AS THE HOUSE AND SENATE conference committee begins its work on the Fiscal Year 2024 budget, the Construction Industries of Massachusetts respectfully asks the conferees to maintain the 50/50 split […]
Full Disclosure
Bringing transparency to public records
Posted inOpinion
Something’s new this year at UMass Boston
NEXT WEEK, as students return to University of Massachusetts Boston, a number of them will do something no one has done in the school’s history: Live on campus. For the […]
Posted inUncategorized
Public records harassment tough sell
WELLESLEY RESIDENT RONALD ALEXANDER seems to be exactly the sort of guy lawmakers had in mind when they included a harassment provision in the new Public Records Law. Alexander has […]
Posted inUncategorized
Nickeled and dimed
THE TOWN OF Dartmouth is certainly a stickler for the rules, unwilling to forego a nickel copying fee for a document disclosing a legal settlement involving hundreds of thousands of […]
Posted inUncategorized
Galvin upholds Jones decision on privacy grounds
SECRETARY OF STATE WILLIAM GALVIN’S OFFICE has ruled that the Foxborough Police Department acted properly in denying on privacy grounds a public records request for a surveillance video of New […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Senate unanimous in support of Public Records Law update
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT ADVANCES in current technology has rendered the decades-old law ineffective, the Massachusetts Senate on Thursday passed a public records reform bill updating the statute […]
Posted inPolitics
Baker administration making public records progress
A clarification has been added to this story. THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION is making significant progress in fulfilling the governor’s pledge to make it easier and cheaper for the public to […]
Posted inPolitics
Senate puts teeth into public records reform
THE STATE SENATE unveiled its version of Public Records reform, potentially the first major overhaul since the law was enacted in 1973, placing a hard time limit on responses, requiring courts […]
Posted inUncategorized
House okays panel to review public records exemptions
THE HOUSE ON Wednesday unanimously approved a watered-down Public Records reform bill but beat back an attempt to lift the exemption covering the Legislature, instead agreeing to form a commission […]
Posted inPolitics
Public records bill does little to open access
THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS Committee is set to unveil a bill that would allow those who are thwarted in seeking public records to collect attorney fees, a stick designed […]
Posted inPolitics
Beacon Hill’s army of influence
special interests spent more than $67 million last year lobbying on Beacon Hill, the equivalent of about $335,000 per lawmaker, according to state records. The Massachusetts Teachers Association was the […]
Posted inPolitics
Public records makeover
CommonWealth long has focused on the need for greater transparency in government. We’ve highlighted the needless secrecy surrounding the recipients of state tax credits and the shortcomings of the financial […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Transparency missing from government
For more on the Public Records Law, see CommonWealth’s updated guide to public records.last november i received an email from an attorney working at the Department of Transitional Assistance informing […]
Posted inPolitics, The Back Story
Is the HEFA severance fight worth it?
Citing attorney-client privilege, a quasi-public state authority is refusing to disclose how much it is spending on legal fees fighting a $562,000 severance payment to an official who lost his […]
Posted inPolitics
Records law doesn’t apply to governor
Another in a series of occasional articles concerning Massachusetts public records and open meetings laws. Responding to an appeal filed by CommonWealth, Secretary of State William F. Galvin officially ruled […]
Posted inPolitics
Globe files suit on severance records
Another in a series of occasional articles on public records and open meetings issues. The Boston Globe is suing eight Massachusetts executive agencies plus the Massachusetts Port Authority and the […]
Posted inPolitics
Rebate records withheld by state
Second in a series of occasional articles on rulings issued by the Secretary of State’s office concerning appeals of public records requests filed with public agencies. The Great Appliance Exchange […]
Posted inPolitics
Everybody knew
commonwealth first began investigating patronage at Probation in 2008. We tried to pry records from the Probation Department under the state’s Public Records Law, but the agency, as part of […]
Posted inPolitics, Transportation
“Tracking the truth” timeline and documents
The Story FOR 19 MONTHS, the MBTA allowed South Shore commuter trains to run at top speed over rails supported by crumbling concrete ties even though the transit authority knew […]
Posted inPolitics
Missed opportunity
INTRO TEXT In the wake of the indictments of former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson and former House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, a State House under siege by a fed-up public recently […]
