Opening up our “Open Meetings”

To: Chairman Marc Pacheco, Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight 

Chairman Antonio Cabral, Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight 

Members of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight 

Fr: Deirdre Cummings, Legislative Director, MASSPIRG

June 2, 2021

In Support of An Act to Modernize Participation in Public Meetings, H.3152 & S.2082

Strengthening our Communities by Continuing Accessible Government

MASSPIRG strongly supports the passage of An Act to Modernize Participation in Public Meetings, H.3152 & S.2082, filed by Representative Denise Garlick and Senator Jason Lewis along with a bi-partisan group of more than 60 lawmakers.

MASSPIRG is a statewide, 45-year-old, non-partisan, not for profit, public interest advocacy organization. We work to protect the environment; to encourage a fair, sustainable economy; to promote public health; and to foster responsive, democratic government.

In response to the COVID -19 pandemic, Massachusetts made a number of changes to protect public health while still providing for and allowing for continued public participation and access to government meetings and decision-making, and in our elections. 

The temporary changes the legislature adopted last year to provide for safe elections resulted in a record breaking voter turnout despite being in the middle of a pandemic. 

Similarly, the Open Meeting Executive Order, adopted on March 12, 2020 in response to COVID-19 modified the Open Meeting Law by allowing virtual/digital access in place of physical access to municipal and other meetings covered under the Open Meeting Law. This change too, has become wildly popular and resulted in more community participation in local governance across the state. 

By requiring a remote access option to participate in local government, we “opened up” our Open Meetings. As a result, area residents can more easily participate in decisions about their schools, towns and cities. Parents and caregivers, residents who cannot drive or have no transit access, people who are temporarily out of town, or people with disabilities all benefit from having a way to participate in government without having to physically get to a municipal building to do so. The executive order, however, will expire on June 15, 2021. 

More civic participation and involvement in local government will lead to stronger communities.  We must continue the remote access to government meetings now that we have all seen the benefits and become equipped in managing the process.

An Act to Modernize Participation in Public Meetings, H.3152 & S.2082 will update the Open Meetings law by making remote access to open meetings a requirement. We hope you will adopt this bill quickly.