Massachusetts State Auditor Diana DiZoglio is persistent. She tried to get the state legislative leadership to allow her to audit their books, and when they refused, she rallied for a statewide ballot question to force the issue.
Voter-Backed Audit Mandate
On November 5, 2024, over two million Massachusetts voters approved Question 1, giving DiZoglio the authority to audit the Legislature. Reports have indicated it was a 72 percent vote in favor of the audit, but Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office reports it was only 66 percent.
Either way, it was a mandate in favor of an audit.
Legislature Resistance to Transparency
To this day, State Senate President Karen Spilka, House Speaker Rob Mariano, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, and Governor Maura Healey refuse to acknowledge the people’s veto. The refusal has not impacted the Legislature’s approval rating, according to a new poll.
DiZoglio doesn’t give up easily. In fact, she may have another ace up her sleeve.
DiZoglio’s Next Moves
CommonWealth Beacon reported, “Auditor Diana DiZoglio has a new idea for how to overcome the constitutional arguments that have stalled her voter-backed probe of the House and Senate: Go back to the ballot again and ask to make legislative records open to the entire public.”…