Voters let state auditor look inside the Legislature's books
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Auditor Diana DiZoglio. Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images
Voters in Massachusetts have granted Auditor Diana DiZoglio's wish to shine a little sunlight on the often shadowy ledgers of the state Legislature, according to the Associated Press.
Why it matters: The win gives DiZoglio's office the authority to oversee some of the Legislature's spending, contracts and personnel practices that aren't currently open to the public.
Driving the news: At the time AP called the race, more than 1.4 million voters had backed Question 1 with fewer than 600,000 voters opposing the measure.
- Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano said in a joint statement they would "consider next steps regarding how to best respect the Question 1 election results in a matter that aligns with the fundamental principles of the Massachusetts Constitution, including separation of powers."
Zoom in: The successful ballot measure should let the auditor investigate the House and Senate to see if the Legislature complies with employee training rules, cybersecurity standards and purchasing practices, according to the Tufts Center for State Policy Analysis.
- That is, if lawmakers allow the audit instead of fighting it in court.
- Throughout the campaign, they vehemently denied the auditor has the authority to see some of the details of their spending.
Catch up quick: DiZoglio left her Senate seat in 2022 to run for auditor on a platform focused on uncovering some of the private dealings of lawmakers.
- Her winning campaign morphed into this year's ballot question and crusade to see inside the Legislature's private financial books.
Yes, but: Much of the work lawmakers do behind closed doors — committee votes, debates, committee assignments and internal policy priorities — are considered core legislative functions that are likely to remain outside DiZoglio's reach.
The bottom line: Lawmakers didn't mount an opposing campaign against Question 1 but could still resist the new law by holding it up in court, or simply repealing it with Democrats' supermajority.