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Mass. voters overwhelmingly say ‘Yes’ to Question 1
State Auditor Diana DiZoglio now has the power to audit the state legislature following a ballot question.
Massachusetts voters have officially voted “Yes” on Question 1, allowing the State Auditor to audit the state Legislature.
The measure passed with 71.4 percent of the vote, with 63.43 percent of precincts reporting as of 11:54 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio said she believes the government can do “amazing things” after the AP confirmed the results.
“Tonight’s victory is an opportunity for all of us to look forward and work to make our legislature better,” DiZoglio said in a statement. “The people of Massachusetts want the equity, transparency and accountability that a legislative audit would bring, not because of division or partisan lines, but because of our great potential to push forward progress together.”
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Previously, the State Legislature was the only statewide entity to not be audited. DiZoglio has been pushing for this power since last year, against opposition from legislators.
What does Question 1 do?
The question proposed adding wording to the General Laws of Massachusetts that explicitly gives the auditor the power to audit the Legislature. Previous wording said the auditor can review “all departments, offices, commissions, institutions and activities of the commonwealth.”
Proponents of the measure believe a “yes” on Question 1 may bring some order to a legislature plagued by criticism surrounding its efficiency.
“Legislative leaders claim it is sufficient for the Legislature to conduct audits of itself through a procured private vendor,” proponents said in a statement presented to voters. “However, the Massachusetts Legislature is continuously ranked as one of the least effective, least transparent legislatures in America and is one of only four legislatures that exempts itself from public records laws.”
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The Boston Globe‘s editorial board endorsed voting “yes” on Question 1, criticizing the state legislature’s effectiveness and claiming an auditor would help “shine a little light” on the goings-on of the government body.
Opponents said giving this power to the auditor would violate the separation of powers detailed in the Massachusetts constitution. Jerold Duquette, Co-Founder & Senior Contributor of MassPoliticsProfs, spearheaded the opposition. He said Tuesday night that the results were “expected.”
“The legislature will strike it down,” he said. “The legislature will resist, and if the auditor tries to get a court order, she will have to take them to court.”
Duquette said he believes the legislature will allow the issue to go to court. He also claimed the measure is “unconstitutional,” and said DiZoglio knows it.
“But she wont say it on the ballot,” he said of DiZoglio.
Now that the measure passed, state lawmakers have four options, should an audit cross their desk. They could allow DiZoglio’s new authority and allow her to audit them, reject the measure but still comply with the audit, reject the measure and not comply, or flat-out ignore any potential audit request.
2024 Election: Share your reactions to Question 1 results
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