’s sponsor, said it wasn’t “about calling people out, but rather calling them in. While we push for greater transparency in the State House, we should also be looking at our body to make sure that we’re doing everything possible to make sure we’re not just creating space for people, but we are directly involving them in every part of our work,” she said during the meeting.
The group Act on Mass, which had pushed for the House to approve rules changes to disclose representatives’ committee votes and require 72 hours of public notice before voting on a bill, cheered the council’s vote.
The week before, Act on Mass also highlighted a tweet from Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton that said: “The government works for the people — not the other way around. I fully support the effort to increase transparency in the statehouse and commend those who voted for it.”
– KATIE LANNAN
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