The Legislature is desperately in need of more transparency. Whether it’s the lack of knowledge the public has about how their legislators vote, the lack of time that State Representatives receive before voting on bills, or limited access to testimony on bills, committee deliberations on legislation, or underwhelming vidoe or audio coverage of debate on Beacon Hill, more transparency in government is critical to the public knowing what the Legislature is working on, and therefore having a greater ability to influence their elected officials.

I have signed the Act On Mass Pledge on transparency. I will fight to make all my committee votes publicly available upon request, including electronic polls and study orders. I will move to make public all votes and testimony of committees of which I am Chair, including electronic polls and study orders. If the committee rules prevent me from doing this, I will motion to amend the rules to make all votes and testimony public, and ask for a roll call vote on that motion. I will stand for roll calls when a member asks for a recorded vote on any bill or amendment which I have co-sponsored or which deals with substantively the same issue as a bill I have co-sponsored.