Improve ballot question transparency

H. 717 An Act improving fiscal transparency

It’s critical for voters to know exactly what they’re voting for. If passed, this bill would require that the Attorney General and Secretary of State review the fiscal consequences that accompany ballot questions.

Support local, independent newspapers

H. 2940 An Act relative to supporting local journalism

Local, independent journalism is essential to a healthy democracy. Yet in the last 15 years, newsroom employment was cut in half, advertising revenue dropped by billions, and almost 2,000 local newspapers closed. Accordingly, as the institution of local news has seen a sharp decline, so have bipartisanship, municipal election turnout, and local community engagement. This trend cannot be allowed to continue. That’s why this bill would stimulate the local news industry in Massachusetts, and in doing so, bring immediate economic benefits to local small businesses, reconnect communities, give a voice to residents in local affairs, and serve as a bulwark against public mismanagement and corruption. If passed, this bill would create three tax credits available for five years: one for community members to subscribe to a local paper, one for local papers to hire journalists, and one for small businesses to advertise in local papers. Local news deserves public support.

Allow remote participation in state public meetings

H. 3110 An Act relative to remote participation in state public meetings

The pandemic has pushed state business to be more transparent and amendable to public participation. This is to the benefit of our democracy: public policy works best when directly informed by the lived experience of the people who live and work under our laws. As such, participation in our state business must be available to all residents, even from Western Mass and the even further corners of our state.

If passed, this bill would:

• Require that all meetings of state bodies allow for remote participation

• Require that recordings of meetings, along with relevant materials, be posted online soon after the meeting takes place

Remove administrative burden to standardize hiring and recruit quality candidates to civil service positions

H. 3719 An Act relative to civil service positions in the Department of Public Works of the City of Northampton

Under the Civil Service Law, Massachusetts municipalities are required to comply with a specific hiring process and guarantee certain protections with respect to their civil service workers. Many municipalities have been exempted from this law due to its administrative burden, including the City of Northampton. However, a 2019 audit revealed that Northampton’s exemption inadvertently left out specific Department of Public Works (DPW) and Central Services Department (CSD) positions. If passed, this bill would include those DPW and CSD positions in the exemption. This means that the City will be able to recruit the best possible candidates for these positions, manage all new hires under one, unified system, and ensure the best possible working environment for municipal employees. Furthermore, the City has secured the consent of the affected workers by including a provision to maintain their current Civil Service protections.

HD. 3986 An Act relative to public comments and open meeting law

HD. 4016 An Act relative to revising the Non-Public Ambulance Trust Fund

HD. 4019 An Act to improve emergency service access in Cummington