(Boston)--The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance raised $853,063 in 2015, a marked increase over the $802,834 raised in 2014.  The number of donations also increased, from 409 in 2014 to 608 in 2015.

"MassFiscal's consistent growth is a natural result of our important work," said executive director Paul D. Craney.  "I expect that growth to continue this year.  The elections and ambitious legislative goals will provide many opportunities to draw attention to cleaning up state finances, increasing accountability, and building a stronger economic climate in Massachusetts."

Craney pointed to the increase in the number of donations as an important measure of the group's success.  "At the year’s end, our political force grew by half. A strong base of support going into 2016 is important, because along with opportunity, an election year brings challenges."

MassFiscal is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization which advocates for fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability in state government and increased opportunity for the people of our Commonwealth.

The House, in its very last legislative session before breaking for the holidays, voted today on Public Records Reform. True to form, Speaker DeLeo didn't release the proposal until just hours before calling for a vote.

MassFiscal commends our friend Andover Representative Jim Lyons. Jim offered an amendment which would have made the legislature itself subject to the proposed public records law. Unsurprisingly, the chair ruled his amendment out of order. Lyons forced a vote on the ruling, which failed 34 to 122.

On Beacon Hill, it's easier to spot Elvis than it is to see the inner workings of lawmaking. House leadership refused to make their public record proposals available to the public up until today. We’re not surprised 122 lawmakers then voted to exempt themselves from public scrutiny, are you?.

See how your legislator voted on allowing debate on Representative Lyons' amendment on our Legislative Scorecard, which you may view here.

CALL TO ACTION: Call your legislator and tell him or her what you think of their vote.

Today, we challenged the fourteen legislators and four statewide officers to donate to purge from their campaign war chests funds donated by the Teamsters Union. We also asked Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to make public the findings of an internal investigation into City Hall’s involvement in the actions leading to the indictments.

Our challenge comes in the wake of federal indictments on extortion charges stemming from strong-arm tactics used by Teamsters against the “Top Chef” cast and crew during an episode filmed in Boston. The tactics included threats of violence, racial and sexually derisive name-calling, and aggressive picketing.

Indictment documents suggest City Hall may have tipped off local businesses to Teamster plans. Such ties between the union and the city’s permitting authorities are troubling indeed, and we commend Mayor Walsh for launching an internal investigation. We look forward to hearing the results of the taxpayer-funded independent investigator.

The indictments make clear that the Boston Teamsters will go to any length to exert their influence, and in politics, money is influence. The people of our state deserve a legislative process that is free of the influence of what US Attorney Carmen Ortiz calls ‘old school thug tactics.’

Rather than ask elected officials to give back the donations, we have suggested campaign committees donate to charity an amount equivalent to that received.

Below is the list of elected officials who have received Teamsters donations and their office phone numbers as well as the number for the Mayor’s office. Call them and tell them you don’t want Teamsters money influencing our government.

Attorney General Maura Healey (617) 727-2200

Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg (617) 367-6900 

Secretary of State William F. Galvin (617) 727-7030

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh (617) 635-4500

Representative James M. Murphy (617) 722-2240

Representative Joe McGonagle (617) 722-2400

Senator James E. Timilty (617) 722-1222

Senator Marc Pacheco (617) 722-1551

Representative Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. (617) 722-2380

Senator Thomas M. McGee (617) 722-1350

Representative Nick Collins (617) 722-2014

Senator Sal DiDomenico (617) 722-1650

Representative William C. Galvin (617) 722-2692

Representative Tackey Chan (617) 722-2080

Representative Paul J. Donato (617) 722-2180

Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante (617) 722-2080

Representative Harold P. Naughton, Jr. (617) 722-2230

Representative Adrian Madaro (617) 722-2637