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. 

MassFiscal is growing fast, with many exciting changes on the horizon. Today, we want to tell you about our newest program, the Massachusetts Fiscal Fellowship.

Too often talented students interested in policy and politics leave Massachusetts for Washington, D.C., in search of interesting learning opportunities. Keeping young, fiscally-minded young people involved and interested is crucial to our mission. That's why we've created an educational and experience-based fellowship.

Networking with current leaders in government, shadowing successful entrepreneurs, and studying the inner workings of Massachusetts politics are a few of the ways we engage and nurture the Fellows.

In June, we hired our first Fiscal Fellow. Today, 21 young professionals ranging in age from 16-30 years old are working with MassFiscal across the state, and we plan to double that number in the next month. We think of these folks as a small but forceful army for better policy and more fiscally responsible government in the future.

Your dedication to MassFiscal and your financial support has allowed us to identify, train, and fund the fellowship program. You’ll hear more from us in the coming weeks about all of our fellows and what they’ve been up too. We can’t wait to share the details with you. 

Below are a few snapshots of our fellows touring MassFiscal Chairman Rick Green’s distribution center at 1A Auto last week. For information, including how to become a Fiscal Fellow, please click here.

Executive Director Paul Craney today called on the Office of Campaign and Political Finance to investigate "Our Revolution," the controversial 501(c)(4) and its fundraising efforts for Senator Jamie Eldridge, Senator Patricia Jehlen, State Representatives Mary Keefe, and candidate for state representative Mike Connolly.

The group, which is organized to champion liberal politics and politicians, appears to lack proper disclosure with state and federal agencies. Our Revolution’s webpage (https://ourrevolution.com/candidates) directs viewers to candidates, including those mentioned above, and solicits contributions for them. A non-profit cannot under state campaign finance regulations directly solicit contributions for candidates.

A copy of our letter may be found below.