Push for December Deadline An Attempt to Avoid Public Scrutiny

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance strongly condemned the House’s proposed changes to the Joint Rules, which would allow legislative business to be carried out in lame duck sessions, cloaked in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season through the third week of December in the first year of session. These changes, released to the public with only one day to review before lawmakers will vote on them, represent a clear attempt by House leadership to diminish public scrutiny and extend legislative maneuvering into periods when voters are least engaged.

“These rule changes are designed to weaken accountability and transparency by allowing major legislative business to occur after elections and deep into the holiday season. It’s a calculated move to shield lawmakers from public scrutiny while they push through controversial measures,” said Paul Diego Craney, Executive Director for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

The proposed rules would codify last year’s controversial move allowing formal legislative sessions to take place after the legislature’s July 31 adjournment in an election year, opening the door for last-minute lawmaking with minimal oversight. It would also extend the deadline for passing major legislative business in formal sessions to the third week of December during the first year of session—right in the middle of the holiday season when many families are preoccupied.

“The people of Massachusetts deserve a government that operates in the open, not one that waits for the cover of the holidays or lame duck sessions to make major decisions. This is an open door to bring back the corruption of the past, not move us into a more transparent future. Rushing these changes through with barely a day’s notice is an insult to taxpayers and a clear attempt to further consolidate their power,” said Craney.

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance calls on lawmakers to reject this underhanded attempt to change the rules and instead commit to a legislative process that prioritizes transparency, accountability, and public input.