House of hypocrisy when it comes to public records
In an overwhelmingly partisan vote, the Massachusetts House of Representatives last week decided it was exceptional.
On the very last legislative day before the holiday recess, the House finally took up long-promised legislation to clarify and simplify access to state government records. The legislation (H 3858) requires municipalities and state agencies to designate a public records officer to make government documents available to the public upon request and requires agencies to make electronic documents available in electronic form and post common public records online. The American Civil Liberties Union, Common Cause, and the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance (an organization on whose board I sit) support the measure, which passed the House 157-0.
