The information below is from LWVMA. For more, go to LWVMA Action Alert
|
In July, we asked you to contact your senators and representatives about H.3665, a bill to vastly improve access to public records. That bill has been languishing in the House Ways and Means Committee ever since. Now it’s time to join with other organizations and demand action. LWVMA still thinks that a legislative solution is far preferable to a ballot initiative, but we must let our legislators know that inaction is not acceptable. Please call or email your Senator and Representative and ask them to support H.3665 and to urge the House Ways and Means Committee to bring it to the floor for a vote. You do not have to explain the fine points of the bill, just express your support. You can find contact information for your legislators here. LWVMA, as a member of the Mass. Freedom of Information Coalition (MassFOIA) along with news organizations and the ACLU, has worked hard and was thrilled when the Joint Committee on Administration and Oversight reported the bill favorably with modest changes. The Mass Municipal Association and other groups are trying to block the bill, so they won’t have to comply with existing laws which have no enforcement mechanism. In July, Massachusetts ranked 46 out of the 50 states in transparency and compliance with the Federal Freedom of Information Act. Since then we’ve moved down to 47. |