Photo: File Photo
BOSTON (State House News Service) — House Democrats rejected a measure that sought to force their compliance with a voter-approved audit law, reinforcing their opposition to Auditor Diana DiZoglio's attempts to pull back the curtain on the Legislature's business.
Representatives voted 24-127 Monday to shoot down a Republican proposal that would have codified into House rules that audits of the chamber will be conducted by the state auditor's office, as voters authorized under a ballot question approved in November.
One Democrat, first-term Rep. Michelle Badger of Plymouth, supported the amendment. All other Democrats opposed the effort to subject the chamber to an audit by DiZoglio's team.
Republican Rep. Paul Frost of Auburn called on his colleagues to "give the voters what they asked for." He pointed out that although top Democrats for months have described concerns about the constitutionality of an audit, they have not submitted a formal request for the Supreme Judicial Court to weigh in.
Democrat Rep. Michael Day of Stoneham, a top deputy to House Speaker Ron Mariano, doubled down on arguments that allowing the auditor's office to probe the House and Senate would violate the constitutional separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches.
Day made multiple references to Washington, D.C., using the Republican-controlled Congress as an example of a legislative body that he said was "abdicating their responsibility" to President Donald Trump.
Written by Chris Lisinski/SHNS