House to vote on Massachusetts Legislature audit bill that DiZoglio says is "undermining democracy"

Nearly two years after Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question to audit the Legislature, the House of Representatives is taking up a new bill that's being blasted by State Auditor Diana DiZoglio as unconstitutional.

Ever since the ballot question passed, there's been a long legal battle over just how much information would be accessible during an audit. 

House Speaker Ron Mariano says the bill "will increase access to public records from the executive and legislative branches, and establish a clear framework for legislative audits conducted by the State Auditor." 

The proposal outlines how "administrative functions" of the Legislature are subject to audit, but it says "constitutional functions" could not be audited. It also lists 17 categories of records that can be accessed by the public, though it does not apply the existing public records law to the Legislature.

"We hope this legislation will put an end to protracted litigation, address an issue that may otherwise come before voters on the ballot, and allow the Legislature to refocus on the real issues facing Massachusetts residents," Mariano said in a statement.

DiZoglio said she's "deeply disturbed" by the House's bill, which she says "essentially negates everything that you voted for in the November 2024 ballot question."

She also called out language in the bill that would not allow courts to get involved with the audit process.

"They are painting this as some sort of transparency measure," DiZoglio said in a social media video. "They are telling you that your vote did not matter ... this is not a step in the right direction."

DiZoglio says her office was not consulted at all about the bill. The Senate voted last week to provide her with some financial information she had requested.