Last week, Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance hosted a breakfast reception at the Hampshire House in Boston with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Governor Walker, who was in Boston for the Republican Governors Association Conference, spoke to the Mass Fiscal team and supporters about his hopes for the future of America and the work he is doing in Wisconsin to help Americans prosper. The Governor impressed upon the group the importance of values-based leadership and the urgency to keep working towards our goals. Over the past eight years, the number of Conservative Governors has risen from 19 to 31, a product of effective grassroots campaigns across the country. As a result, he had a positive outlook on the future as more and more citizens are beginning to pay attention to state political matters. 

Members of Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance’s Advisory Committee had lunch with Federal Election Commission (FEC) Commissioner Lee Goodman to discuss issues concerning free speech and association in public policy and politics.  Commissioner Goodman, an Obama appointee and an election law attorney, recounted the history of speech in politics, the moments in US history when the right was being infringed upon and the steps that were taken to ensure that the right remained protected. He spoke of the lengths to which some have gone to hinder others’ right to political speech, particularly in recent campaign finance laws that require the disclosure of members for some non-profits, even if the organization’s intentions are not to influence the election of a candidate.  Today, more than ever, MassFiscal and like-minded groups are being targeted because of our efforts to educate voters on the voting records of their lawmakers. As the election cycle continues, we will remain steadfast in our resolve to educate the public on fiscal responsibility.  Commissioner Goodman was a guest on Greater Boston with Jim Braude on WGBH and Howie Carr on the Howie Carr Show.