More Sunshine. Our Commonwealth needs it.
 
Each year, the National Sunlight Foundation promotes “Sunshine Week," an initiative to spark dialogue on government transparency and freedom of information. 

The Foundation's most recent grade for Massachusetts: an F. 

And although the legislative session has barely begun, MassFiscal gives the Beacon Hill bunch an “F,” too. Already, they've voted down allowing the public time to read new bills. They said no to publishing committee votes. But not every vote was a “no” vote.

The legislature voted a resounding “yes” to increasing their own pay, by 40% overall. So much about the pay hike stinks of smoky back room politics. Its emergency preamble meant retroactive cash for politicians. Money allocated to representatives and senators for travel expenses slyly traveled to an account that makes it countable when pension time rolls around. And of course, it slipped through, garnering each and every one of its votes from Democrats, the party that rules Beacon Hill with an iron fist.

Just for fun, we've put together a video featuring one first term senator who used one of his very first votes to increase his pay from $62,542 to $102,747. We hope you'll take a look.

Now, more than ever, sunshine matters in Massachusetts politics.  Check out Massfiscal’s voting scorecard at massfiscalscorecard.org to see how your lawmaker is voting on important issues.  When representatives and senators know you and I are watching, they make better choices on Beacon Hill. 
 
Let the sunshine in.