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SHREWSBURY, Mass. – The Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen plans to send a letter to local representative to call for legislation regarding increased transparency at the state level.
Selectman John Lebeaux raised the issue at the board's meeting on Tuesday, saying that the new open meeting law passed in 2010 should have applied to the state government as well as the local boards and councils it covered.
"All the rules that apply to multimember governmental bodies should apply to them," Lebeaux said.
Lebeaux noted several actions performed at the state level that have been covered by media outlets, including legislative committee votes taking place by email, a lack of recorded minutes and attendance records for committees and minutes not being made available to the public – especially via the internet.
"I'm stunned I didn't realize how much of this was being done in this fashion," Lebeaux said. "When no real debate is being done on the floor, we don't know how the bills got the way they look."
The other Selectmen agreed with Lebeaux and said a letter to legislators would be a good idea.
"I was amazed when the new open meeting law was passed and that the legislature was not subject to it," said Selectman Moe DePalo, "but I didn't know it was as bad as it is."
Selectman Moira Miller said the timing of such a letter would be appropriate with the legislative breakfast coming up in March.
"The word that comes to me is hypocrisy," Miller said. "They're giving themselves a pat on the back for a job well done for the requirements we're under, but they don't follow them."
