This Op-Ed by Paul Craney Ran in the March 29, 20206 edition of the Telegram and Gazette. 

OP-ED: New Leadership Overdue for State House GOP
By Paul D. Craney

The legislative process at the Massachusetts State House is completely broken, but an opportunity for its rehabilitation was announced this past week.

Since 2002, state Rep. Bradley Jones has served as the House Republican Minority Leader. Today, the power of the position has been reduced to almost nothing, but in the right hands it could be an energetic advocate for taxpayers and a force for rebuilding the broken legislative process.

The Republican caucus has not proposed an alternative budget in recent memory, and its leader often chastises members for challenging the speaker. This is no secret. It’s time for House Republicans to move on from this way of doing business. By aligning with the speaker’s interests, they are protecting a broken institution and abandoning taxpayers by failing to offer an alternative.

House Republicans need to be bold. They need to seize the moment. Over the next few years, the commonwealth will see even more challenges as it continues down the path of Taxachusetts, compounded with a broken, opaque and unresponsive legislative process.

The last thing House Republicans should do is elect a sequel or a slightly more palatable version of the same tired leadership. That approach has failed to grow the caucus; its ranks remain flat. If you’re not growing, you are losing.

There are bright spots within the House Republican caucus, including newer members, and that should not deter them from stepping forward and running for this position.

The next House Republican minority leader should know how to use social media, build relationships outside the State House, offer an annual alternative budget, hold press conferences and aggressively raise campaign money for the caucus. The leader should be unafraid to vote against the majority party, clearly explain those votes and offer a credible alternative.

These are the basic responsibilities of a minority leader, and our state democracy desperately needs a competitive two-party system. As in any free market, we are best served by healthy competition, and the state Legislature is no exception.

In other New England states, Republicans remain competitive despite the deep blue character of their constituencies.

In the state Senate, Vermont Republicans are just two seats from a majority and already hold some committee chair assignments.

In Maine, they are just three seats from the majority in both chambers.

In New Hampshire, they hold outright majorities in both houses.

In Connecticut, the New England state most demographically similar to Massachusetts, Republicans managed to tie the state Senate as recently as 2018, showing that competitive success is possible.

Just because Massachusetts House Republicans are in New England does not mean their position is hopeless, and they need to stop acting like it.

The next minority leader should cast a clear vision and bring the House Republican caucus with them. Republicans should not be afraid of bold leadership; the next House Republican minority leader must clearly explain their vision for the caucus, the taxpayers and the state.

To be elected as a Republican in Massachusetts is to be a check on those in power. If voters wanted another vote for the majority party, they would simply send a Democrat. House Republicans must live up to the mandate they were given and offer a real alternative to those in power.

As in other New England states, being elected as a Republican means holding the majority accountable. Massachusetts House Republicans now have a chance to reshape their image and fulfill the expectations of their voters, but it begins with electing a leader who will actually lead.

Paul D. Craney is the executive director of Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.