Mass. accountability problems. Healey’s go plan highlights bigger issue

The heated open debate over Massachusetts Governor last week did everything else. What remains a glaring flaw in a position that is widely regarded as a fortress of progressivism was the subject of Maurice Healey’s specific travel schedule, which prompted a desperately needed conversation. And that’s a unsettling lack of transparency at almost every level of state govt. It can be challenging for the average resident to keep track of what their elected officials are doing, from closed-door votes and a mysterious legislative process to state officials who argue they are free from the state’s available records law and the continuing debate over whether the Legislature you get audited. As Sunshine Week rolled out across the state, there is no other state in the country that needs a greater warning of the qualities of increased federal clarity as much as Massachusetts, according to Paul D. Craney, a spokeswoman for the business-friendly Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. To review, Healey, a Democrat who took office in 2023 vowing to be more open than her Democratic predecessor, was forced to immediately backpedal on her office’s limited- lipped travel policy, saying she’d offer information about her personal travel upon request and after the fact, WBUR and various outlets reported. The Democratic governor made the switch after she abruptly left last month, with her office refusing to reveal where she went, according to the Boston Globe. And that was a change from a previous change, which was made last November when the administration said it would no longer give Healey’s personal travel advance notice, according to WBUR. As it turns out, the long- weekend jaunt to Puerto Rico was a birthday gift from Healey’s partner, Joanna Lydgate, the administration later said. Administration spokesman Karissa Hand said in a statement that” the governor’s focus is on balancing the need to protect the privacy and security of her family with providing information to the public.” Now, you can argue that the taxpayers do n’t need to know where Healey’s spending her downtime. However, they do deserve a heads-up, both because they are responsible for a portion of the costs and because there are succession issues. Under state law. Lt. Gov Kim Driscoll assumes Healey’s duties when she’s out of state. If they’re both out of town, Secretary of State William L. Galvin steps in, as was the case during one weekend in February. The voters, at minimum, deserve to know who’s flying the plane, even if they do n’t notice a difference in the quality of the flight. The majority-party legislature, which made headlines last week by announcing a joint House-Senate conference committee meeting to discuss gun violence reform proposals, will meet publicly. In many states, such as Montana, for instance, that’s norm — and not the exception. But that’s not the case in Massachusetts, where legislative leaders routinely meet behind closed doors to reconcile their differences, and only go public when they have a deal to announce. In light of recent reports that the state House’s roll call count has decreased steadily over the past few years, giving voters a lack of information about how their elected representatives are casting their ballots on important issues. As of earlier this month, the House had held 81 roll call votes during the current, two- year legislative session, The Eagle- Tribune newspaper reported. That’s down from the 105 it held in the 2021- 22 session, and less than the 313 held during the 2017- 18 session, the newspaper reported. The same held true in the Senate, which also has had fewer recorded votes, the newspaper reported. ” While these numbers are outrageous, they are not entirely surprising, the sharp drop in roll call votes is part and parcel of a larger trend of concentrating power on Beacon Hill”, Erin Leahy, executive director of the group Act on Mass., told the Eagle- Tribune. And all this matter because it comes at a time when the public’s faith in institutions, across the spectrum, continues to take a historic beating. The commonwealth ca n’t afford any more of its own goals, especially for a state that has already received poor grades for its transparency.